We should determine the actual job before making a career option. 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 an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Some of their work cannot be done by nurses. Depending on the specialization, NPs have differentiated work. Let us look at the general job duties and that of their specializations.
Table Of Contents:
- Nurse Practitioner Salary
- Nurse Practitioner Employment Outlook
- How To Become A Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Practitioner Job Description
How Much Salary Does A Nurse Practitioner Get In Calais?
A nurse practitioner receives an average of $90,000. RNs receive $65,000 on average, which means they earn less than NPs. This is because the training of NPs are more extensive, allowing them to earn a medical practitioner title.
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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. This amount is 30% higher than the average national salary. NPs in Delaware receive $67,000.
Experience
As far as experienced is concerned as a factor of salary, in this field, even with experience, the salary hardly increases. It increases about 10-15% over 20 years of experience.
Skills
A range of skills can increase your potential to earn a lot more. An approximate salary of $99,000 could be given to those with skills in acute care and emergency room skills. Whereas family care can take it only up to $92,000. Those who work as geriatrics and internal medicine specialists earn somewhere in between.
Promotions
The only real way to increase your salary in this line of work is to get promoted or get specialized. To do this there are several options. An option is to earn $150,000 annually by becoming a Nurse Practitioner Anesthetist. You could also try to become an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner to earn a bit more than a normal NP. Other options include being 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. In order to achieve these things, you will need to undergo a number of training sessions and acquire additional certification.
Benefits
There are several benefits that an NP could gain. These include paid vacations, retirement planning and health insurance. Employees who want to enhance their skills through schooling can gain financial support from their company. If there are conventions or seminars, they are given registration fees and some allowances.
Because of this shortage for main medical practitioners, many aspiring health care professionals would most likely work in the field. So, in the future, there is a high chance that Nurse Practitioners are going to get paid much more. As an NP you are also given more time and freedom to choose which cases to work on.
The Status of Nurse Practitioner Employment In Calais
As of 2014, there were about 170,000 jobs for nurse practitioners solely in the United States of America. Over the next decade, the BLS expects approximately 31% development in the field. This means that about 57,000 new jobs will come up in that period. The main reason for this is the shortage of medical workers. The need for doctors and physicians cannot be catered by the number of medical professionals. The need for PAs and NPs will keep on increasing in the future. There is an expected 11% increase in jobs for Family, Pediatric, Gastroenterology, and Hospitalist NPs while jobs for neonatal NPs will have a 34% increase. The speed of growth is much higher than the the other careers’ growth rate.
[asd_program_button /]The need for nurses is growing because their techniques in work are focused on the needs of the patient instead of the disease. NPs are more sought for than PAs for this reason.
The need for healthcare in rural areas is also increasing. NPs are the best medical professionals in these areas because establishments are impossible to build there. These professionals work hand in hand with physicans to provide medical assistance to the patients in such areas. The biggest employers of NPs are Office of Physicians, Outpatient Care Centers, and General Hospitals.
There is an increase in the demand for specialized medical care. Nurse practitioners are usually specialized in some or the other field like pediatrics, gerontology, acute care and many other things. The diagnosis of the illness is clearer and faster when the disease is specialized by the practitioner.
Another need for nurses is coming up in education. Teachers of nurses and other medical professionals are needed due to the lack of people honing the skills of the future medical practitioners. So, if a nurse practitioner gets a Ph.D. he or she would be authorized to teach as an academic. After spending much time with work, most people go for teaching jobs. This choice is made by NPs who feel that the regular work in the medical field has already worn them.
There is a brighter future for nurse practitioners in terms of earnings. Because of the need for nurse practitioners, a 19% salary raise in 2020 may be given. A salary of $85,000 may be earned by those who are in teaching. 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.
Each career’s status and salary rate may differ in each state. More information and data about NPs could be found in Bureau of Labor Statistics. This career is not only very competitive but also have huge prospects.
