Selecting a career may require you to know the nature of the job. The same could be said in the medical field, where different jobs could be mistaken for others. A Nurse Practitioner is also called 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 Does A Nurse Practitioner Make In Hopkinton?
The average salary for a nurse practitioner is around $90,000. Compared to a registered nurse this is quite high since an RN gets something around $65,000. The reason behind this is that NPs train longer so they could be medical practitioners.
[asd_program_button /]Location
Wherever there is a growing need of NPs, they will be paid more. NPs in Hawaii are the highest earners among all the states as they receive $115,000 every year. This is about 30% percent more than the national average. In Delaware, NPs could earn as much as $67,000.
Years of Experience
Experience is not too much of a factor for salary increase in the field. After 20 years of working, the salary may increase 10-15%.
Expertise
An increase of salary may be given if you have more expertise in some fields. 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. The skills of geriatrics and internal medicine both fall somewhere in between these two.
Promotions
The only real way to increase your salary in this line of work is to get promoted or get specialized. There are a few processes you can follow to achieve this. 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. Becoming a Family, Pediatric NP, Psychiatrist NP, or an Adult NP are the top options, as well. 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.
Assistance
There are several benefits that an NP could gain. Some of the few are retirement plans, paid vacations, and health insurance. Most of the time, the company gives back the amount of money spent on further schooling that enhances their abilities. If there are conventions or seminars, they are given registration fees and some allowances.
With the shortage of primary health care personnel, the job outlook of mid-level health care practitioners is supposed to be on the rise. There is a high possibility that Nurse Practitioners will receive higher salaries later on. There are also more time for NPs to choose the type of cases they wish to do.
Nurse Practitioner Hopkinton Employment Outlook
In 2014, the United States of America provided 170,000 jobs to nurse practitioners. According to BLS, the industry is expected to grow by 31% over the next decade. 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. 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. This is way above the average growth rate of other careers.
[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. NPs are more sought for than PAs for this reason.
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 professionals work hand in hand with physicans to provide medical assistance to the patients in such areas. NPs could apply in Office of Physicians, Outpatient Care Centers, and General Hospitals.
There is an increase in the demand for specialized medical care. Pediatrics, gerontology, acute care and other specializations are usually practiced by nurse practitioners. When the patient’s illness is within their scope of specialty, they can diagnose it more accurately.
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. So, if a nurse practitioner gets a Ph.D. he or she would be authorized to teach as an academic. People generally go into consulting or teaching after a certain age. 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.
There is a brighter future for nurse practitioners in terms of earnings. The salary of a nurse practitioner is expected to grow about 19% by 2020 because of above reasons. A salary of $85,000 may be earned by those who are in teaching. 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.
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.
Nurse Practitioner Job Requirements In Hopkinton
Becoming a Registered Nurse
First, one needs to become a registered nurse. Earning a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree is needed to become one. 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. Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse first is another way to achieve your goals.
[asd_program_button /]Bachelor’s Degree
The next step is to earn a Bachelor’s degree. This is ideal for applicants for a diploma or an associate’s degree. A requirement is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) diploma. Besides the comprehensive learning of medical procedures, there is also application during internship clinic rounds. It is essential work because there is always a need for experience. 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. The time duration of these programs varies. If you have a part-time work, the period of the study may take longer. There are also bridge courses from LPN-BSN.
Years of Practice
As mentioned before, being experienced is key to getting into of the careers in the medical field. Earning your master’s degree right after your bachelor’s degree may be the ideal process to follow to become an NP. However, many people already in the profession feel that this leaves you inadequately trained for the situations that you might face in life. For this reason, getting some training is advised if you are planning to get a graduate degree. This is because prior experience is a requirement in certain NP training programs. The training you will receive may enable you to dealwith patients effectively, treat ailments, work with other professionals, and do the tasks efficiently.
Earning a Master’s Degree
Getting a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is mandatory for becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Many programs accept RNs with a diploma or an associate’s degree. Students who want to be enrolled in other programs needs to have a bachelor’s degree. It doesn’t matter which one you go for, you will be trained for knowledge and application in real settings. Students are often required to get a lot of work experience as an RN while they are learning to be an NP. Alternatively, you could get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
[asd_program_search_bar /]Doctorate (optional)
Additionally, one can opt to get a Ph.D. in any of the specializations after the master’s degree. Reaching this far will potentially increase your earnings and also your reputation as a medical professional. You can choose to specialize in fields like family care, gerontology or health systems.
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. Becoming a nurse practitioner requires one to have the RN state license, master’s degree in nursing, and a passed 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.
In summary, becoming a registered nurse requires you an associate’s degree or a diploma. A bachelor’s degree should follow wherein you will be trained in the field. Finally, you acquire a master’s degree following which you get licensed after applying for the appropriate program.
What Does A Hopkinton Nurse Practioner Do?
General Work
Physicians and other medical professionals of the same level supervise nurse practitioners. Diagnosing and treating patients are also part of their jobs. Apart from this, they could also send the patient for tests and other medical procedures. They can handle patient consultations and also interpret test results. They are also authorized to help as a surgeon as an anesthetist when needed in an operation. 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. This means that part of the NPs job is to discuss prevention of injuries and diseases to their patients.
A nurse practitioner is generally supposed to take up some or the other kind of specialty before taking the licensure exam. There is a need for this because NPs have a specialization in the field. The following are the works most of them choose.
NPs for Families
One of the patient of these NPs is a whole family. They can treat people of all ages and discuss ways to prevent diseases with the family. Families can receive high quality health care because the practitioner works with a physician.
Psychiatric NP
One of the professionals who can handle patients with mental problems is the psychiatric nurse practitioners. Both therapy and prescription of medicine can be administered by them. However, they are not allowed to perform psychological testing. 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.
NPs Practicing Pediatrics
Pediatric NPs can handle newborn babies up to 18-year old patients. A subspecialty is a neonatal NP. These people look after infants and work at Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Kids can have a smoother puberty process through the help of pediatric NPs. They are also responsible for immunizations.
Gerontology NP
Those specializing as nurse practitioners in gerontology will be dealing with medical problems of elderlies. They help by recommending the ideal activities and treatments to address existing illnesses and prevent them from worsening. 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. Most patients who could only live for a certain period are kept healthy by these professionals using fitness programs.
The mentioned are only few of the specializations a nurse practitioner have. There are more fields that NP would want to pursue. Different specializations may have variations in salaries. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetis (CRNA) is included in the list of highest paid specializations . Now that you know the different roles that your job may entail, you can make an informed decision about your career choice.
[asd_program_prefilter_box /]