Selecting a career may require you to know the nature of the job. This is especially true for the medical field, since the job descriptions of so many professions in this field are similar. A Nurse Practitioner is also known as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). This means that they can perform a range of specialized activities that a nurse can’t. The job duties of an NP vary from one specialization to another. The rest of the article will show you the specializations and general work duties of these professionals.
Table Of Contents:
- Nurse Practitioner Salary
- Nurse Practitioner Employment Outlook
- How To Become A Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Practitioner Job Description
How Much Does A Nurse Practitioner Make In Golden Meadow?
A nurse practicioner earns $90,000 on average. The NP receives higher salary than RNs, which is approximately $65,000. This value is lower compared to an NP since an NP goes through more training and education and later earns the right to practice medicine.
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Wherever there is a growing need of NPs, they will be paid more. For example, Hawaii is the highest paying state with an average salary of $115,000 a year. Compared to the average earnings of NPs in the rest of the country, they earn 30% more. In Delaware, NPs could earn as much as $67,000.
Length of Practice
Experience is not too much of a factor for salary increase in the field. It increases about 10-15% over 20 years of experience.
Skills
Your capacity for work could contribute to your salary increase. Acute care and Emergency room skills will be something that can increase your average salary to up to $99,000. Whereas family care can take it only up to $92,000. The skills of geriatrics and internal medicine both fall somewhere in between these two.
Increase in Position
Salary raise in the field could only be achieved when you get a promotion or when you earn a specialization. To do this there are several options. You can try to become a Nurse Practitioner Anesthetist who can earn about $150,000 a year. Another is by becoming an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, who earns slightly more than the regular NP. Other alternatives are to become a Family, Pediatric NP, Psychiatrist NP, or an Adult NP. After this, of course, there are further specializations that can help you a bit more cash if needed. The specific area you take may require you to spend a period of time to apply what you learned and you will receive certificates in return.
Benefits
An NP is entitled to numerous benefits. These include paid vacations, retirement planning and health insurance. Most of the time, the company gives back the amount of money spent on further schooling that enhances their abilities. They are also paid to attend certain conferences and their registration fees are taken care of.
Since primary medical personnel is short in numbers, the demand for mid-level medical care professionals may increase. So, in the future, there is a high chance that Nurse Practitioners are going to get paid much more. NPs also tend to have more time on their hands to opt for the work assignment they want.
Nurse Practitioner Golden Meadow Employment Outlook
The United States of America needed 170,000 nurse practitioners in 2014. According to BLS, the industry is expected to grow by 31% over the next decade. This means that about 57,000 new jobs will come up in that period. The lack of medical professionals caused this. The number of doctors and physicians cannot cope with the increasing medical needs of the population. This means that PAs and NPs will continue to be needed for a long time. It is estimated that the jobs for Family, Pediatric, Gastroenterology, and Hospitalist NPs will rise by about 11% whereas that of neonatal NPs will rise about 34%. The speed of growth is much higher than the the other careers’ growth rate.
[asd_program_button /]Another reason for the increasing demand of nurses is because they take a patient-centered approach rather than a disease-centered one. It is the reason why NPs are preferred over PAs.
There is a growing demand for medical care in rural areas. NPs are the best medical professionals in these areas because establishments are impossible to build there. These medical practitioners may ask help from other physicians to cater to the patients in the area. The biggest employers of NPs are Office of Physicians, Outpatient Care Centers, and General Hospitals.
The need for specialized health care is also increasing. Specializations of nurses include those in pediatrics, gerontology, acute care, and other fields. This means that they can give a more accurate diagnosis of the patient’s problem if it falls in their area of specialty.
The educational field is also in need of nurses. Teachers of nurses and other medical professionals are needed due to the lack of people honing the skills of the future medical practitioners. Getting a Ph.D. is a requisite for a nurse practitioners to be able to teach. People generally go into consulting or teaching after a certain age. NPs who do not have the strength to carry on the usual work may opt for this.
There are many good news when it comes to the financial aspect of the nurse practitioner careers. Because of the need for nurse practitioners, a 19% salary raise in 2020 may be given. As for an academic, the average salary starting out is about $85,000. This can go up to $175,000 a year easily with experience. The specialization of a nurse determines the amount of salary he or she earns. A nurse anesthetist earns about $150,000 and this can go up to $235,000.
The state you live in has a say on the job standpoint and salary of each career. Those who want to know the data statistics of NP employment could visit Bureau of Labor Statistics. Obviously, it is a career that is challenging and highly accredited, as well.
