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 known as 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 Housatonic?
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.
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Wherever there is a growing need of NPs, they will be paid more. For instance, Hawaii pays $115,000 annually to NPs, which makes them the highest paying state. This amount is 30% higher than the average national salary. In Delaware, NPs could earn as much as $67,000.
Years of Experience
Salary increase in this field is rare even for those who have extensive experience. It increases about 10-15% over 20 years of experience.
Skills
An increase of salary may be given if you have more expertise in some fields. 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. 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. There are a few processes you can follow to achieve this. A Nurse Practitioner Anesthetist earns $150,000 annually, which is one option. 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. You could also increase your salary with other specializations after doing the procedures. 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. Among the number of assistance, health insurance, retirement plans, and paid vacations are included. 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. NPs also tend to have more time on their hands to opt for the work assignment they want.
The Status of Nurse Practitioner Employment In Housatonic
In 2014, the United States of America provided 170,000 jobs to nurse practitioners. 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 lack of medical professionals caused this. The need for doctors and physicians cannot be catered by the number of medical professionals. Thus, the need of people like PAs and NPs is increasing and is projected to increase even further. 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%. 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. It is the reason why NPs are preferred over PAs.
There is a growing demand for medical care in rural areas. It is not possible to set up the infrastructure in such areas and thus NPs are the source of primary health care. They coordinate with physicians and treat 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.
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. 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.
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. As for an academic, the average salary starting out is about $85,000. A high salary as amounting to $175,000 could easily be achieved after a year when you have skills and experience. The salary of a specialized nurse practitioner depends on the 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. 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 Housatonic
Registered Nurse
One should strive to become a registered nurse first. In order to be one, get your bachelor’s or an associate’s degree from an accredited school. 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. Then, the licensure examination for nurses will take place and only then will you be called an RN if you pass the standardized national test. 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 mostly for people who had earlier applied for a diploma or an associate’s degree. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required. This will not only give you a more in-depth education in the medical world, but it will make you undergo a lot of clinical rounds. 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. RN-BSN offers bridge programs to help you in this case. The time duration of these programs varies. The duration is longer when you are also studying while working. LPN-BSN also offers bridge courses.
Experience
One of the best ways to make it in the health care field is to get lots of experience. To become an NP, the best course may be to earn a master’s degree after your bachelor’s degree. 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. The training you will receive may enable you to dealwith patients effectively, treat ailments, work with other professionals, and do the tasks efficiently.
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. It doesn’t matter which one you go for, you will be trained for knowledge and application in real settings. Extensive work experience is required for an RN before they turn into NPs. Alternatively, you could get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
[asd_program_search_bar /]Getting A Doctorate (optional)
The Ph.D. title follows after the master’s degree and in this program, one can opt for the specialization that best fits him/her. 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.
Credentials and State License
It is mandatory for an aspiring NP to get licensed by the state. Different states may require some documents that other stated do not. Others have a set of bachelor’s degree and programs they accept. Passing the state licensure exam, RN license, and a master’s degree are the requirements in becoming a nurse practitioner. Your specialization is also a big factor in the type of licensure exams you will take. 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 need to earn a bachelor’s degree, which will expose you to real life medical situations. Then, you choose the best specialization and earn your license after finishing your master’s degree.
What Work Is Done by A Housatonic Nurse Practitioner?
General duties
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. After the results are out, they can interpret and discuss them 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. Their patient’s needs are more important to be able to treat them effectively. 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.
Before the licensure exam, a nurse practitioner is generally required to complete a specialization program. There are specific duties by NPs on the field, which is why they need this. Here are the most common duties they do.
NPs Specializing in Families
These NPs take care of the whole family. 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.
Psychiatric NP
Psychiatric nurse practitioners work with a group of people who have mental issues. These professionals can prescribe medicine and do therapeutic consultations with them. They cannot interpret psychological tests, though. 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.
Pediatric NP
Newborn to 18 year old patients are handled by pediatric NPs. The neonatal NP belongs to this specialization. People you see inside Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) caring for newborn babies work in this field. Pediatric NPs also help kids transition through puberty as this may be a difficult time for some. Immunizations are also part of their work.
NPs in Gerontology
A gerontology nurse practitioner specializes in the healthcare of old people. Illnesses are treated and prevented with the help of these practitioners by giving their patients some advice. Since old age is often the onset of many diseases, it is their responsibility to look after the old people and reduce the progress of such diseases as much as possible. 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. Some NPs may specialize in other fields that interest them. Each of these specializations offers a different amount of salary. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetis (CRNA) is included in the list of highest paid specializations . These information should now be able to help you make sound career choices.
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