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). 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
How Much Salary Does A Nurse Practitioner Get In North Baltimore?
A nurse practitioner receives an average of $90,000. RNs receive $65,000 on average, which means they earn less than NPs. This value is lower compared to an NP since an NP goes through more training and education and later earns the right to practice medicine.
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The higher the demand for NPs, the higher they will be paid. NPs in Hawaii are the highest earners among all the states as they receive $115,000 every year. Compared to the average earnings of NPs in the rest of the country, they earn 30% more. While Delaware offers something around $67,000.
Experience
Experience is not too much of a factor for salary increase in the field. A 10-15% increase in the salary may be given to those who have been working in the field for more than 20 years.
Ability
A range of skills can increase your potential to earn a lot more. Skills in acute care and emergency room may help increase salary to $99,000. The professional may earn up to $92,000 for specializing in family care. Those who earn somewhere in between are mostly geriatrics and internal medicine practitioners.
Increase in Position
Getting a specialization or a promotion may be the only way to earn higher. 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. 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. In order to achieve these things, you will need to undergo a number of training sessions and acquire additional certification.
Incentives
An NP is entitled to numerous benefits. 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. Learning skills is a big matter, which is why they are given money and registration fees to participate in conferences that improve their abilities.
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 North Baltimore
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. During that time, as much as 57,000 jobs will be available. The lack of medical professionals caused this. Doctors and physicians cannot meet the demands of the people. Thus, the need of people like PAs and NPs is increasing and is projected to increase even further. The jobs for neonatal NPs will boost by 34%. The same could be said with Family, Pediatric, Gastroenterology, and Hospitalist NPs, which will have an 11% increase. The speed of growth is much higher than the the other careers’ growth rate.
[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.
The need for healthcare in rural areas is also increasing. 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.
The need for specialized health care is also increasing. 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. There is a lack of teachers for nurse practitioners and other medical personnel. 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.
Financially speaking, the future for nurse practitioners is quite bright too. 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 increase depends on the nurse practitioner’s specialization. Those specializing as nurse anesthetists may receive a salary between $150,000 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.
How To Become A Nurse Practioner In North Baltimore
How to Be A Registered Nurse
The first step is to become a registered nurse. In order to be one, get your bachelor’s or an associate’s degree from an accredited school. Another requirement is your diploma. Although, some papers may not be useful because medical experience weighs more. You can get this experience through an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. 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. You could also try to take a different path and become a Licensed Practical Nurse first.
[asd_program_button /]Bachelor’s Degree
The next step is to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Those who have applied for a diploma or an associate’s degree should consider this. The course Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) needs to be completed. 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. In such cases, there are bridge programs from 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.
Period of Experience
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. 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
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. A bachelor’s degree is needed to enroll in other programs. Either way, the master’s degree includes spending time in both the classroom and the clinic. Extensive work experience is required for an RN before they turn into NPs. Another option will be to take the course of becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
[asd_program_search_bar /]Doctorate (optional)
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. Others choose family care, gerontology or health systems as their field of specialization.
State License and Certification
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. 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. Licensure exams are in line with your specialization. The American Nurses Association has ancillary branches and you can submit your application in any of them like the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
In general, you will need an associate degree or a diploma to become a registered nurse. 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 Work Is Done by A North Baltimore Nurse Practitioner?
Works in general
A nurse practitioner usually works under the supervision of a physician or someone of the same level. They can diagnose and treat patients like a primary healthcare provider. 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. During surgery, they could assist as a surgeon or as an anesthetist. Some high-risk cases are also handled by them.
[asd_program_button /]A more patient-centered treatment approach is done by nurse practitioners. 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. Patients under NPs will receive consultation including some advices on avoiding illnesses or injuries.
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
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.
Psychiatric NP
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. They cannot interpret psychological tests, though. In this case, they can work with a professional psychologist to come up with a treatment program base on the results.
Working As Pediatric NP
Newborn to 18 year old patients are handled by pediatric NPs. Under this specialty is the neonatal NP. This is the work of the nurses you find in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Pediatric NPs also help kids transition through puberty as this may be a difficult time for some. Immunizations are also part of their work.
Gerontology NP
A gerontology nurse practitioner specializes in the healthcare of old people. 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. 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. 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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