Nursing Specialties

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

What is a Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Nurse practitioners (NPs) provide dedicated primary and acute care, similar to physicians, but through a nursing lens. They can diagnose and treat basic health conditions, but they also pay attention to other factors affecting optimal health, such as prevention, counseling, and health education.

Depending on their interest, nurse practitioners can focus on a specialty area and have a subspecialty within that population. For example, a pediatric nurse practitioner can further specialize in cardiology, or an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner can work primarily in dermatology.

Nurse practitioners provide comprehensive care for their patients. They are licensed to prescribe medications, order lab tests or procedures, and refer to other practitioners. However, nurse practitioners may not be allowed to admit patients directly to the hospital, so they would need to collaborate with an attending physician.

In approximately 27 states (including D.C.), NPs can practice independently from physicians. In 13 states, they can work with partial supervision, while in 11 states, NPs have more restricted practices.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) have obtained their advanced practice nursing degrees by obtaining either a master’s or doctoral degree and completing additional clinical hours. Their practice area determines what further education, clinical training, and certifications they need.

What does a Nurse Practitioner (NP) Do?

The setting where the NP works determines much of their role, but general activities may include:

Perform initial intake, ongoing management, and follow-up care
Administer physical exams, order lab work, and other tests or referrals
Document findings and maintain records
Order medications
Create patient-specific care plans
Perform limited in-office procedures depending on specialty
Collaborate with other health providers
Manage nursing and other office staff

What skills does a Nurse Practitioner (NP) need?

Nurse practitioners gain skills to manage the total care of their patients beyond what regular nurses do. They must be able to integrate both medical and nursing knowledge. NPs learn how to perform and interpret assessment findings, arrive at a working diagnosis, and develop a treatment plan.

Nurse practitioners are expected to increase their knowledge about prescribing and administering medications safely. Overall, NPs must learn to think independently, follow their instincts, and utilize strong critical thinking skills.

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What skills does a Nurse Practitioner (NP) need?

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Nurse Practitioner (NP)s

Work settings for Nurse Practitioner (NP)s

Nurse practitioners often work in hospitals, clinics, schools, long-term care facilities, urgent care facilities, correctional facilities, and in-home healthcare.

Common Cases Nurse Practitioner (NP)s Encounter

Nurse practitioners manage patients of every age, socioeconomic level, and medical condition.

How to Become A Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree: takes about two to four years based on the program
Pass the NCLEX-RN exam and apply for your RN license after graduation
Gain experience working as a registered nurse, though some skip this step
Attend an NP nursing program in the specialty area desired. Nurses with ADN degrees can complete their BSN in conjunction with their master’s or doctoral degree. These programs take about 18 months to three years or longer to complete.
Take the exam to become a Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) after gaining experience

How to Advance Your Career As A Nurse Practitioner (NP)

A nurse practitioner must obtain an MSN degree, but some get doctoral degrees.

These doctoral degrees are not to be confused with physicians’ medical doctor degrees.

Education Requirements & Helpful Certification

Nurse practitioners select a study area typically in one of six areas as their focus, and then they can gain certification in the area they trained. After completing additional post-graduate courses and work experience in a secondary area, they can apply for certification in that subspecialty area.

Family (Nurse Practitioner, FNP): “across the lifespan”
Adult-Gerontology: acute care or primary care
Women’s Health/Gender-Related
Pediatrics (PNP): acute care or primary care
Neonatal
Psychiatric/Mental health

There are several additional subspecialties, such as:

Emergency care
Cardiology
Dermatology
Oncology
Orthopedics
Psychology

Nurse practitioners must be BCLS certified and renew their NP license every one to three years, depending on their state. Each state also requires a differing number of CEU hours.

Average Salary For Nurse Practitioner (NP)s

Nurse practitioners typically make between $99,426 - $134,323, with a median salary of $115,301, according to Salary.com.

The May 2021 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report shows which states have the highest and lowest wages for nurse practitioners. The highest-paid states are California, New Jersey, and New York. The lowest-paid states are Alabama, Kentucky, and South Carolina, which is tied with West Virginia.

Specialty Organizations & Communities

American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)

Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation (NPHF)

Ideal Personality Traits

Critical thinker, attentive
Enthusiastic
Strong patient advocate
Team player and an excellent communicator
Enjoys patient teaching to promote health

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Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice nurses who can deliver primary or acute care to different patient populations. Like physicians, they can perform physical exams, order treatments and medications, refer patients to specialists, and provide ongoing monitoring.

Some NPs work together with physicians; others can work independently. The variety of practice types differs by specialty area and location in the country. Nurse practitioners follow the nursing model of promoting health and preventing disease, so they seek opportunities to improve their patient’s quality of care through teaching.

Education Requirements

Family (Nurse Practitioner, FNP): “across the lifespan”
Adult-Gerontology: acute care or primary care
Women’s Health/Gender-Related
Pediatrics (PNP): acute care or primary care
Neonatal
Psychiatric/Mental health

There are several additional subspecialties, such as:

Emergency care
Cardiology
Dermatology
Oncology
Orthopedics
Psychology

Nurse practitioners must be BCLS certified and renew their NP license every one to three years, depending on their state. Each state also requires a differing number of CEU hours.

How to advance/career pathway

A nurse practitioner must obtain an MSN degree, but some get doctoral degrees.

These doctoral degrees are not to be confused with physicians’ medical doctor degrees.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners has links to all the national certification organizations.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB)
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
National Certification Corporation (NCC)

MOST COMMON CASES

Nurse practitioners manage patients of every age, socioeconomic level, and medical condition.

How to become a