Nurse Practitioner careers can be quite rewarding, but they can also lead to opportunities for advancement in numerous areas.
Nurse Practitioners provide almost the same range of services as do licensed doctors. You’ll find them making physical examinations, administering treatments, treating acute and chronic conditions and more. As such, Nurse Practitioner careers can be vast and diverse, indeed.
What options will you find in the field? What are the requirements to take advantage of these nursing jobs? How much can you expect the field to grow in coming years?
{loadposition hidden-adsense-block}The growth of Nurse Practitioner careers
According to the federal government, the field of nursing is set to undergo explosive growth. This is on top of the current shortage of trained, professional nursing staff. As such, the number of Nurse Practitioner, LPN, RN and CNA positions available will increase dramatically. However, the growth might not be in the sector that you expect.
Currently, most NPs work in a hospital or clinic setting. This area makes up about 80 percent of the industry. However, in the very near future, the shift will be toward home health care and other treatment programs that do not rely on hospitals. You’ll find that this offers tremendous opportunities for those dedicated to providing care for patients in need and will help to ensure that you are able to find a rewarding career that does not necessarily involve spending your days in a hospital.
Why choose Nurse Practitioner careers?
Why should you consider a career as a NP? You’ll find that this is one of the highest paying nursing jobs available, and that it can be enormously rewarding. According to recent studies, NPs earned a significantly higher amount per year than other types of nurses. However, this does come at the cost of more Nurse Practitioner education requirements and more time spent in certification and licensing.
What are the requirements for Nurse Practitioner careers?
To become an NP, regardless of the sector in which you’d like to work, you must have at least a master’s degree. You will also need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, just to enter the system to earn your master’s degree. Therefore, you can expect to spend quite some time studying in Nurse Practitioner schools and programs if you plan to build a career in this field.
Other resources
To find out more about Nurse Practitioner careers, visit the Mayo Clinic.
You can visit PremedGuide.com to get an overview of becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
Women’s Health Channel provides some interesting input on Nurse Practitioner careers.
Premed Guide