How To Become A Nurse Practioner In Calais
Registered Nurse
One should strive to become a registered nurse first. Earning a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree is needed to become one. A diploma can work as well. However, they do not hold as much importance as the other two since some of the clinics and hospitals need you to have some clinical experience before applying for the job. Experience during the bachelor’s or an associate’s degree internship contributes to this requirement. Taking and passing the standardized national exam for RNs is your next step so you can work officially. You could also try to take a different path and become a Licensed Practical Nurse first.
[asd_program_button /]Earning 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. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required. 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. There are people who are Registered Nurses, while also professionals in other fields. In such cases, there are bridge programs from RN-BSN. The time duration of these programs varies. The duration is longer when you are also studying while working. Bridge courses by LPN-BSN are also available.
Years of Practice
As mentioned before, being experienced is key to getting into of the careers in the medical field. Getting a master’s degree after a bachelor’s degree might be the most efficient way of becoming an NP. Some nurses who have been working for a long time feel that this process is somehow lacking when it comes to real life applications. 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. This training teaches you how to work with a team of medical professionals, how to work efficiently, how to tend to different patients and how to treat a variety of infections.
Earning a Master’s Degree
A requisite of becoming a Nurse Practitioner is one’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Many programs accept RNs with a diploma or an associate’s degree. Other programs require the students 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. Alternatively, you could get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
[asd_program_search_bar /]Getting A Doctorate (optional)
Additionally, one can opt to get a Ph.D. in any of the specializations after the master’s degree. In this way, you can have more reputation in the field and you may have higher salary. Others choose family care, gerontology or health systems as their field of specialization.
State License and Other Documents
The state license is a requirement for those who want to be an NP. Each state has a different list of licensing requirements. They publish a list of accepted programs and bachelor’s degree. Becoming a nurse practitioner requires one to have the RN state license, master’s degree in nursing, and a passed state licensure exam. Your specialization is also a big factor in the type of licensure exams you will take. The American Nurses Association has ancillary branches and you can submit your application in any of them like the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
To revise, you first need to get an associate’s degree or a diploma to become a registered nurse. Then, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree, which will expose you to real life medical situations. Lastly, you will get a master’s degree in your chosen area of specialization and the license will follow.
What Does A Calais Nurse Practioner Do?
Works in general
A nurse practitioner usually works under the supervision of a physician or someone of the same level. 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. Some high-risk cases are also handled by them.
[asd_program_button /]Nurse practitioners take a patient centered approach to treatment. This means that they focus more on the patients’ needs and wants while treating them. Most usual advises include prevention because they want to keep their patients away from diseases before they occur. 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. There are specific duties by NPs on the field, which is why they need this. The following are the works most of them choose.
NPs for Families
NPs on this field consult with whole families. Through the assistance of NPs, the whole family can avoid illnesses together, and any disease no matter how how old the patient is could be treated. They also provide direct care to the family in collaboration with a physician.
NPs Specializing in Psychiatry
Patients who have mental issues may be handled by experts including the psychiatric nurse practitioners. Both therapy and prescription of medicine can be administered by them. They cannot interpret psychological tests, though. He or she could design a treatment plan for the patient along with a professional psychologist’s help.
Working As Pediatric NP
Pediatric NPs can handle newborn babies up to 18-year old patients. The neonatal NP belongs to this specialization. People you see inside Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) caring for newborn babies work in this field. Another work of pediatric NPs is helping kids have a smooth journey through puberty. They are also responsible for immunizations.
Gerontology NP
Old people are the patients of those working as gerontology nurse practitioners. They educate them about disease prevention and manage any illnesses they might have. However, since old people are more sickly, it is the expert’s job to make sure their illnesses do not reduce the quality of their lifestyles. In an effort to prolong the life of their patients, they provide them fitness plans.
These are just some of the specializations of a nurse practitioner. There are more fields that NP would want to pursue. Each of these specializations offers a different amount of salary. 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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