Nurse Practitioners
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 may be scheduled with a pre-health counselor by calling
734/764-7460 or stopping by the office at 3200 Student Activities
Building.
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. Visit Alumni Networks at http://alumni.umich.edu/networking-tools
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.
For a listing of nurse practitioner programs visit:
http://66.219.50.180/AANPPublicPages/npprogramlistingcrit.asp
For a listing of accredited schools that offer a Master’s Degree in Nursing see: http://www.mastersinnursing.com/
For a comprehensive list of NP programs see http://www.allnursingschools.com/featured/nurse-practitioner.php
Resources from RN to MSN:
www.rntomsn.com
www.rntomsn.com/programs/nurse-practitioner/
Accelerated/direct entry nursing programs (BSN and MSN), for non-nurses:
http://www.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
http://www.ets.org/gre.
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 appointment by calling 734/764-7460.
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, 3200
SAB (734/764-7460) 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/
|
