Northumberland Pennsylvania Nurse Practitioner Salary And Job Requirements

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 also called an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). This means that they can perform a range of specialized activities that a nurse can’t. 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.

Nurse Practitioner Career Summary

**Image Source – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents:

How Much Does A Nurse Practitioner Make In Northumberland?

A nurse practitioner receives an average of $90,000. Compared to a registered nurse this is quite high since an RN gets something around $65,000. 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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NPs receive higher salaries if they are badly needed in the area. For instance, Hawaii pays $115,000 annually to NPs, which makes them the highest paying state. This is about 30% percent more than the national average. While Delaware offers something around $67,000.

Nurse practitioner salary information

**Image Source – BLS.gov

Length of Practice

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

Your capacity for work could contribute to your salary increase. Skills in acute care and emergency room may help increase salary to $99,000. Those who have family care skills can earn up to $92,000. The skills of geriatrics and internal medicine both fall somewhere in between these two.

Promotions

Salary raise in the field could only be achieved when you get a promotion or when you earn a specialization. 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. The Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner also earns more than the normal NP. Other options include being a Family, Pediatric NP, Psychiatrist NP, or an Adult NP. After this, of course, there are further specializations that can help you a bit more cash if needed. These things will require an additional certification and some more hours of training in that specific field.

Benefits

An NP is entitled to numerous benefits. Among the number of assistance, health insurance, retirement plans, and paid vacations are included. Most of the time, the company gives back the amount of money spent on further schooling that enhances their abilities. They are also paid to attend certain conferences and their registration fees are taken care of.

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. As an NP you are also given more time and freedom to choose which cases to work on.

Average nurse practitioner wage in

**Image Source – BLS.gov

The Status of Nurse Practitioner Employment In Northumberland

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. In other words, that period will have roughly 57,000 new jobs. 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. 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%. This is way above the average growth rate of other careers.

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The need for nurses is growing because their techniques in work are focused on the needs of the patient instead of the disease. NPs are more sought for than PAs for this reason.

The need for healthcare in rural areas is also increasing. 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. The biggest employers of NPs are Office of Physicians, Outpatient Care Centers, and General Hospitals.

Specialized health care demands are rapidly increasing. Nurse practitioners are usually specialized in some or the other field like pediatrics, gerontology, acute care and many other things. The diagnosis of the illness is clearer and faster when the disease is specialized by the practitioner.

Employment outlook for nurse practitioners in

**Image Source – BLS.gov

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. In 2020, the 19% salary increase is most likely provided to nurse practitioners. In the field of teaching, nurse practitioners may get as much as $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 salary and job prospects of any career also depend on the state one is residing in. 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.

Nurse practitioner job outlook

**Image Source – BLS.gov

How To Become A Nurse Practioner In Northumberland

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. Another way is earning a diploma. 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.

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Earning 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. 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. Such cases can be addressed through the bride programs offered by RN-BSN. Duration of program may depend on certain conditions. If you have a part-time work, the period of the study may take longer. Bridge courses by LPN-BSN are also available.

Period of Experience

One of the best ways to make it in the health care field is to get lots of experience. Earning your master’s degree right after your bachelor’s degree may be the ideal process to follow to become an NP. The practicality is not provided in this process, according to many senior nurses in the field. 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. 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.

Getting Your 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. Alternatively, you could get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

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Earning A Ph.D. Title

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. This will improve your credibility as a medical professional and improve your chances to earn a bit more. 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. 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. 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. 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 is the Work of A Northumberland Nurse Practitioner?

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. If patients need to undergo medical tests and other proceedings, they can are also allowed to conduct them. They interpret these results and consult with the patient. Sometimes, they are also allowed to assist a physician in surgery whether as the surgeon or an anesthetist. Some high-risk cases are also handled by them.

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Nurse practitioners work with the patient-centered method. Treating their patients involve their patient’s needs as a big factor. They value prevention over treatment, which is why they advise their patients to start taking precautions. Patients under NPs will receive consultation including some advices on avoiding illnesses or injuries.

In general, nurse practitioners need a specialization before they take the licensure exam. The specific duties of an NP depend on this specialization that they have chosen. The following are the works most of them choose.

NPs Specializing in 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.

Psychiatric NP

Psychiatric nurse practitioners work with a group of people who have mental issues. They can practice as therapists and sometimes prescribe appropriate medicine. However, phsychological testing is not a part of their job. 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. A subspecialty is a neonatal NP. 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. They are also responsible for immunizations.

NPs in Gerontology

Those specializing as nurse practitioners in gerontology will be dealing with medical problems of elderlies. 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.

The abovementioned things are just some good examples of a nurse practicioner’s specialties. 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). These information should now be able to help you make sound career choices.

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