Southborough Massachusetts Nurse Practitioner Salary And Job Requirements

While choosing a career, it is imperative that we know the exact job. 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). This means that they can perform a range of specialized activities that a nurse can’t. Depending on the specialization, NPs have differentiated work. Here are the general tasks and the specific work they do.

Nurse Practitioner Career Summary

**Image Source – BLS.gov

Table Of Contents:

How Much Salary Does A Nurse Practitioner Get In Southborough?

A nurse practicioner earns $90,000 on average. 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.

[asd_program_button /]

Location

The higher the demand for NPs, the higher they will be paid. For example, Hawaii is the highest paying state with an average salary of $115,000 a year. This amount is 30% higher than the average national salary. NPs in Delaware receive $67,000.

Nurse practitioner salary information

**Image Source – BLS.gov

Years of Experience

Salary increase in this field is rare even for those who have extensive experience. 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. The skills of geriatrics and internal medicine both fall somewhere in between these two.

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. You can try to become a Nurse Practitioner Anesthetist who can earn about $150,000 a year. You could also try to become an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner to earn a bit more than a normal NP. Becoming a Family, Pediatric NP, Psychiatrist NP, or an Adult NP are the top options, as well. 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.

Incentives

There are several benefits that an NP could gain. Some of the few are retirement plans, paid vacations, 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. There are also more time for NPs to choose the type of cases they wish to do.

Average nurse practitioner wage in

**Image Source – BLS.gov

Job Prospects of Southborough Nurse Practitioners

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. This is primarily due to the lack of healthcare professionals. Doctors and physicians cannot meet the demands of the people. This means that PAs and NPs will continue to be needed for a long time. 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. This is way above the average growth rate of other careers.

[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. 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. They coordinate with physicians and treat the patients in such areas. NPs could apply in 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. A Ph.D. title is needed before a nurse practitioner becomes a teacher in the field. 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. 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 specialization of a nurse determines the amount of salary he or she earns. 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. 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.

Nurse practitioner job outlook

**Image Source – BLS.gov

Career Requirements For Nurse Practitioners In Southborough

Becoming a Registered Nurse

One should strive to become a registered nurse first. Earning a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree is needed to become one. 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. 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.

[asd_program_button /]

Earning Bachelor’s Degree

Earning a bachelor’s degree is the next thing to do. This is ideal for applicants 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. In such cases, there are bridge programs from RN-BSN. The time duration of these programs varies. If you have a part-time work, the period of the study may take longer. LPN-BSN also offers bridge courses.

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. 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. 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.

Master’s Degree

A requisite of becoming a Nurse Practitioner is one’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Lots of programs only need the RN’s diploma or an associate’s degree as a requirement. 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. You might also try to get a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree as an alternative.

[asd_program_search_bar /]

Earning A Ph.D. Title

Additionally, one can opt to get a Ph.D. in any of the specializations after the master’s degree. 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

The state license is a requirement for those who want to be an NP. Requirements for licensing may vary in every state. 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.

In general, you will need an associate degree or a diploma to become a registered nurse. Then you must obtain a bachelor’s degree after which you move on to gain some experience. Lastly, you will get a master’s degree in your chosen area of specialization and the license will follow.

What Work Is Done by A Southborough Nurse Practitioner?

General duties

Physicians and other medical professionals of the same level supervise nurse practitioners. Diagnosing and treating patients are also part of their jobs. 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 /]

Nurse practitioners take a patient centered approach to treatment. Treating their patients involve their patient’s needs as a big factor. Most usual advises include prevention because they want to keep their patients away from diseases before they occur. 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. There is a need for this because NPs have a specialization in the field. Here are the most common duties they do.

Family NP

NPs on this field consult with whole families. 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.

NPs Specializing in Psychiatry

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. 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

Newborn to 18 year old patients are handled by pediatric NPs. Under this specialty is the neonatal NP. These people look after infants and work at Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Kids can have a smoother puberty process through the help of pediatric NPs. They are also responsible for immunizations.

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. They are also responsible for coming up with fitness plans for such people who will need it to live for an extended period.

The abovementioned things are just some good examples of a nurse practicioner’s specialties. There are several others that an NP might try to get into according to his or her own interests. Different specializations may have variations in salaries. 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.

[asd_program_prefilter_box /]