Nurse Practitioner Career Resource Guide

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with an advanced education – a Masters Degree in Nursing at minimum – and are specially trained in diagnosis and management of common medical conditions. Nurse practitioners provide individualized care for patients of all ages, and prioritize patient education, wellness, and prevention, and sometimes do research along with providing patient advocacy.

Nurse Practitioner Job Responsibilities

Nurse practitioners counsel and educate patients on treatment options and preventative care, while collaborating with other health professionals as needed. They prescribe medications, diagnose and treat acute injuries and illnesses, and provide family-planning services as well as prenatal care. Nurse practitioners also treat and monitor chronic diseases, conduct physical examinations, and provide health-maintenance care for children, teenagers, and adults. Since the profession is state-regulated, specific duties and regulations vary.

Educational Requirements for Nurse Practitioners

To be eligible as a licensed nurse practitioner, one must first become a registered nurse. Registered nurses who wish to become nurse practitioners should have 3-5 years of clinical experience before obtaining their higher degree. Additionally, nurse practitioners are required to have successfully completed a nurse practitioner master’s degree at minimum.

Nurse Practitioner Career Opportunities

The majority of nurse practitioners specialize in one area of medical care, and there are as many areas of specialization as there are medical fields. See Career Opportunities for potential areas of specialization.

Below is a list of possible career options for qualified nurse practitioners. This is only a sampling and should not be taken as an exhaustive list.

Nurse Practitioner Salary Ranges

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), median annual earnings of registered nurses were $57,280 in May 2006, with the middle 50 percent earning between $47,710 and $69,850, the lowest 10 percent earning less than $40,250, and the highest 10 percent earning more than $83,440. This is the median annual earnings breakdown for the industries with the largest number of registered nurses in May 2006:

Employment services: $64,260
General medical and surgical hospitals: $58,550
Home health care services: $54,190
Physicians’ offices: $53,800
Nursing care facilities: $52,490

Nurse Practitioner Professional Organizations and Resources

There are many professional organizations for the nursing field. These organizations can be a powerful resource and provide a wide range of useful information.

AACN – American Association of Colleges of Nursing
www.aacn.nche.edu

AMSN – Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses
www.medisurgnurse.org

ANA – American Nurses Association
www.ana.org

NCSBN – National Council of State Boards of Nursing
www.ncsbn.org

NINR – National Institute of Nursing Research
www.ninr.nih.gov

NLN – National League for Nursing
www.nln.org

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