Selecting a career may require you to know the nature of the job. The assumption that related jobs have the same description is easily made especially in the field of medicine. A Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). They have duties that nurses cannot do. 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 Salary Does A Nurse Practitioner Get In Wheatland?
The average salary for a nurse practitioner is around $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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The higher the demand for NPs, the higher they will be paid. 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.
Experience
As far as experienced is concerned as a factor of salary, in this field, even with experience, the salary hardly increases. A 10-15% increase in the salary may be given to those who have been working in the field for more than 20 years.
Expertise
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. Those who have family care skills can earn up to $92,000. Those who earn somewhere in between are mostly geriatrics and internal medicine practitioners.
Promotions
The only real way to increase your salary in this line of work is to get promoted or get specialized. Achieving this may require you to do the following. A Nurse Practitioner Anesthetist earns $150,000 annually, which is one option. The Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner also earns more than the normal NP. Other alternatives are to become a Family, Pediatric NP, Psychiatrist NP, or an Adult NP. You could also increase your salary with other specializations after doing the procedures. 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.
Incentives
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. Learning skills is a big matter, which is why they are given money and registration fees to participate in conferences that improve their abilities.
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. NPs also tend to have more time on their hands to opt for the work assignment they want.
Job Prospects of Wheatland Nurse Practitioners
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. During that time, as much as 57,000 jobs will be available. This is primarily due to the lack of healthcare professionals. Doctors and physicians cannot meet the demands of the people. This means that PAs and NPs will continue to be needed for a long time. 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. Compared to other jobs, this increase in growth is faster.
[asd_program_button /]The best way to deal with people in the medical field is to use the patient-centered approach, which is a much ideal process than only focusing on the illness. Nurses perform these tasks, that’s why they are needed. Thus, patients sometimes prefer NPs to PAs.
There is a growing demand for medical care in rural areas. Most of these areas are not suitable for new buildings, which means that the people could only consult with NPs. These medical practitioners may ask help from other physicians to cater to the patients in the area. Most NPs get hired to work for Office of Physicians, Outpatient Care Centers, and General Hospitals.
Specialized health care demands are rapidly increasing. Pediatrics, gerontology, acute care and other specializations are usually practiced by nurse practitioners. This means that they can give a more accurate diagnosis of the patient’s problem if it falls in their area of specialty.
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. A Ph.D. title is needed before a nurse practitioner becomes a teacher in the field. Some people resort to teaching after a long period of service. So this is the perfect option for NPs who feel that they are now not fit enough to handle the stresses that come with the medical field.
Financially speaking, the future for nurse practitioners is quite bright too. The salary of a nurse practitioner is expected to grow about 19% by 2020 because of above reasons. As for an academic, the average salary starting out is about $85,000. If you have been exposed to many medical specialization, your salary could increase to $175,000 within a year. The salary increase depends on the nurse practitioner’s specialization. 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. Those who want to know the data statistics of NP employment could visit Bureau of Labor Statistics. As you can see, this is a highly competitive job with great prospects.
How To Become A Nurse Practioner In Wheatland
Becoming a Registered Nurse
First, one needs to become a registered nurse. To do this you must earn a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree from any of the registered institutions. A diploma can work as well. Although, some papers may not be useful because medical experience weighs more. 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. Another option is to become a Licensed Practical Nurse first.
[asd_program_button /]Earning Bachelor’s Degree
Earning a bachelor’s degree is the next thing to do. This is ideal for applicants for a diploma or an associate’s degree. A requirement is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) diploma. During this period, the concepts learned will also be applied and put into actions during clinic duties. This is extremely important as experience plays a key role in any medical field. There are people who are Registered Nurses, while also professionals in other fields. In such cases, there are bridge programs from RN-BSN. The program has different time schedules. If you have a part-time work, the period of the study may take longer. Bridge courses by LPN-BSN are also available.
Experience
The medical field treats experience as a great factor. Getting a master’s degree after a bachelor’s degree might be the most efficient way of becoming an NP. The practicality is not provided in this process, according to many senior nurses in the field. Before earning a graduate degree, they recommend more training. Most graduate degrees require a certain amount of experience before the student could be admitted. 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
Getting a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is mandatory for becoming a Nurse Practitioner. RNs having diploma or an associate’s degree are usually accepted in most programs. 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. You might also try to get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree as an alternative.
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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 Other Documents
An NP must be licensed by the state. Each state has a different list of licensing requirements. Some only accept those whose bachelor degrees fall under their list of accepted programs. Passing the state licensure exam, RN license, and a master’s degree are the requirements in becoming a nurse practitioner. Licensure exams are in line with your specialization. You can pass your application and requirements in any establishments under the American Nurses Association such as the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
In summary, becoming a registered nurse requires you an associate’s degree or a diploma. Then, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree, which will expose you to real life medical situations. Finally, you acquire a master’s degree following which you get licensed after applying for the appropriate program.
What is the Work of A Wheatland Nurse Practitioner?
General duties
The nurse practitioner cooperate with a physician or other professionals of the same range. Diagnosing and treating patients are also part of their jobs. They can also order certain tests and medical procedures to be conducted. They can handle patient consultations and also interpret test results. 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 take a patient centered approach to treatment. This means that they focus more on the patients’ needs and wants while treating them. They want to prevent the disease rather than cure it and thus advise the patient to take the necessary steps to do so. Thus, a huge role of NPs is to consult patients on how to prevent injuries and illnesses.
Before the licensure exam, a nurse practitioner is generally required to complete a specialization program. There is a need for this because NPs have a specialization in the field. Here are the most common duties they do.
NPs for Families
These NPs take care of the whole family. They can treat people of all ages and discuss ways to prevent diseases with the family. Working with other physicians is also common when taking care of families.
NPs Specializing in Psychiatry
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. In this case, they can work with a professional psychologist to come up with a treatment program base on the results.
NPs Practicing Pediatrics
Pediatric NPs can handle newborn babies up to 18-year old patients. Under this specialty is the neonatal NP. These people look after infants and work at Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Pediatric NPs also help kids transition through puberty as this may be a difficult time for some. They are also the ones who give immunizations and vaccines to children.
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. They are also responsible for coming up with fitness plans for such people who will need it to live for an extended period.
The mentioned are only few of the specializations a nurse practitioner have. 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). After learning these work descriptions for your future career, you may now be able to choose the ideal path for you.
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