Careers for FNPs and Nurse Practitioners – Explore Your Options

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A career as a nurse practitioner (NP) is a great path to professional advancement for a registered nurse (RN), as it provides more freedom to choose a specialty and to decide what type of facility to work in. Becoming an NP or family nurse practitioner (FNP) requires either an Associate’s Degree or a Bachelor of Science in nursing, as well as a Master’s Degree in nursing. NPs generally have more specialized knowledge than RNs, and they can prescribe medication.

An NP can also provide primary care at a lower cost than physicians, and the demand for them is expected to grow in coming years, especially in inner city and rural areas, according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). An expected 581,000 new jobs for RNs will be created by 2018, and the additional education required to become an NP will open up broader career options and the possibility of higher pay. Most NPs earn between $83,579 and $97,008 annually.

Employment Options for NPs and FNPs

An NP can decide how much independence, responsibility, and collaboration to have in their career by choosing to become a primary care provider or becoming a specialized assistant to a physician in a single or group medical practice. The chart below depicts the percentages of RNs employed in different types of facilities as of 2008:

In 2010, The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a branch of The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), reported that 52% of NPs were providing primary care, and 48% were providing subspecialty care.

Fields of Specialization and Certification

Nurse practitioners have a great deal of direct interaction with patients and usually perform duties such as physical exams, ordering laboratory tests, and providing referrals. However, the day-to-day activities of a nurse practitioner are largely determined by his/her specialties. Many of these specialties require a certificate that must be renewed annually. The laws governing certification of nurse practitioners vary by state. The following are some common areas of specialization chosen by nurse practitioners:

Geriatric care: The popularity of in-home care for aging patients with functional disabilities is expected to rise between now and 2018, creating a need for more NPs specializing in geriatric care. Additionally, The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth at medical facilities specializing in long term care for sufferers of strokes and Alzheimer’s disease, which occur more often in old age.
Family practice: An FNP may work with a patient for years, and since FNPs can provide primary care at lower cost than medical doctors, their popularity is rising in medically underserved areas. In 2004, a Bureau of Health Professionals survey reported that 21% of surveyed NPs were certified in family practice, making it the most common certification.
Women’s health: A women’s health NP may provide care and advice relating to cervical pathology, family planning, menopause and other general women’s health issues, in addition to basic primary care services.
Neonatal care: NPs in neonatology help care for sick newborns and provide advice to parents of infants. A neonatal NP needs clinical experience in caring for sick newborns, and a nurse with special interest in this field should also consider a career as a nurse midwife, which involves providing care to mothers throughout a pregnancy and during labor.
Pediatric care: Pediatric NPs work with children, usually in a hospital’s pediatric department or in the office of a private pediatrician. Similarly to women’s health and neonatal NPs, pediatric NPs may need to work with expectant mothers and provide obstetrics and gynecological services.
Acute care: NPs specializing in acute care must diagnose acute conditions and make treatment plans for critically ill patients. Acute care NPs often work with a patient from the time the patient is admitted to a facility until the patient is released.
Mental health: A mental health NP diagnoses and treats psychological and emotional issues such as personality disorders and substance abuse problems. The NP may provide this treatment in collaboration with a private psychologist or psychiatrist, in the context of a treatment facility, or as part of a primary care treatment plan.
Education: Teaching other nurses is another career option for NPs, though some teaching positions may require a doctoral degree in addition to a Master of Science in nursing.
Administration: NPs can combine clinical and administrative work in the position of unit manager or head nurse, or even move into exclusively administrative work in a nursing department, though this will likely require years of good service in lower ranking positions.

Government Programs that Help Aspiring Nurses

As a large percentage of working nurses retirement, and demand for new health professionals rises, the US government has passed legislation to help educate new nurses and build the workforce.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), a piece of health care legislation passed in March, 2010, will provide billions of dollars toward the construction and staffing of new health clinics, especially those that will provide primary care in medically underserved areas. This represents a significant opportunity for NPs, as the creation of these new clinics will result in many new jobs, especially for those interested in providing primary care and working in nurse-led facilities.

The National Health Services Corps

Some of this money from the federal government will also go to the National Health Services Corps (NHSC), which helps finance the education of NPs and other advanced-practice nurses. In exchange for two to five years of service in an underserved area, nurse practitioners can receive between $50,000 and $145,000 in loan repayment through the NHSC.