Career Requirements For Nurse Practitioners In Golden Meadow
Becoming a Registered Nurse
The first step is to become a registered nurse. In order to be one, get your bachelor’s or an associate’s degree from an accredited school. Another way is earning a diploma. However, the skill acquired during internship or work experience are more important. Experience during the bachelor’s or an associate’s degree internship contributes to this requirement. After this, you must take a standardized national test and then get the license to practice as an RN. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse first is another way to achieve your goals.
[asd_program_button /]Completing Bachelor’s Degree
It is also recommended that one completes his/her Bachelor’s Degree. Those who have applied for a diploma or an associate’s degree should consider this. The course Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) needs to be completed. During this period, the concepts learned will also be applied and put into actions during clinic duties. One’s experience in the field contributes a lot to the career of a medical professional. You may be a bachelor’s degree holder already and going for a Registered Nurse career at the same time. In such cases, there are bridge programs from RN-BSN. Duration of program may depend on certain conditions. The duration is longer when you are also studying while working. Bridge courses by LPN-BSN are also available.
Experience
One of the best ways to make it in the health care field is to get lots of experience. Earning your master’s degree right after your bachelor’s degree may be the ideal process to follow to become an NP. The practicality is not provided in this process, according to many senior nurses in the field. Thus, they recommend you go through some training before applying for a graduate degree since some of the NP training programs also require you to have some prior experience. During the training, you will learn how to work effectively as an individual and with other professionals, how to ensure the welfare of various patients and treat the infections they may have.
Earning a Master’s Degree
To become a Nurse Practitioner, one needs to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Lots of programs only need the RN’s diploma or an associate’s degree as a requirement. Students who want to be enrolled in other programs needs to have a bachelor’s degree. Both kinds will train you inside the classroom and in the field. While studying to earn the NP title, RNs mostly need to undergo long hours of training. Another option will be to take the course of becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
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After earning a master’s degree, one has freedom to choose a specialization for his/her Ph.D. Reaching this far will potentially increase your earnings and also your reputation as a medical professional. Specialization in family care, gerontology or health systems are good options.
State License and Certification
An NP must be licensed by the state. Requirements for licensing may vary in every state. They publish a list of accepted programs and bachelor’s degree. To become a nurse practitioner, it is important for every candidate to have a valid RN license, a master’s degree in nursing and to pass the state licensure exam. Licensure exams are in line with your specialization. For example, you can apply at the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board or any other institution which is a subsidiary of American Nurses Association.
To revise, you first need to get an associate’s degree or a diploma to become a registered nurse. Then you must obtain a bachelor’s degree after which you move on to gain some experience. Finally, you acquire a master’s degree following which you get licensed after applying for the appropriate program.
What is the Work of A Golden Meadow Nurse Practitioner?
General Work
Physicians and other medical professionals of the same level supervise nurse practitioners. Diagnosing and treating patients are also part of their jobs. They can also order certain tests and medical procedures to be conducted. They interpret these results and consult with the patient. Sometimes, they are also allowed to assist a physician in surgery whether as the surgeon or an anesthetist. They could even perform risky operations.
[asd_program_button /]Nurse practitioners work with the patient-centered method. This means that they focus more on the patients’ needs and wants while treating them. They value prevention over treatment, which is why they advise their patients to start taking precautions. Thus, a huge role of NPs is to consult patients on how to prevent injuries and illnesses.
In general, nurse practitioners need a specialization before they take the licensure exam. The specific duties of an NP depend on this specialization that they have chosen. Let us look at some of the popular choices and their job duties.
NPs Specializing in Families
NPs on this field consult with whole families. They can deal with patients of every age and help avoid illnesses within the family. They also provide direct care to the family in collaboration with a physician.
Working as Psychiatric NP
Patients who have mental issues may be handled by experts including the psychiatric nurse practitioners. They can practice as therapists and sometimes prescribe appropriate medicine. However, phsychological testing is not a part of their job. They can choose to look at the results from the testing and then work with a professional psychologist or psychiatrist to determine a treatment plan for the patient.
Working As Pediatric NP
As the name suggests, pediatric NPs look after kids of all ages – from newborn babies to 18-year old kids. The neonatal NP belongs to this specialization. This is the work of the nurses you find in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Another work of pediatric NPs is helping kids have a smooth journey through puberty. They are also the ones who give immunizations and vaccines to children.
Working as a Gerontology NP
Old people are the patients of those working as gerontology nurse practitioners. Illnesses are treated and prevented with the help of these practitioners by giving their patients some advice. Old people are more prone to different diseases. These healthcare experts will help reduce the risks of other diseases. In an effort to prolong the life of their patients, they provide them fitness plans.
The abovementioned things are just some good examples of a nurse practicioner’s specialties. There are several others that an NP might try to get into according to his or her own interests. The earnings may be different for each specialization. One of the highest paying specializations is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Now that you know the different roles that your job may entail, you can make an informed decision about your career choice.
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