What is a Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice nurse. This means that in addition to their RN, they have a masters degree or advanced study in a field of specialty. Nurse practitioners have a wider scope of practice than CNAs, LPNs and RNs. In fact, NPs are often responsible for working with and overseeing the work of CNAs, LPNs and RNs.

Although they have more responsibility, nurse practitioners do much of the same work that RNs do. However, there are some key differences between a nurse versus a nurse practitioner, the main one being the ability to prescribe medications.

Types of Nurse Practitioners

Every nursing program offers different specialty areas for nurse practitioner education and training. Some of these may include:

• Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)
• Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (ACPNP)
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)
• Advanced Practice Neonatal Nursing (APNN)
• Advanced Practice Pediatric Nursing (APPN)
• Cardiovascular Nursing
• Critical Care Trauma Nursing
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
• Gerontological Advanced Practice Nursing
• Health Policy Nursing
• Nurse Midwifery / Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing and Health Systems Leadership (NHSL)
• Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
• Oncology Nursing, Advanced Practice
• Perinatal Nursing
• Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
• Public Health Nursing, Advanced Practice (PHNAP)

Nurse Practitioner Job Description

As a nurse practitioner, you'll have a larger share of responsibility than you did as an RN. In many states, this includes being able to write medication prescriptions. You'll likely work with a clinical team comprised of nursing aides, LPNs, and RNs to provide comprehensive primary care, preventative care, and disease management for patients.

Many of the duties of a nurse practitioner are similar to those of an RN. These may include things like:

• performing an initial patient assessment
• performing physical assessments
• developing patient care plans
• providing maintenance care
• performing acute interventions
• performing procedures (i.e. IV access and wound care)
• documenting procedures
• educating patients

Requirements for Becoming a Nurse Practitioner

You can view the full requirements for becoming a nurse practitioner in our state by state guide.

Education Requirements

Nurse practitioner education requirements vary by state. All states require advanced education beyond the bachelor's degree level to become an NP. However, some states require a few credits, while others require a masters degree in nursing.

Certifications

National certification is required in most states in the area of specialty. This is usually through the American Board of Nursing Specialties. Their list of approved nursing programs include certification for:

• American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN)
• American Board for Certification of Gastroenterology Nurses
• American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification
• American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board
• American Nurses Credentialing Center
  • ANP-BC Adult Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
  • Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric-Adult CNS
  • Child/Adolescent Psychiatric Mental Health CNS
  • Adult Health CNS
  • Gerontological CNS
  • Pediatric CNS
  • Nursing Case Management
  • Ambulatory Care Nurse
  • Pain Management
  • Medical-Surgical Nurse
  • Pediatric Nurse
  • Gerontological Nurse
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse
  • Cardiac/Vascular Nurse
  • Informatics Nurse
  • Nurse Executive
  • Nurse Executive, Advanced
  • Nursing Professional Development
  • Advanced Public Health Nursing
• Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing
• Competency & Credentialing Institute
• National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
• Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation
• Medical Surgical Nursing Certification Board
• National Board of Certification for Hospice and Palliative Nurses
• National Board of Certification of School Nurses
• Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission
• Orthopedic Nurses Certification Board
• Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation
• Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board
• Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Certification Board

Work Experience

Most nurse practitioner jobs require 3-5 years of experience in the area of specialty. In addition, most masters degree programs suggest working as an RN for a few years before entering a masters degree program. This is so you have a chance to experience different specialties and make sure you really like the one you choose for your masters degree program. Many RNs gain work experience while they pursue their masters degree in nursing, which usually takes at least 2 years and up to three. Many MSN programs allow nurses to work while attending class, so you'll have the work experience you need to get the job you want.

Nurse Practitioner Salary

According the bureau of labor statistics, registered nurses made a median salary of $64,690 per year in 2010. Because of their responsibilities, nurse practitioners make more money than RNs without a masters degree in nursing.

Nurse Practitioner Jobs

Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020. This will create over half a million jobs in nursing. Job opportunities exist in hospitals, physicians' offices, outpatient care centers, and in-home healthcare. There are many websites that offer nursing job postings including monster.com, indeed.com and nursingjobs.org.