We should determine the actual job before making a career option. The assumption that related jobs have the same description is easily made especially in the field of medicine. A Nurse Practitioner is also known as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Some of their work cannot be done by nurses. The job duties of an NP vary from one specialization to another. Here are the general tasks and the specific work they do.
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 Palos Verdes Peninsula?
A nurse practicioner earns $90,000 on average. 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 /]Setting
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.
Years of 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.
Expertise
An increase of salary may be given if you have more expertise in some fields. Skills in acute care and emergency room may help increase salary to $99,000. Whereas family care can take it only up to $92,000. Those who work as geriatrics and internal medicine specialists earn somewhere in between.
Promotions
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. The Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner also earns more than the normal NP. Other alternatives are to become a Family, Pediatric NP, Psychiatrist NP, or an Adult NP. Besides taking these courses, you could earn more by taking other specialization courses. 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.
Benefits
An NP is entitled to numerous benefits. 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. NPs also tend to have more time on their hands to opt for the work assignment they want.
Job Prospects of Palos Verdes Peninsula Nurse Practitioners
The United States of America needed 170,000 nurse practitioners in 2014. Over the next decade, the BLS expects approximately 31% development in the field. 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. 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 /]The need for nurses is growing because their techniques in work are focused on the needs of the patient instead of the disease. Thus, patients sometimes prefer NPs to 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. 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. 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.
Nurses are also in demand in the field of education. Medical schools have a shortage of teachers for nurses and medical professionals. A Ph.D. title is needed before a nurse practitioner becomes a teacher in the field. After spending much time with work, most people go for teaching jobs. NPs who do not have the strength to carry on the usual work may opt for this.
There are many good news when it comes to the financial aspect of the nurse practitioner careers. The salary of a nurse practitioner is expected to grow about 19% by 2020 because of above reasons. In the field of teaching, nurse practitioners may get as much as $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 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. As you can see, this is a highly competitive job with great prospects.
Career Requirements For Nurse Practitioners In Palos Verdes Peninsula
Becoming a Registered Nurse
The first step is 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. 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. You can get this experience through 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
Earning a bachelor’s degree is the next thing to do. This is mostly for people who had earlier applied 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. There are people who are Registered Nurses, while also professionals in other fields. RN-BSN offers bridge programs to help you in this case. Duration of program may depend on certain conditions. The duration is longer when you are also studying while working. Bridge courses by LPN-BSN are also available.
Years of Practice
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. However, many people already in the profession feel that this leaves you inadequately trained for the situations that you might face in life. Before earning a graduate degree, they recommend more training. Most graduate degrees require a certain amount of experience before the student could be admitted. 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. Lots of programs only need the RN’s diploma or an associate’s degree as a requirement. Other programs require the students 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. You might also try to get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree as an alternative.
[asd_program_search_bar /]Doctorate (optional)
After earning a master’s degree, one has freedom to choose a specialization for his/her Ph.D. In this way, you can have more reputation in the field and you may have higher salary. Specialization in family care, gerontology or health systems are good options.
Credentials and State License
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. Becoming a nurse practitioner requires one to have the RN state license, master’s degree in nursing, and a passed state licensure exam. 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.
In general, you will need an associate 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 is the Work of A Palos Verdes Peninsula Nurse Practitioner?
General Work
Physicians and other medical professionals of the same level supervise nurse practitioners. They are authorized to diagnose and treat patients, too. 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. During surgery, they could assist as a surgeon or as an anesthetist. They could also handle high risk surgeries.
[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 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.
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 for Families
One of the patient of these NPs is a whole family. They can deal with patients of every age and help avoid illnesses within the family. Families can receive high quality health care because the practitioner works with a physician.
NPs Specializing in Psychiatry
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.
NPs Practicing Pediatrics
Pediatric NPs can handle newborn babies up to 18-year old patients. A subspecialty is a neonatal NP. This is the work of the nurses you find in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Another work of pediatric NPs is helping kids have a smooth journey through puberty. They are also the ones who give immunizations and vaccines to children.
Gerontology NP
Old people are the patients of those working as gerontology nurse practitioners. 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 abovementioned things are just some good examples of a nurse practicioner’s specialties. Some NPs may specialize in other fields that interest them. The earnings may be different for each specialization. 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.
[asd_program_prefilter_box /]