Life As a Nurse Practitioner
Job Description & Duties Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
List of Nurse Practitioner (NP) Job Duties
- Advocate for accessible health care that minimizes environmental health risks.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Detect and respond to adverse drug reactions, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, or older adults.
- Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.
- Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
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Things a Nurse Practitioner (NP) Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Nurse Practitioners say are important on the job.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Types of Nurse Practitioner
- Medical Surgery Nurse
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Practitioner, Adult
- Internal Medicine Nurse Practitioner
- Emergency Medicine Nurse Practitioner
Is There Job Demand for Nurse Practitioners?
In the United States, there were 155,500 jobs for Nurse Practitioner in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 36.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 56,100 new jobs for Nurse Practitioner by 2026. There will be an estimated 14,400 positions for Nurse Practitioner (NP) per year.
The states with the most job growth for Nurse Practitioner (NP) are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Mississippi, or Nebraska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Nurse Practitioners Make A Lot Of Money?
The average yearly salary of a Nurse Practitioner (NP) ranges between $78,300 and $150,320.
Nurse Practitioners who work in California, Hawaii, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Nurse Practitioners in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $95,970 |
Alaska | $122,880 |
Arizona | $110,750 |
Arkansas | $104,300 |
California | $133,780 |
Colorado | $111,210 |
Connecticut | $118,020 |
Delaware | $108,340 |
District of Columbia | $109,800 |
Florida | $101,100 |
Georgia | $106,750 |
Hawaii | $120,570 |
Idaho | $102,600 |
Illinois | $105,800 |
Indiana | $103,200 |
Iowa | $106,290 |
Kansas | $99,430 |
Kentucky | $99,790 |
Louisiana | $105,340 |
Maine | $103,220 |
Maryland | $115,060 |
Massachusetts | $122,740 |
Michigan | $106,880 |
Minnesota | $119,160 |
Mississippi | $109,700 |
Missouri | $102,470 |
Montana | $103,510 |
Nebraska | $103,800 |
Nevada | $112,540 |
New Hampshire | $109,460 |
New Jersey | $122,100 |
New Mexico | $109,810 |
New York | $120,970 |
North Carolina | $104,100 |
North Dakota | $106,200 |
Ohio | $101,970 |
Oklahoma | $103,280 |
Oregon | $110,010 |
Pennsylvania | $98,250 |
Rhode Island | $109,290 |
South Carolina | $99,910 |
South Dakota | $100,690 |
Tennessee | $95,990 |
Texas | $111,060 |
Utah | $105,840 |
Vermont | $106,000 |
Virginia | $105,170 |
Washington | $117,650 |
West Virginia | $100,690 |
Wisconsin | $106,790 |
Wyoming | $116,030 |
What Tools & Technology do Nurse Practitioners Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Nurse Practitioners:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft SharePoint
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Medical procedure coding software
- Epic Systems
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Medical condition coding software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- eClinicalWorks
- e-MDs software
- Allscripts Professional EHR
- SOAPware EMR
How do I Become a Nurse Practitioner (NP)?
What education or degrees do I need to become a Nurse Practitioner?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Nurse Practitioners Are Employed
Below are examples of industries where Nurse Practitioners work:
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References:
Image Credit: Aleksahgabrielle via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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