While choosing a career, it is imperative that we know the exact job. The assumption that related jobs have the same description is easily made especially in the field of medicine. A Nurse Practitioner is also called an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). They have duties that nurses cannot do. NPs have different work depending on the field they specialize on. 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
What Is The Salary of A Nurse Practitioner In Irvine?
The average salary for a nurse practitioner is around $90,000. The NP receives higher salary than RNs, which is approximately $65,000. 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 instance, Hawaii pays $115,000 annually to NPs, which makes them the highest paying state. Compared to the average earnings of NPs in the rest of the country, they earn 30% more. NPs in Delaware receive $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
A range of skills can increase your potential to earn a lot more. Acute care and Emergency room skills will be something that can increase your average salary to up to $99,000. The professional may earn up to $92,000 for specializing in family care. Those who work as geriatrics and internal medicine specialists earn somewhere in between.
Work Promotions
Getting a specialization or a promotion may be the only way to earn higher. Achieving this may require you to do the following. An option is to earn $150,000 annually by becoming a Nurse Practitioner Anesthetist. 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. 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
NPs also receive some benefits. 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.
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. 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 Irvine
In 2014, the United States of America provided 170,000 jobs to nurse practitioners. The BLS predicts an average of 31% growth in the industry within the next 10 years. 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. Thus, the need of people like PAs and NPs is increasing and is projected to increase even further. 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 /]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. 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.
There is an increase in the demand for specialized medical care. 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.
Nurses are also in demand in the field of education. Medical schools have a shortage of teachers for nurses and medical professionals. 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. 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. If you have been exposed to many medical specialization, your salary could increase to $175,000 within a year. The salary of a specialized nurse practitioner depends on the specialization. Those specializing as nurse anesthetists may receive a salary between $150,000 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. This career is not only very competitive but also have huge prospects.
How To Become A Nurse Practioner In Irvine
How to Be A 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. Another requirement is your diploma. 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. This experience is provided by an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. After this, you must take a standardized national test and then get the license to practice as an RN. You could also try to take a different path and become a Licensed Practical Nurse first.
[asd_program_button /]Bachelor’s Degree
It is also recommended that one completes his/her Bachelor’s Degree. This is ideal for applicants 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. 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. Such cases can be addressed through the bride programs offered by RN-BSN. Duration of program may depend on certain conditions. The duration is longer when you are also studying while working. LPN-BSN also offers bridge courses.
Experience
The medical field treats experience as a great factor. 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. 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. 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.
Master’s Degree
To become a Nurse Practitioner, one needs to earn a 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. Either way, the master’s degree includes spending time in both the classroom and the clinic. Students are often required to get a lot of work experience as an RN while they are learning to be an NP. You might also try to get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree as an alternative.
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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. 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
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. 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. 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. A bachelor’s degree should follow wherein you will be trained in the field. Lastly, you will get a master’s degree in your chosen area of specialization and the license will follow.
What Does A Irvine Nurse Practioner Do?
Works in general
The nurse practitioner cooperate with a physician or other professionals of the same range. They are authorized to diagnose and treat patients, too. They can also order certain tests and medical procedures to be conducted. 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. Some high-risk cases are also handled by them.
[asd_program_button /]Nurse practitioners take a patient centered approach to treatment. 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. This means that part of the NPs job is to discuss prevention of injuries and diseases to their patients.
Before the licensure exam, a nurse practitioner is generally required to complete a specialization program. 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. 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. Families can receive high quality health care because the practitioner works 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. 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.
Working As Pediatric NP
Pediatric NPs can handle newborn babies up to 18-year old patients. Under this specialty is the neonatal NP. People you see inside Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) caring for newborn babies work in this field. Kids can have a smoother puberty process through the help of pediatric NPs. Immunizations are also part of their work.
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. 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. 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. The earnings may be different for each specialization. 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.
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