The future is promising for Nurse Practitioners

The Future is Promising for Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners (N.P.s) profit from earning their graduate degree in many ways, including job security, the opportunity to work independently and an increase in salary.

N.P. 101

N.P.s are advanced practice registered nurses who treat patients of all ages, from children to the elderly.

• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatric/ Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioner characteristics

• Average age is 47 years
• Has been practicing an average of 10 years
• Has had 6 years of academic and clinical preparation
• 83% female, 10% male, 7% unspecified⁽¹⁾

Degree requirement

Graduate degree in nursing: M.S.N. or D.N.P.

Role of the N.P.

• N.P.s manage their patients’ comprehensive care.
• Evaluate symptoms and record medical history
• Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests
• Develop treatment plans
• Promote overall health and wellness through education
• 95.7% prescribe medications (including controlled substances)

Where do N.P.s work?

Licensed in all 50 states and D.C.

N.P.s practice under the rules and regulations of the state in which they are licensed.

Full Practice

State laws permit all N.P.s to practice autonomously.

Reduced Practice

State laws require a career-long collaborative agreement with another health care provider to provide patient care,or it limits the setting ofone or more elements of N.P.practice.

Restricted Practice

State laws require career-long supervision by another health care provider in order to provide patient care with restrictions in at least one element of N.P. practice.

Work environments

• Primary care offices
• Hospitals
• Outpatient care centers
• Nursing homes
• Psychiatric facilities
• Rehabilitation centers
• School systems
• Home healthcare

Top 3 largest employers of N.P.s

• 47% Physician offices
• 27% Hospitals
• 8% Outpatient care centers

Getting your M.S.N. pays.

• N.P. $109,820⁽²⁾ (nationalannualmediansalary)
• R.N. with a bachelor’s degree $73,300⁽²⁾ (nationalannualmediansalary)
• N.P.s earn 34% more than R.N.s.

Top5 highest paying states⁽³⁾

• California $138,600
• Washington $126,920
• Hawaii $124,000
• New Jersey $123,810
• Minnesota $122,850

(annual mean wage)

NPs are busy and in demand.

• 290,000 licensed N.P.s in the U.S.
• 89% are certified in primary care
• 65.4% in Family
• 25.5% in Adult and Geriatrics
• 4.5% in Pediatrics
• 2.8% in Women’s Health
• 57.4% see 3 or more patients per hour
• 1.06 billion visits to N.P.s each year in the U.S.

Job outlook for N.P.s

Employment for N.P.s is expected to grow 52% from 2019 to 2029⁽²⁾

Top 5 states with the most job openings

• New York (1,640 jobs, 41.3% increase)
• California (1,390 jobs, 30.5% increase)
• Florida (1,110 jobs, 36.9% increase)
• Texas (1,170 jobs, 31.9% increase)
• Illinois (760 jobs, 31.1% increase)

Projected average annual job openings, 2018-2028⁽⁴⁾

Being an N.P. is one of the best jobs.

U.S. News & World Report

#4 in Best Healthcare Jobs

#5 in 100 Best Jobs

Benefits of earning an online M.S.N.

• Earn while youlearn
• Keep working while earning your degree part-time through a flexible, online format
• Best practices
• Learn from working faculty
• Hands-on experience
• Guaranteed clinical placement services

Wilkes University Master of Science in Nursing program

Nurses evolve here.

Sources:

• Unless noted otherwise, data is sourced from American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
• Kaiser Family Foundation
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Becker’s Hospital Review
• U. S. BLS Projection Tool