Occupational Description
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses (RNs) who are prepared, through advanced education and clinical training, to provide a wide range of preventive and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. RNs generally work for a period of two or more years prior to entering into an NP program. Today, most NPs complete graduate-level education preparation that leads to a master’s degree. Nurse practitioner programs last one to two years and provide advanced study in diagnostic skills, health assessment, pharmacology, clinical management, and research skills. The emphasis in a master’s program is on the development of clinical and professional expertise to provide comprehensive primary care. Usually the student begins with generalist work and later focuses on a specific nurse practitioner specialty. This training enables NPs to carry out many of the responsibilities traditionally handled by physicians.
Nurse practitioners provide primary and some acute care, and are qualified to meet the majority of patients’ health care needs. NPs promote a holistic approach to health care and emphasize the overall health and wellness of their patients. NPs are authorized to practice across the nation and have prescriptive privileges, of varying degrees, in all 50 states.
Personal Skills & Characteristics
A good nurse practitioner should enjoy working with people and be strongly committed to making a positive difference in people’s lives. It is also important to develop excellent communication skills and to have patience, flexibility, and the ability to remain calm in an emergency. Since nurse practitioners work independently much of the time, they need to be able to take active responsibility in health care situations and have good judgment. A nurse practitioner’s role is strongly focused on health maintenance and prevention so they should also enjoy teaching and counseling as well.
Employment
Nurse practitioners practice in a variety of specialty areas and settings where health care services are provided for individuals and groups. These include: private offices, walk-in clinics, community clinics, health departments, school/college clinics, hospitals, home health care agencies, nursing agencies, nursing homes, and health maintenance organizations. The conditions of the job vary based on the type of specialty in which the NP practices. The majority of NP positions are in ambulatory care, where the NP works in an outpatient setting seeing their patients.
Earnings
Geographical location and experience are both factors in salary levels. The 2007 National Salary Survey of Nurse Practitioners shows that the average annual full-time salary for a nurse practitioner has reached $86,464. That’s a 16% increase over the average just two years ago.
Job Outlook
The outlook for nurse practitioners is excellent, since nurse practitioners are increasingly being recognized as providers of high quality, yet cost effective, medical care. In addition, more people are recognizing the importance of preventative health care, which is one of the nurse practitioners' greatest strengths.
Specialty Areas
- Pediatric nurse practitioners
- Provide primary health care for infants through adolescents.
- Gerontological nurse practitioners
- Are often based in nursing homes and work with older adults.
- School nurse practitioners
- Work in school settings and provide primary health care for students.
- Occupational health nurse practitioners
- Focus on employment-related health problems and injuries.
- Psychiatric nurse practitioners
- Work with people who have mental and emotional problems.
- Women’s health care nurse practitioners
- Provide primary care for women from adolescence though old age and may provide services from conception to hormone replacement therapy.
- Anesthetist nurse practitioners
- Responsible for administering, supervising, and monitoring anesthesia-related care for patients undergoing surgical procedures.
- Informatics nurse practitioners
- Integrate data, information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings.
Planning Ahead
Individuals interested in becoming nurse practitioners should spend two to three years gaining professional experience in different health care settings and working with underserved populations, if possible. This will provide the clinical hours and professional references nurse practitioner programs are looking for in their applicants.
The Career Center has a team of pre-health counselors to help students with a preparation and application timeline that fits their circumstances. Appointments with a pre-health counselor may be scheduled online.
Educational Requirements
Individuals interested in this profession must be registered nurses (RNs) before they can become nurse practitioners. In addition, nurse practitioner programs usually require that applicants have completed some statistics course work during their education.
For general nurse practitioner requirement questions, contact a pre-health academic advisor in LSA. For school specific questions, contact the schools directly.
Preparation Beyond The Classroom
Most nurse practitioners have worked for several years as a registered nurse before they continue their education. Obtain as much hands-on clinical experience as possible with patients in a variety of health care settings. Many nurse practitioner programs will also be looking for a commitment to working with underserved populations.
Connect with U of M alumni for informational interviewing, networking, or job shadowing.
Application Process Overview
Applicants for nurse practitioner programs are strongly encouraged to initiate their application process one year prior to when they plan to begin their academic program.
Admission committees for nurse practitioner programs review credentials such as academic qualifications, transcripts, grade point average, standardized tests (i.e., GRE, MAT, etc.), personal statement, letters of reference, a personal interview and clinical work experience. Keep in mind that these are general admissions criteria and other admissions requirements can vary from school to school. For information on requirements for admission to a specific nurse practitioner program, contact the office of admissions at each individual institution.
Accredited schools that offer a Master’s Degree in Nursing
A comprehensive list of NP programs
Resources from BestNursingDegree.com:
Standardized Tests
Nurse practitioner programs usually require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). GRE scores taken more than five years from date of application are not valid. All information concerning the GRE may be obtained by calling 1-800-GRE-TEST or by visiting the Educational Testing Service’s GRE page.
Some programs will also accept the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) which is sponsored by the Psychological Corporation. The test is designed to assess applicants’ analytic abilities and consists of 100 analogies that must be completed within 50 minutes.
Reference Letters
Nurse practitioner programs usually require three professional or academic references that can comment on your capabilities as a student and a registered nurse.
The Career Center’s Reference Letter Service (RLS) offers University of Michigan students and alumni/ae the opportunity to have letters of reference on file to use in support of their employment and continuing education efforts. Open a reference letter file with the RLS.
Personal Statement Information
Registered nurses applying to nurse practitioner programs will be required to write a personal essay articulating how their personal characteristics and professional philosophy match the goals of the nurse practitioner program to which they are applying. If you need assistance getting started on your personal statement or would welcome feedback on your draft from a Career Center staff member, please schedule an advising appointment at The Career Center.
Interviews
Not all nurse practitioner programs will require interviews, but they may decide to request one if they want further elaboration on your qualifications. Gather interview tips through available literature and interview programs sponsored by The Career Center. Schedule a videotaped mock interview at The Career Center to gain practice and confidence.
Admissions Update
762 schools in the U.S. offer baccalaureate and/or graduate degree programs in nursing. Within this realm, 610 schools offer entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs (BSN); 475 offer master’s degrees; and 158 offer doctoral programs.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is leading the effort to transition the level of education required for specialty nursing practice from the master’s degree to the doctoral level. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is designed for nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice, and offers and alternative to research-focused doctoral programs (i.e., PhD programs). Though only 92 DNPs currently exist, more than 102 new programs are taking shape nationwide. The target for the transition to the DNP is the year 2015.Resources To Learn More
Links to Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement. General information on nurse practitioner as a career is available from:
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP),
P.O. Box 12846,
Austin, TX 78711, (512) 442-4262, (512) 442-6469 (fax)
admin@aanp.org
http://www.aanp.org
ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners,
2900 Horizon Drive, King of Prussia,
PA 19406, (800) 355-5627
http://www.AdvanceForNP.com
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN),
One
Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington DC 20036,
(202) 463-6930
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/
Nurse Practitioner’s Central,
10024 S.E. 240th St., Suite #102,
Kent, WA 98031, (253) 852-9042, (253) 852-7725 (fax) npss@nurse.net
http://www.npcentral.net/