How to Become a Nurse Practitioner
If you are set on pursuing a career centered around helping people, you might have just found the one in this article. And if the role of a registered nurse (RN) falls a little short of your professional goals and ambitions, you might want to consider becoming a nurse practitioner (NP). In this article, we explore the core role and job responsibilities of different types of nurse practitioners in the healthcare system and the steps you can take to become one.
What Is a Nurse Practitioner?
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a healthcare professional that provides a multitude of services in the medical field. This profession was first created in the U.S. during the 1960s as an attempt to better the quality of primary healthcare services, and since then has become a pillar of healthcare all over the world. The job responsibilities of an NP overlap those of doctors and registered nurses. An NP must possess the hard skills of a physician and the soft skills of a registered nurse. These responsibilities include but are not limited to patient treatment, diagnosis, etc.
How to Become a Nurse Practitioner: Schooling Requirements
The role of a nurse practitioner in the medical field exists in many countries, that is why there are variations as to what their responsibilities are, the qualifications needed to become one, etc. In order to become an NP in the US you have to meet certain schooling, practice, and certification requirements.
Schooling requirements
Get a bachelor’s: The first step is obtaining an undergraduate degree (associate or bachelor’s) in nursing (BSN).
Become an RN: After earning either one of those degrees, you have to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) and become a registered nurse (RN).
Enter an NP program: Pick a nurse practitioner program of your choosing.
Enroll in a graduate program: Lastly in terms of schooling requirements, you have to obtain a graduate degree from an accredited program. You can either graduate as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), or even opt for a doctoral degree in nursing practice (DNP).
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Practice requirements
Gain experience: Becoming a nurse practitioner requires a lot of practice hours or clinical training to gain skills and experience as a registered nurse (RN).
Certification requirements
Because some requirements may differ according to state, it is necessary to understand what exactly makes you eligible for certain certifications. In general terms, you need to:
Get certified: To do this you need to pass a national nurse practitioner exam on the specialty you picked when entering the NP program. You will need to renew your certification every few years (usually every five years) depending on the state.
Apply for licensure: Last but not least, you need to have licensure in order to be able to practice your profession as an NP in your state.
Nurse Practitioner Specialties
One of the steps to becoming a nurse practitioner is to pick a specialty. You do this when you enter the NP program during your schooling process. There are various types of NP specialties, and they are more or less characterized by the type of patients you will be dealing with, i.e. patient focus. Some of these specialties include:
Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP): An adult-gerontology NP deals with patients at any stage of their adult life. An AGNP role covers a few areas in patient care like examinations, diagnosis, and treatment.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNPC-AG): This is one of the focuses of AGNP where the NP treats patients with acute (short-term) illnesses.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP): A PNP deals with patients from their infancy until they reach adulthood.
Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-AC): This specialty is for PNPs who want to work in pediatrics and treat children with acute conditions.
Family Nurse Practitioner: An FNP, on the other hand, deals with patients of all ages (children, teenagers, adults). Although qualified to treat them, an FNP is often more focused on educating his/her patients on how to lead a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent diseases.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP): This specialty falls under the category of advanced practice registered nurses. As the name suggests, NNPs treat newborns (preterm and full-term), in order to prevent lifelong health conditions/diseases.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP): A PMHNP specializes in dealing with patients of all ages, with mental health disorders. This specialty requires extensive training and expertise, because PMHNPs also administer drugs for patient treatment.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP): A WHNP specializes in dealing with women patients, specifically during their reproductive years, i.e. from adolescence and through menopause.
Some types of Nurse Practitioner subspecialties
Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP): As the title implies, an ENP specializes in dealing with patients in emergency situations whether caused by trauma or a disease (acute or chronic).
Cardiology Nurse Practitioner: An acute care nurse practitioner can sub-specialize in this field by primarily treating cardiology patients (heart disease patients).
Dermatology Certified Nurse Practitioner: An NP who is certified in dermatology, specializes in treating patients with dermatological problems (skin-related problems/diseases).
Oncology Nurse Practitioner: This is an NP who specializes in treating patients of all ages who suffer from cancer. Like other subspecialties we mentioned, you can get certified by completing any available fellowships or through extensive work experience in the particular field.
Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner: If this is a subspecialty that you want to go for, you will be dealing with patients with orthopedic problems (bones and muscles).
Nurse Practitioner Job Outlook and Salary
Choosing a career path is one of the most important decisions one makes because there are so many different factors to take into consideration. Future job prospects and salary play a significant role in the decision-making.
Nurse practitioners have been in high demand ever since this role came to be, back in the 60s. If we look further into history, the role of an NP came into existence to address the shortage of physicians in US healthcare. Nowadays, nurse practitioners play an essential role in the healthcare system of most countries. This is in part due to the nursing shortage, in addition to the high cost of primary care. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median nurse practitioner salary was $111,680 as of May 2020. This study also estimated that nurse practitioner employment will grow 45% by 2030.
Should You Become a Nurse Practitioner?
If you are someone who not only loves helping people but also loves constantly being in contact with them, a nurse practitioner is the career for you. The autonomy you get by becoming a nurse practitioner comes with a price though. Keep in mind that you are going to have to be in school for a few extra years, complete more practice hours, and get additional certifications in specialties and subspecialties.
Conclusion
In summary, the role of a nurse practitioner is undeniably vital to the healthcare system. As this article points out, the extra hoops you have to jump to become an NP seem to prove worth it in the end. This is a career that pays well and will be around for a while. And if we add on the fulfillment that comes from helping people with something as precious as their health, well, that’s just the cherry on top!