A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has completed advanced nursing courses. Nurse practitioners focus on diagnostics, creating and delivering treatment plans, and providing preventive health measures.
What Do Nurse Practitioners Do?
Similar to a doctor, NPs can administer physical exams, diagnose illnesses, and prescribe medication. While nurse practitioners have more authority than RNs and practice physician-level care, some states require doctors to provide oversight for NP care decisions.
What’s the Difference Between an RN and a Nurse Practitioner?
The major difference between a Registered Nurse (RN) and an APRN is that APRNs are capable of managing acute and critical conditions. They collaborate with other health professionals and treat patients.
Advanced practice registered nurses can diagnose as well as treat the patients. The International Council of Nurses defines a Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse as “a registered nurse who has acquired the expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills, and clinical competencies for expanded practice, the characteristics of which are shaped by the context and/or country in which s/he is credentialed to practice.”
When a registered nurse acquires a master’s degree in any specific area of specialization along with the above-mentioned skills, they qualify as an Advanced practice nurse.
Nurse Practitioner Salary
As of May 2020, the median salary for a nurse practitioner was $117,670 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics.
Depending on the state in which you plan to work and your experience, the pay of a Nurse Practitioner may vary. The highest average earning potential at this time is approximately $56.57 per hour.
The number of nurse practitioners is expected to grow an impressive 52% by 2029.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Other Nursing Salaries
The nurse practitioner role is a very demanding job and hence the pay for the job is pretty impressive. While APRNs are typically paid more than registered nurses, the APRN’s who specialize as Oncology Nurses are paid even better.
The average annual salary for Nurse practitioner Oncology is about $140,000 while in the Pediatric Oncology field is $80,000.
How to Become a Nurse Practitioner
If you want to become an NP, you’ll need to have good problem-solving and interpersonal relationship skills. Additionally, you’ll need to be patient, dependable, as well as a good listener and communicator.
You’ll first need to earn your undergraduate degree. Next, you’ll need to obtain a license and then get a graduate degree before ultimately passing an exam and getting licensed as an NP in your state.
Learn more about becoming a nurse practitioner.
Sponsored Programs
Location - Clearwater, FL,
US 33756Change your life!UMA will be here every step of the way.Ultimate Medical Academy is a nonprofit healthcare career school committed to helping you succeed. We offer flexible online courses to prepare y...ou for a healthcare career on your schedule, and our advisors are here to support you throughout your education and beyond!Once you enroll, you'll receive individualized student services like: • Flexible online learning • Academic support • Access to one-on-one and group tutoring • A dedicated advisor to help with life’s challenges • 24/7 technical support • Certification prep for applicable programs • Job interview coaching • Job search assistanceUMA’s Online Associate Degree Program OfferingsOur curriculum is tailored the meet the needs of the healthcare industry. That means you can be prepared to pursue entry-level roles once your graduate! Applicable UMA programs alsoprepare students to sit for relevant certification exams.Our online programs include: • Health and Human Services • Health Information Technology • Healthcare Management • Health Sciences - Healthcare Technology & Systems • Health Sciences - Pharmacy Technician • Medical Administrative Assistant • Medical Billing and Coding • Medical Office and Billing SpecialistUMA Stats • 10,000+ Students • 28+ Years in Healthcare Education • 75,000+ Alumni • 100+ Career Support Team Members • 100+ Learner Services Advisors A History of EducationSince 1994, UMA has educated thousands of students across the nation at our online and Clearwater, FL campuses. With an alumni population of more than 50,000, UMA offers extensive services to help students graduate and pursue careers in the growing field of healthcare. UMA is Institutionally Accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).We can help you begin your education today!Gainful employment information can be found at UltimateMedical.edu/gainful-employment and includes information on tuition, loan debt, completion, placement, and occupations. Read More
ProgramsNursing Assistant
Patient Care Technician
Location - Waco, TX,
US 76706Southern Careers Institute has maintained a tradition of career training for over 50 years. In that time we have trained students the professional skills necessary to gain employment in their lo...cal communities. In today’s job market, you need skills and knowledge that will get you started, and put you in a position to advance. SCI has made it our mission to provide our students with employer-tailored programs designed to make our graduates the most marketable in the industry.We call our approach The SCI Edge, and it makes our students as competitive as those of any of the accredited colleges or technical schools in Texas. Increasing the demand for our graduates and ensuring their long term success revolves around three key elements.1. National or State Recognized Certifications:Every program at SCI focuses on preparing students with training that will help them become eligible to earn multiple certifications and stand out when compared to graduates of accredited colleges.2. Career Skills Badges:Our programs give our students the opportunity to earn a variety of career skills with electronic badges that serve as credentials that our employer partners recognize and value.3. SCI Connect:Our SCI Connect online platform matches our students to our employer network needs and employers now have access to the verifiable skills badges and credentials in one location. Our platform gives every student an electronic profile that our career services team uses to market the students verifiable skills badges and certifications to the SCI employer network. The goal, here, is to provide the connection with employers to help them stand above the crowd of graduates from other accredited technical schools.For your convenience, SCI Texas offers day and evening classes at all campus locations: Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Pharr, San Antonio North, San Antonio South and Waco. Programs may vary by campus.Need more reasons to choose Southern Careers Institute?• Career Placement Assistance• Instructors who care• Financial aid available, if qualified• Programs are approved for VA Funding Read More
