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Nurse Practitioner - Career Profile |
Career OverviewNurse practitioners provide primary care medical services under a doctor's supervision in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and private officers.
In a typical day, nurse practitioners or NPs assist physicians to provide primary care to patients, including the critically ill and those who present complex cases.
They handle a wide range of conditions and perform basic task for the monitoring, diagnosing, and treatment of patients. Nurse practitioners take medical histories, perform physical examinations of patients, make diagnoses under certain conditions, and treat common illnesses and injuries to take the pressure off physicians, whose time is better spent assisting the more complex and serious cases.
Like most other nursing practices, the responsibilities of nursing practitioners are expanding. Nurse practitioners order and interpret laboratory tests, EKGs, and X-rays. Some states also allow nurse practitioners to prescribe medications to patients.
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Career RequirementsTo be accepted by a nurse-practitioner program, candidates must be registered nurses and hold at least a Bachelor's Degree in nursing from an accredited institution.
Nurse practitioner training programs last between 18 months and 24 months and typically involve both classroom study and clinical training. The training typically focuses on basic health maintenance subjects, such as proper nutrition and basic preventative methods for illnesses and general injuries.
The second year of study typically includes clinical experience under the supervision of a physician in a number of different environments, including clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, and private offices.
Nurse practitioners are also required to pass the American Nurses' Association national examination. More information is available from numerous organizations:
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
P.O. Box 12846,
Austin, TX 78711
www.aanp.org
American Nurses Credentialing Center
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, D.C. 20024-2571
(800) 284-2378
American Nurses' Association
8518 Georgia Ave.,
Ste. 400,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.nursingworld.org
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties,
National Directory of Nurse Practitioner Programs
1522 K St. NW, Ste. 702,
Washington, DC 20005
www.nonpf.com
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Job OutlookAccording to recent reports, the employment outlook for nurse practitioners is quite favorable for the next ten-year period at a minimum. There is a considerable need for medical care in underserved areas, where nurse practitioners play an important role. The growing number of health care workers who are trained nurse practitioners are continuing to provide cost-effective care to underserved communities of patients.
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Career TrackThere are numerous career tracks for nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners work in clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, and private offices. Those who work in hospitals and larger clinics have opportunities for advancement as supervisors in various areas.
Nurse practitioners can also direct their career tracks via specialist medical fields:
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Community Health Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
- Home Health Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Occupational Nurse Practitioner
- Oncology Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Rural Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Nurse Practitioner
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CompensationAlthough compensation for Nurse Practitioners varies considerably, depending on the type of work that they do and where they work, the annual pay is generally between $60,000 and $125,000.
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