The career of a Nurse Practitioner (NP) is gratifying and in demand all across the United States. This article will explain in more detail some of the advantages of being a Nurse Practitioner.
- Nurse Practitioners are Predicted to be in High Demand
- Greater Autonomy and Scope of Practice
- Nurse Practitioners are Needed Across the Nation
- Able to Work in a Variety of Medical Settings
- Competitive Salary
- Opportunities for Career Development and Advancement
- Everyday Variety
- Career Longevity
- Respected Role
- Rewarding Career
1. Nurse Practitioners are Predicted to be in High Demand
The number of Nurse Practitioners is expected to grow considerably by 36.1% by 2026. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts Nurse Practitioners to be one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. The increased demand for Nurse Practitioners will provide many potential job opportunities for those interested in becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
In the United States, healthcare trends are changing resulting in an increased need for additional healthcare providers. People are living longer and as the Baby Boomer population is aging, there is an increasing number of people needing to be treated for chronic conditions. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports six out of ten adults currently have a chronic disease, and four out of ten adults have two or more chronic diseases. Obesity rates continue to rise across multiple age groups, genders, and ethnicities. This is causing higher rates of obesity-related illnesses and conditions, such as diabetes mellitus and heart disease. The CDC is also predicting the number of cancer rates to increase. These are just a few of the factors that are generating an increased demand for advanced practitioners and providers in the United States.
In addition to more people needing health care providers, the National Center for Workforce Analysis predicts that the United States will have a noticeable shortage of physicians in the next decade. There will not be enough qualified doctors to treat and follow patients in need of healthcare.
It is anticipated that the increased number of Nurse Practitioners will help alleviate this alarming physician shortage. Nurse Practitioners are qualified to perform certain responsibilities and procedures traditionally performed by physicians, such as to assess, diagnose, and treat most patients.
Careers in the medical field tend to have low unemployment rates around 2%, but Nurse Practitioners have an even lower unemployment rate at 1.1%, indicating there are plenty of jobs available in health care. This rate is expected to remain low as the demand for more Nurse Practitioners increases to treat the aging and changing population of the United States.
2. Greater Autonomy and Scope of Practice
A Nurse Practitioner has different responsibilities from a Registered Nurse. An essential difference between a Registered Nurse (RN) and a Nurse Practitioner is the expanded scope of nursing practice. Nurse Practitioners work as an advanced health care provider and can diagnose illness and develop treatment plans for patients, whereas an RN may not perform this role.
To become a Nurse Practitioner a graduate-level education is necessary. Either a master’s degree or doctorate degree can provide this education. Both degrees provide extensive education and clinical experience preparing the Nurse Practitioner to:
- Assess medical history and symptoms of patients
- Order various labs, therapies and medical tests
- Write medication prescriptions
- Educate and counsel patients
It is important to note, the scope of practice for Nurse Practitioners varies by state. Each state creates its own regulations and laws that specify what a Nurse Practitioner can and cannot do in practice. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) explains that there are three different Nurse Practitioner practice environments: Full Practice, Reduced Practice, and Restricted Practice. The AANP provides a map of the states and countries color-coded by the different practice environment (shown below) and defines each environment:
“Full Practice: State practice and licensure laws permit all NPs to evaluate patients; diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests; and initiate and manage treatments, including prescribing medications and controlled substances, under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing. This is the model recommended by the National Academy of Medicine, formerly called the Institute of Medicine, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Reduced Practice: State practice and licensure laws reduce the ability of NPs to engage in at least one element of NP practice. State law requires a career-long regulated collaborative agreement with another health provider in order for the NP to provide patient care, or it limits the setting of one or more elements of NP practice.
Restricted Practice: State practice and licensure laws restrict the ability of NPs to engage in at least one element of NP practice. State law requires career-long supervision, delegation or team management by another health provider in order for the NP to provide patient care.”
Recently, the regulations that mandate tight restrictions of the NP scope of practice are loosening in many states. As Nurse Practitioners continue to show value and importance in the healthcare system, policymakers are more willing to expand the role and practice of Nurse Practitioners. Especially in a time of physician shortages and rising costs in healthcare, there has been a greater effort to expand the scope of practice for Nurse Practitioners and increased their ability to work more independently.
In 2016, the Department of Veteran Affairs modified its scope of practice policy by allowing Nurse Practitioners to work without the supervision of a physician in their federal facilities. Nurse Practitioners were recognized as valuable and much-needed members that “provide timely, efficient, effective and safe primary care.” This change demonstrates the value and trust placed in Nurse Practitioners by a respected healthcare organization. Nursing organizations continue to seek expanded roles for Nurse Practitioners.
