Nurse Practitioner

What a Nurse Practitioner Does

Nurses who have taken their studies to the next level can become nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners have received special training that allows them to be primary care providers when working closely with a physician. They can not only perform the usual duties of a nurse but can prescribe medications, initiate lab tests and perform physical exams on their own. They very often enjoy a great deal of autonomy and perform tasks that previously had been performed exclusively by physicians. Nurse practitioners can choose a wide degree of specializations and are commonly found working in obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, neonatal care, family practice and in public health, though there are opportunities in virtually all health care fields. Some nurse practitioners may be able to start their own practices, but the vast majority will work within a doctor's office or in a hospital.

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner

If you feel like nurse practitioner is the right career for you than you can start your career path by enrolling in a nursing education program to get your BSN. While getting an associate's is enough to work as a registered nurse, if you want to go on to become a nurse practitioner you'll need to complete a bachelor's program. After graduation, you will need to take a licensing exam called the NCLEX-RN in order to be able to work as an RN. You will need two or more years in the field working as nurse before most nurse practitioner programs will accept you. From there, you will enroll in a master's degree program either in nursing more generally or in a specialized program in geriatrics, pediatrics, oncology, gynecology or whatever other area of interest you have. Through this training, you will take on classroom education as well as thousands of hours of clinical experience all adding up to help you get board certified in your specialty.

Career Outlook for Nurse Practitioners

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has ranked nurse practitioner as one of the fastest growing careers over the next ten years. This is due to a number of factors. First, there is a general shortage of nurses at hospitals and health care facilities almost everywhere in the United States. Secondly, because nurse practitioners can provide many health care services independently, they are all the more valuable to hospitals that need health care professionals, especially those in rural areas. While nurse practitioners can expect to see growth in the field of at least 22%, factors like experience, education and geographic location can still play a role in finding employment. For those who can find work, and that should be the vast majority, salaries for nurse practitioners are some of the highest for any nursing profession and can reward nurses for their hard work and training with great benefits.