As of July, 2010, there were 1,700 available positions for nurse practitioners in the NHSC’s clinics, according to a speech given by Mary Wakefield, administrator of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Wakefield also said that HRSA plans to “double the size of the Corps to some 8,000 practitioners over the next seven years.” This government action to create NP jobs and lower the financial barriers to entering the field makes now an ideal time to take steps toward becoming an NP.

New government funding also creates opportunities for NPs who have been in the field for some time and want to continue their education. The Nurse Faculty Loan Program, which focuses on nurses wanting to become teachers, and the Nursing Student Loan Program both increased the maximum annual loans they would provide after receiving funding from the ACA. Increased loan availability combined with scholarships and loan repayment assistance programs can make it easier and cheaper to return to school to become an NP.

Other Considerations for Those Pursuing a Career as a Nurse Practitioner

Growing Industries

The table of data below, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows the projected growth of jobs for RNs in different settings from 2008 to 2018. NPs, with their higher level of education will likely find it easier to secure jobs in the most desirable facilities:

Licensure and Continuing Education

The American Nurses’ Association and other organizations offer national certification for nurse practitioners pursuing a specialty. Certificates must be renewed regularly, though the renewal interval and requirements vary by state.

The National Institutes of Health, a department of HHS, reports that nurses seeking recertification must show proof of continuing education. Rapid innovation in health care makes it necessary for nurses to update their knowledge every year or every few years. Scholarships may be available for nurses taking continuing education classes while already practicing.

Location

Though the general employment outlook for nurse practitioners is fantastic, the availability of desirable positions with competitive pay depends on location. The states with highest employment rates for RNs are California, Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania, whereas the states with the highest pay for RNs are California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, and Maryland, according to the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment Statistics from 2010.

No specific data for NPs are available, but NPs are likely to be competitive applicants for positions available to RNs. More information on where RNs and NPs are most needed, and where they earn the most money, can be found at The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics web page.

Work Hours

Nurses in general, and especially NPs with a unique specialty in their office or unit, may be expected to work long hours, and their hours may be at odd times of day. It is important to discuss the hours you will work with a potential employer before committing to a position, and to maintain a flexible schedule while also making sure your own needs are met.

Becoming a nurse practitioner requires dedication, time and money, but the rewards are rich and lasting. The availability of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing through online programs puts a career as a nurse practitioner within reach for more people now than ever before. Since jobs in health care are expected to be created twice as fast as in any other field, more people than ever need to step up to the challenge and reap the benefits of a career as a nurse practitioner.

Top Online FNP Degree Programs

To become a family nurse practitioner (FNP), a master’s degree in nursing is a professional requirement. Below are the top online accredited colleges that offer MS in nursing degree programs, suitable for FNPs. You can request information by clicking the college's logo.

MSN in Nurse Practitioner	Kaplan University — With its main campus in Davenport, Iowa, Kaplan University is one of the largest online colleges in the nation. Kaplan's online MSN degree for nurse practitioners allows licensed RNs with bachelor's degrees to advance their careers with flexibility and affordability in mind. It is one of the ideal online choices for those seeking to become family nurse practitioners. School Info Click Here
MSN in FNP Specialization	Georgetown University — The MSN with a specialization in family nursing from Georgetown University enables licensed RNs to transition into careers as family nurse practitioners. The focus of this FNP program is to provide its students with the technical expertise and clinical skills necessary to prevent disease, promote health, and manage and assess illness within families. School Info Click Here
MS in Nursing MSN in Health Education MSN in Health Informatics	University of Phoenix — The College of Nursing at the University of Phoenix offers several Master of Science in nursing degree programs with different specializations for aspiring nurse practitioners. Within the program, areas of concentration available for study include health education and health informatics. School Info Click Here
MSN in Nurse Educator MSN in Educator Bridge	Capella University — For those individuals aspiring to become educational leaders in the field of nursing, Capella University offers two degrees: the first is a regular MSN program in nursing education for those who already practice nursing and have earned a BSN degree. They also offer an MSN bridge program that accepts non-nurse students with bachelor's degrees. School Info Click Here
MSN in Nurse Practitioner	South University — For working healthcare professionals with busy career schedules, the flexibility offered by the South University master's degree program in nursing may be an ideal fit. Individuals looking to advance their careers within the healthcare industry and become family nurse practitioners will find that graduating from this program will surely open doors to new opportunities. School Info Click Here