3. Nurse Practitioners are Needed Across the Nation
Nurse Practitioners are licensed to work in every state and city within the United States; this includes the District of Columbia and United States territories: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Jobs are available across the nation, and as mentioned before, the number of Nurse Practitioner jobs is expected to continually increase.
The increasing and aging United States population combined with physician shortages has healthcare companies actively seeking Nurse Practitioners to fill medical provider positions. Not only are primary care or family practice providers needed across the United States, but there is also a need in a variety of medical specialties. The widespread need for Nurse Practitioners allows a great deal of flexibility for those who want to live in particular states or cities.
Large populations in big cities require a substantial number of Nurse Practitioners. As these urban and suburban areas continue to grow in population, so does the demand for health care providers. Populous states are anticipated to have the most job openings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the states who will have the most average annual job openings per year are:
- New York with 1450 job openings
- California with 1200 job openings
- Florida with 950 job openings
- Texas with 930 job openings
There is a substantial need for Nurse Practitioners in these highly populated areas. Often NPs are paid higher salaries in urban areas and are given more opportunities to work in medical specialties than general family practice.
There is also a significant need for healthcare providers in rural areas. These areas are also heavily impacted by the physician shortage as working and living in small towns and rural areas is not always appealing. However, many states are trying to change just that. Incentives such as higher pay, insurance benefits, tax credits, cash bonuses, and relocation expenses are offered to encourage health care providers to work in small rural areas.
The state of South Dakota, for example, is offering health care providers, particularly Nurse Practitioners, an “incentive payment” of over $60,000 dollars to work in one of their rural communities. Some Nurse Practitioners end up making more money in rural areas than in urban areas due to the low cost of living, higher pay, and incentives offered.
4. Ability to Work in a Variety of Medical Settings
It is often assumed that Nurse Practitioners only work at a doctor’s office or hospital. However, Nurse Practitioners have the option to work in a variety of medical settings. These areas of practice may include:
- Hospital
- Private or Group Practice
- Community Health Center
- Urgent Care
- Health Department
- Long-term care or nursing home
- Home Health Care
- Hospice or Palliative Care
- Schools/Universities
Hospitals offer even further specific medical settings in which a Nurse Practitioner can work. There are many opportunities in inpatient and outpatient settings. These areas include a range of medical specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, emergency department, and critical care. Some of these specialties require additional training and certifications that can vary by state laws and regulations.
Private or Group Practice is another job opportunity for Nurse Practitioners. The main focus in this area is Primary Care. This consists of health promotion, patient education and counseling, diagnosis and treatment of illness. There are private and group practices in specific medical specialties such as urology, gastroenterology, sports medicine and dermatology.
It is also important to note that those in private practice or group practice can obtain hospital privileges allowing providers to work both in the office and in the hospital. In some states, Nurse Practitioners are licensed to work independently in their own private practice. However, other states require an NP to be supervised by a physician and must work in a group practice.
Community Health Centers are frequently funded by the government to provide healthcare for those in Medically Underserved Areas or a Medically Underserved Population. This could include those who are homeless, public housing residents, Military Veterans, or agricultural workers. Those receiving care are charged on a sliding fee scale. Common services provided by Nurse Practitioners employed in these facilities are primary care, cancer screenings, well-child services, family planning, and chronic disease management.
Urgent Care Centers are medical facilities that treat patients with urgent but not life-threatening conditions. Nurse Practitioners often provide care for minor bone fractures, muscle sprains or strains, fever/flu, sore throat/cough, urinary tract infection, and skin rashes. Diagnostic services can also be provided such as laboratory testing and x-rays. Some Urgent care centers perform physicals for sports or school and even immunizations.
Local Health Departments often employ Nurse Practitioners. NPs working in this setting are often involved with immunizations, family planning, prenatal care, women’s health, children’s health, and some basic sick care services. Public health is a primary focus in this healthcare setting.
Long-Term Care or Skilled Nursing Homes employ Nurse Practitioners to provide healthcare for residents living in the facility. These facilities are created to provide long-term care and assistance to those unable to perform normal activities of daily living independently or lack the assistance to do so. Nurse Practitioners typically manage the primary care of the patient. This can include monitoring chronic health conditions, adjusting medications, prescribing various therapies (physical, occupational, speech, etc.), and pain management.
