Nurse Practitioner Career Guide

The healthcare field can be demanding but rewarding at the same time. There are many careers to choose from in the health care field; in fact, so many options exist that it may become overwhelming to choose which area to pursue.

If you have strong physical and mental endurance, outstanding communication skills, and are patient, caring, and empathetic, a career as a nurse practitioner may be a good fit for you.

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse, meaning that they are qualified to diagnose and treat certain medical conditions without a physician’s direct supervision. To become one, you will need a bachelors degree in nursing, a registered nursing license and a masters in nursing.

I love working with patients. Making a positive impact on families is enough to get me back every day. I love that they can come to me with their questions and concerns and that I can offer preventative care and help them have healthier families.

Jessica Peck

Nurse Practitioner Career Ratings

(What these ratings mean)

Income

Career
Growth

Personal Growth

Contribution

Influence

Job Profiles

Real-Life Nurse Practitioner Job Profiles

Below is a list of links to anonymous job profiles of REAL PEOPLE who have filled out our survey and offered to share their insights with our users about their job in the Nurse Practitioner field.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33867	Nurse	Female	26	$20,458	anaheim, CA	01/01/2010
33694	Nurse	Female	38	$46,000	Jersey city, NJ	01/01/2010
33641	Licensed Practical Nurse	Female	48	$39,000	Martinsburg, PA	01/01/2010
33521	Emergency Triage Nurse	Female	54	$42,000	Asheville, NY	01/01/2010
33470	Nurse Consultant	Female	20	$60,000	Merced, CA	01/01/2010

Overview

What a nurse practitioner does

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse. This means that they are qualified to diagnose and treat certain medical conditions without a physician’s direct supervision. Nurse practitioners assist with all aspects of a patient’s care and in some circumstances, they may act as an individual’s primary health care provider. They typically educate patients about treatments and preventative care and may be allowed to prescribe certain medications.

A nurse practitioner may work individually or as part of a team in a clinic, hospital, office, or other managed care facility. They may be employed in urban or rural communities, on college campuses, or in a number of other locations. Nurse practitioners might also perform health care research or attain employment with a government agency, such as the military or a health department. Regardless of where they work, their typical duties and responsibilities include:

Recording a patients’ medical histories and symptoms
Performing physical exams and observing patients
Creating patient care plans or contributing to existing plans
Performing and ordering diagnostic tests
Diagnosing various health problems
Analyzing test results or changes in a patient’s condition
Altering treatment plans as needed
Giving patients medicines and treatments
Evaluating a patient’s response to medicines and treatments
Consulting with doctors and other healthcare professionals
Counselling and teaching patients and their families

Why they are needed

Nurses practitioners play a hugely important part in the healthcare system. They have a huge amount of responsibility ensure that we all get the diagnosis and treatment we deserve. Without nurse practitioners,, patients would not receive the medical attention, care and observation that many of them need to recover and feel safe.

Pros and cons of being a nurse practitioner

Pros:

Nurse practitioners constantly get to meet new people
Nurse practitioners give people the care and treatment they need, which makes it very rewarding
Often nurse practitioners will work as part of a team, which often provides a wonderful, supportive and cohesive working environment
Nurse practitioners can work in a variety of different settings
There is a vast range of development and progression opportunities

Cons:

Nurse practitioners may have to work long, and often antisocial, hours
It can be a physically demanding job (nurse practitioners may be on their feet all day, lifting patients or bent over for long periods of time)
Some people don’t have positive outcomes, which can be very challenging
It is a very physically demanding job as nurse practitioners are on their feet all day and have to lift heavy objects
There is a lot of responsibility, stress and pressure
Nurse practitioners are at risk as they are exposed to diseases and viruses

Employability

Job market

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of nurse practitioners is projected to grow 45 percent from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

This growth is expected because as the baby-boom population will create a demand for healthcare services to treat both acute and chronic conditions. The growing population in general will also place more of a demand on healthcare services, creating a demand for nurse practitioners.

Career paths

The career path to becoming a nurse practitioner typically begins with a bachelors degree in nursing and achieving a registered nursing licence. However, in some circumstances, an associates degree in nursing and a registered nursing license may be enough to kickstart a career as a nurse practitioner!

After this, nurse practitioners need a masters degree in in nursing from an accredited program. Masters degree programs include classroom education and clinical experience.

Graduate-level programs are also available for individuals who did not obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing but in a related health science field. These programs prepare the student for the RN licensure exam in addition to offering the APRN curriculum.

To further advance their career, nurse practitioners may decide to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Ph.D. The specific educational requirements and qualifications for each of the roles are available on professional organizations’ websites.

Example Job Titles for Nurse Practitioner

Below is a list of common job titles in the Nurse Practitioner field. Click the links below for more information about these job titles, or view the next section for actual real-life job profiles.

Benefits & Conditions

Income and benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for a nurse practitioners in the United States was $109,820 in 2019. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $82,460 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $184,180 per year.

The top industries were hospitals, where the median annual salary was $122,40. This is followed by outpatient care centers ($118,530), offices of physicians ($113,190), offices of other health practitioners ($112,590) and educational services ($108,790).

Autonomy and Flexibility

To begin with, nurse practitioners may have to closely follow the instructions of more senior healthcare professionals and may not have to most autonomy. However, as nurse practitioners develop more skills and become more competent, they get more responsibility and their autonomy and flexibility increases. Often, they work up to being very senior members of healthcare teams and lots of autonomy.

