It is known far and wide that healthcare jobs are among the most popular ones nowadays. The nurse practitioner position is one of them. You may be a student interested in becoming a nurse practitioner or someone looking to advance your career. In both cases, you may have questions like " What education is required for NPs?", "Can you be a nurse practitioner with an MSN degree?"—and that's where we come into play. In this article, you can find a guide on becoming an NP and learn more about the profession, including the duties and responsibilities, salary, and job outlook. All you have to do is read on.
What Is a Nurse Practitioner?
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a healthcare provider who holds an advanced nursing degree and offers personalized care to patients. Often referred to as ARNPs (advanced registered nurse practitioners), their main focus involves health promotion, disease prevention, and health education. They can work in various settings, including hospitals, private practices, nursing homes, public health departments, schools, etc. Having a crucial role in each facility, NPs can practice alone or alongside a physician, offering primary, acute, and specialty care services.
What do they do?
Nurse practitioners provide clinical care to patients, treating them from admission to discharge. However, they are more than just healthcare providers as their role includes educating, guiding, advising, and helping patients make better health choices.
Depending on the medical setting and whether they work independently or in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, their responsibilities may vary. If you decide to become a nurse practitioner, below we listed some typical duties you can expect:
Creating patient care plans.
Admitting, treating, and discharging patients from hospitals.
Recording patient medical histories.
Performing physical exams.
Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic tests.
Diagnosing and treating acute and chronic diseases.
Prescribing medications and treatments.
Educating patients on disease prevention.
How to Become a Nurse Practitioner?
To become an NP, it isn’t a walk in a park exactly. There are a few steps, one has to take. In this step-by-step guide on becoming an NP, you can learn more about the qualifications you need.
You first get a BSN degree
Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is the first step towards becoming a practitioner nurse. This degree usually takes four years to complete and equips you with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for the practitioner nurse position. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), critical thinking, leadership, and health promotion are among the key skills you can develop in a BSN program. In addition to general and specific nursing courses, BSN programs usually include clinical hours as well.
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Pass the NCLEX and become a registered nurse
After obtaining your degree, the next step is becoming an RN so that you qualify to apply for a graduate program. In order to become a registered nurse, you need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN). The test focuses on critical thinking skills and nursing knowledge. After passing it, you can apply for and obtain your state license.
Gain experience in nursing
After becoming a licensed RN, you need to also gain experience before applying for an advanced degree program. Usually, 1-2 years of clinical experience are required by most programs. You can learn more about nursing and start considering NP concentrations to focus on when you continue your education.
Enroll in an MSN degree program
As a licensed RN with clinical experience under your belt, you are qualified to apply for a Master of Science in Nursing degree and become a nurse practitioner. So, the answer to the big question—yes, you can become a nurse practitioner with an MSN degree. In fact, since NPs are part of APRNs (advanced practice registered nurses), an MSN is the minimum educational requirement. Some nurses choose to pursue doctoral programs, such as a DNP (doctor of nursing practice).
If you decide to enroll in an MSN program, you can expect it to build on the foundational knowledge laid by the BSN degree. Common courses include physiology, pharmacology, healthcare policy and ethics, health assessment, etc. Moreover, communication, leadership, time-management, and attention to detail are necessary skills for a successful APRN, all of which and more you obtain by pursuing an MSN degree. Programs usually take two years to complete and include clinical hours in addition to theoretical classes.
Depending on your specialization, you can take care of families, older adults, newborns, etc. Below we present a list of different population foci you can choose from:
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP (AGPCNP)
Family NP (FNP)
Neonatal NP (NNP)
Pediatric NP (PNP)
Psychiatric Mental Health NP (PMHNP)
Women’s Health NP (WHNP)
Obtain NP licensure
After completing an MSN degree, you need to get licensed as an APRN. First, you need to pass a national board certification exam in your specialty area, then apply for your license. Here are some organizations that you can get certified from:
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB)
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)
National Certification Corporation (NCC)
Start working as a nurse practitioner
After going through all the steps above and becoming a nurse practitioner, you can finally enter the workforce. You can get employed in almost any medical setting as an NP. Furthermore, many states authorize full practice for licensed NPs, allowing you to work independently.
Nurse Practitioner Job Outlook & Salary
To learn more about what awaits you after you graduate and become a nurse practitioner, let us check the job outlook and salary for this position.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for nurse practitioners is projected to grow by 52% from 2020 to 2030, which is much faster than the average occupational growth. During this time, the BLS predicts 114,900 new job openings.
In addition, the salary is just as satisfying as the job outlook. A nurse practitioner's average salary is $109,025 per year, with top earners making up to $155,000 annually.
Wrapping up
For those interested in healthcare jobs, the nurse practitioner is a position that comes with a great job outlook and a lucrative salary. To become one, among other qualifications, you need an advanced degree like a Master of Science in Nursing. After you graduate and obtain your license, you will be qualified and able to work independently, ordering diagnostic tests, prescribing medications, and more.
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