Home Health Care is another medical setting where Nurse Practitioners are employed. This requires the Nurse Practitioner to travel from house to house for each client needing to be seen. Nurse Practitioners focus on primary care such as managing chronic disease or illness. Educating the client and their family on health promotion, client safety, and disease prevention is an important role of this job.
Hospice or Palliative Care can take the Nurse Practitioner to a client’s home, a long-term facility, or even a hospital. Palliative Care can be provided when a patient is being treated for a serious illness or disease. Hospice Care is for patients in their final stage of life, expected to live six months or less with no curative treatment. Relief is provided to treat the symptoms, pains, and stress while ill to improve the quality of life for the patient. Nurse Practitioners involved in this medical setting focus primarily on the comfort of the patient. This care may involve prescribing medications, physical/occupational therapy, nutritional guidance, and ensuring that medications and treatments are not causing discomfort.
Schools and Universities typically have on-campus health clinics for student health services. Nurse Practitioners working in this area perform primary care services targeted toward young adults. This includes basic urgent care (colds, flu, sprains), immunizations, chronic illness management (allergies, asthma, and diabetes), and also sexual health and gynecology care (contraceptives, pap smear, STI screenings, pregnancy testing).
5. Competitive Salary
Nurse Practitioners earn a competitive income that often comes with benefits such as retirement planning, health insurance, paid vacation time, and liability insurance. Depending on the employer, NP’s can be paid hourly or more commonly by salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the national median annual salary of Nurse Practitioner is $107,030.The Nurse Practitioner annual salary is affected by several factors: location, medical specialty, and experience.
The location where a Nurse Practitioner works significantly influences the annual income. The paid salary can differ by state, region, and even by city. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the top five highest paying states are:
- California ($133,780)
- Alaska ($122,880)
- Massachusetts ($122,740)
- New Jersey ($122,100)
- New York ($120,970)
Nurse Practitioners working in the same state may still have very different salaries based on the city or region where they work. For example, the average salary of a Nurse Practitioner in the state of South Carolina is $97,140, and the average salary is $145,890 for Nurse Practitioners in the region of Sumter, South Carolina. The top five cities with the highest average salary for Nurse Practitioners are:
- New Bedford, Maine ($156,980)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California ($150,790)
- Spokane-Spokane Valley, Washington ($148,440)
- Sumter, South Carolina ($145,890)
- Vallejo-Fairfield, California ($145,400)
The various medical specialties and subspecialties can also affect a Nurse Practitioner’s salary. There are a variety of specialties in which a Nurse Practitioner can work such as cardiology, endocrine/diabetes, pediatrics, orthopedics, and dermatology. These areas may require further certifications and training, but in the end, may pay a higher salary.
Work experience may also change a Nurse Practitioner’s salary. Nurse Practitioners with more clinical experience generally have higher salaries. The average salary of an entry-level Nurse Practitioner is around $90,000. This number increases to an average salary of $103,000 with more experienced Nurse Practitioners.
6. Opportunities for Career Development and Advancement
There are many opportunities for career development and advancement for the Nurse Practitioner. These include obtaining further education or certifications, working in an administrative or management role, establishing a private clinic, and teaching nursing at a college or university.
Nurse Practitioners working in a medical specialty often obtain further training or certifications. This education provides in-depth knowledge in that medical specialty and also provides evidence of expertise in that area.
For example, a Nurse Practitioner wanting to certify as a “Dermatology Certified Nurse Practitioner” can do so through the Dermatology Nurses Association. To be eligible a Nurse Practitioner must have a Master’s or Doctorate degree in nursing, current licensure as an NP in their working state, and a minimum of 3,000 hours of dermatology practice as a Nurse Practitioner. Once eligible, the Nurse Practitioner may take the Dermatology Nurse Practitioner’s Certification Exam. Upon passing the exam and obtaining the certification, the Nurse Practitioner must renew the certification every three years through contact hours of continuing education credit or by examination.
Another approach to Nurse Practitioner career development is obtaining a terminal degree such as a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.). These degrees increase the knowledge and education of Nurse Practitioners and also allows them to participate in various other advanced roles.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing prepares Nurse Practitioners to conduct research to develop new knowledge and philosophies that can advance nursing science. This can lead to many different opportunities for the Nurse Practitioner to work with pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, health information technology companies, and universities. To obtain a Ph.D. in nursing, the Nurse Practitioner must complete 60-100 credits depending on the college or university, and culminate in a dissertation and original research project.