Locations and commute

According to Zippia, the best states to be a nurse practitioner, based on salary average annual salary are:

Oregon, where the average annual salary is $11,864
Minnesota, where the average annual salary is $107,606
Delaware, where the average annual salary is $105,237
Washington, where the average annual salary is $106,911
Nevada, where the average annual salary is $103,528

The worst states, according to Zippia, are Oklahoma, South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida.

Work environment

The largest employers of nurse practitioners in the United States were offices of physicians, which employed 47% of all nurse practitioners. This was followed by hospitals, which employed 27% of all nurse practitioners, and then, outpatient carer centers employed 8%, educational services employed 4% and finally, offices of other health practitioners employed 3%.

Nurse practitioners must be physically fit, as they may spend a lot of time walking, bending, stretching and standing. They are also vulnerable to back injuries, because they must lift and move patients. If they work in the community, then nurse practitioners may have to spend time travelling between clients.

Career Satisfaction

Common Matching Personality Types

Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in Nurse Practitioner careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and Nurse Practitioner career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in Nurse Practitioner.

16 Types (Myers-Briggs)

Big Five (OCEAN)

Agreeableness

DISC

Enneagram

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

Personality types

Like many healthcare workers, nurse practitioners are likely to be an ESFJ personalty type. This is because they are gregariaous, warm, welcoming and highly organized. On top of this, ESFJ’s have a genuine interest in providing for others and taking care of them, which are important characteristics for a nurse practitioners.

Accomplishment and mastery

Nurse practitioners are highly qualified nurses. In order to get to this position, they have to endure a lot of training and education. Therefore, when they become qualified and have the skills to help patients, they are likely to feel a huge sense of accomplishment and mastery. As they continue to progress throughout their career, they will develop more experience, knowledge and skill. This continued education will further increase their sense of accomplishment and mastery.

Meaning and contribution

Without nurse practitioners, we would not get the medical care that we deserve. Nurse practitioners can diagnose illnesses, treat patients and educate us on prevention. Therefore, their work has huge meaning and contribution.

In order to make their work even more meaningful, nurse practitioners may decide to go and work in deprived areas, where they can offer medical help to those who need it most.

Life fit

Nurse practitioners who work in hospitals usually have to work in shifts, meaning they may have to work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may also have to be on call, which means that they are on duty and must be available to work on short notice. However, nurse practitioners who work in services that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to have regular business hours, giving a nursing career in these areas a better life fit.

Who will thrive in this career?

There are a few key qualities that all nurses need in order to thrive, for example:

Being genuinely passionate about helping others
The ability to be empathetic and understanding
Enjoying social interactions and working in teams
Being organized and diligent
Willingness to work long and often antisocial hours

Who will struggle in this career?

It goes without saying that those who don’t like blood or injury will struggle as a nurse practitioner… it is not a career for the faint hearted!

On top of this, those who prefer to work with little social interaction or who would rather work normal 9-5 hours are likely to find the job frustrating. Finally, those who aren’t physically fit enough to walk around all day may struggle as a nurse practitioner.

Requirements

Quick Glance

Skills

Degrees

Skills and talents

As well as physical stamina, nurse practitioners also need skills such as:

Written and verbal communication skills, as nurse practitioners will have to communicate with their patients and with other healthcare providers. They will also have to keep patient records up to date
Leadership skills, as nurse practitioners will need to supervise and instruct other medical staff
Attention to detail, as nurse practitioners must ensure that patients get the correct treatments and medicines at the right time
Critical thinking, as nurse practitioners need to come up with solutions to problems very quickly
Compassion and empathy, as nurse practitioners must be caring and understanding when working with patients

Education

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (ARPNs). Therefore, to become a nurse practitioner, you must have at least a master’s degree from an accredited program. Masters degree programs include classroom education and clinical experience.

Certifications

As well as having a registered nursing license, nurse practitioners will need to achieve one of several different certifications. For example, they may choose to become certified from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Each of these certifications requires periodic renewal.

In addition, nurse practitioner positions may require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic life support (BLS), or advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification.

How to Become

Summary

With the growing and aging population, there will continue to be a demand for nurse practitioners. This will create many exciting job opportunities in a wide range of healthcare settings.

Immediate action

If becoming a nurse practitioner sounds appealing to you, consider choosing high school diplomas in biology or anatomy. After this, decide which nursing programme you would like to take!

Education and learning

To become a nurse practitioner you will need a bachelors degree in nursing and to achieve a registered nursing licence. However, in some circumstances, an associates degree in nursing and a registered nursing license may be enough to kickstart a career!

Skill development

Nurses practitioners learn many of their skills through their education and on the job. In most states, they are required to continue their education and learning in order to maintain their license. They will also continue to develop their skills throughout their career as their knowledge and experience progresses.

FAQs

Ask a Question

Have a question about Nurse Practitioner careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33867	Nurse	Female	26	$20,458	anaheim, CA	01/01/2010
33694	Nurse	Female	38	$46,000	Jersey city, NJ	01/01/2010
33641	Licensed Practical Nurse	Female	48	$39,000	Martinsburg, PA	01/01/2010
33521	Emergency Triage Nurse	Female	54	$42,000	Asheville, NY	01/01/2010
33470	Nurse Consultant	Female	20	$60,000	Merced, CA	01/01/2010

Sections