The Doctorate of Nursing Practice prepares Nurse Practitioners to interpret research and scientific studies into best nursing practice. It differs from the Ph.D. in Nursing in that the Nurse Practitioner applies current research evidence into their clinical practice for best patient outcomes. Nurse Practitioners with a DNP have many opportunities to work in clinical medical settings (hospitals, private or group practice), management and leadership roles, and policy and procedure development. Nurse Practitioners can obtain this degree from a university either in-person or online, and there can be up to 1,000 hours of clinical work required.
7. Everyday Variety
The work of a Nurse Practitioner is known to be dynamic and constantly changing on a day-to-day and even hour-by-hour basis. Working with and caring for people creates a constant change in the work environment.
Nurse Practitioners work with a variety of people. Patients and clients come from diverse backgrounds and upbringings. Nurse Practitioners encounter various ethnicities and cultures from around the world. Patients can also differ in age as well. The first client may be an infant and the next 95 years old.
The education and training required for Nurse Practitioners is expansive. This prepares Nurse Practitioners to diagnose and treat a wide range of illnesses and diseases that may be encountered. Even when working in a medical specialty, the medical conditions seen can vary significantly.
As mentioned previously in this article, Nurse Practitioners can work in a variety of clinical settings. Some may work in a private or group practice clinic one day, and the next work in the hospital operating room performing surgery. The Nurse Practitioner does not have to be limited to one clinical setting.
8. Career Longevity
The role and career of a Nurse Practitioner will continually grow in the medical field. In the United States, more healthcare providers are currently needed. This growing need is due to physician shortages, people living longer, and a rise in chronic health conditions. The increasing demand for Nurse Practitioners is predicted to provide many potential job opportunities for those interested in pursuing this career.
Career opportunities for Nurse Practitioners are projected to expand throughout the US resulting in increased job availability. An additional number of healthcare providers are needed to fill the gap in healthcare coverage currently experienced by many people. This growing need is a result of physician shortages, increased use of health care services, an aging population, people living longer, and a rise in chronic health conditions. Nurse practitioners have been able to fill part of this growing need and provide much-needed services; however, healthcare needs continue to rise. The increasing demand for Nurse Practitioners is predicted to continue to escalate providing many potential job opportunities.
The career longevity of the Nurse Practitioner is predicted to be lasting. Contrary to many other employment positions that are being eliminated due to increasing technology, there is always a demand for healthcare providers to care for the sick and injured The role of healthcare professionals, especially that of Nurse Practitioners, is essential and career opportunities will continue to be available.
9. Respected Role
Nurse Practitioners are trusted and respected. According to the Gallup Organization, the Nursing profession, in general, was rated number one as the most honest and ethical profession in 2019. Nursing has held this number one position in this poll for the 17th year in a row! Nursing was rated as more trusted and ethical than professions such as teachers, clergy, and medical doctors.
Families and communities trust Nurse Practitioners as being knowledgeable and providing high-quality care. Research studies indicate that medical outcomes such as patient improvement, disease reduction, hospitalization, and patient satisfaction levels are comparable regardless of whether care was performed by a physician or a Nurse Practitioner. In fact, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners states that “patients report an extremely high level of satisfaction” from the care they receive from Nurse Practitioners. This report and poll, in addition to others, demonstrate the considerable amount of trust and respect the public has for Nurse Practitioners.
10. Rewarding Career
The career of a Nurse Practitioner can be highly fulfilling and rewarding. According to a Medscape report, 47% of Nurse Practitioners felt that the most rewarding aspect of their job was helping people and making a difference in people’s lives.
In contrast to other healthcare providers, Nurse Practitioners have a “unique emphasis on the health and well-being of the whole person.” As a healthcare provider, Nurse Practitioners are directly involved in helping people make decisions to live long and healthy lives. Nurse Practitioners ensure patients receive the best care and treatments while guiding patients to make smarter lifestyle choices to prevent disease. Helping others on a daily basis allows Nurse Practitioners to not only make a difference in one person’s life but can make a difference in an entire community.
As one can see, there are many advantages and benefits to a career as a Nurse Practitioner. The career path to becoming a Nurse Practitioner can be challenging, yet ultimately rewarding.
Is a Nurse Practitioner for you? The motivation to pursue a career as a Nurse Practitioner is personal and individual. What motivates you?
Comment below and tell me why you want to become a Nurse Practitioner!
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