Nurse Practitioner Vs Nurse Nurse Practitioner Vs. Nurse Administrator: What's The Difference? | NurseJournal.org (2024)

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Nurse practitioners and nurse administrators have a lot in common. They are both registered nurses who may hold similar degrees. The critical difference between the two lies in specialization. Nurse practitioners focus on their patients’ health. Nurse administrators focus on the health of their medical facilities and communities.

These professionals share a symbiotic relationship. Nurse administrators and nurse practitioners have common overall goals and mindsets, but they face key differences in educational programs, scope of practice, and professional certifications.

Read on to learn more about these career paths.

The primary nurse practitioner vs. nurse administrator difference: NPs provide direct care for patients, and nurse administrators oversee entire nursing teams, departments, hospitals, or healthcare facilities. Both professionals have nursing degrees and nursing experience, and both are responsible for patient outcomes.

Nurse practitioners are responsible for diagnosing patients and prescribing treatments. They may also manage people and work toward quality improvement, but these are not primary responsibilities.

Nurse administrators, on the other hand, are always responsible for management and quality improvement. Their responsibilities may include patient care, but many do not provide direct care. Those who do provide care often do so as a way to keep current with their skills and experience.

Both nurse practitioners and nurse administrators have a high level of responsibility for nursing outcomes. Nurse practitioners act as clinicians and are responsible for individual patient health outcomes. Nurse administrators act as leaders and managers and are responsible for nursing performance at the macro level.

Both NPs and nurse administrators have undergraduate nursing degrees and RN licenses. Nurse practitioners must hold either a master of science in nursing (MSN) or a doctor of nursing practice to be licensed. Nurse administrators typically have an MSN or another master’s degree, such as an MBA, but this is not a requirement.

Another significant nurse practitioner vs. nurse administrator difference is certification. Nurse practitioners must earn certification to practice. Certification is optional for nurse administrators.

If you can’t make up your mind when deciding on a nurse practitioner vs. nurse administrator career, it is much easier to transition from being a nurse practitioner to a nurse administrator than vice versa.

To become an NP, a nurse administrator must attend an accredited program and pass the certification examinations. A nurse practitioner does not have to pass additional legally mandated requirements to become a nurse administrator.

Nurse practitioners and nurse practitioners earn similar salaries:

Nurse practitioners make up one of the fastest-growing careers in the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 45% job growth between 2020 and 2030 for nurse practitioners.

Salaries reflect this high demand. According to the BLS, nurse practitioners earned a median annual salary of $120,680 as of 2021. Nurse practitioners help alleviate the ongoing demand for both primary care and specialty nursing care, so they will likely remain in demand.

The BLS lumps in nurse administrators with other healthcare managerial jobs. All medical and health service manager jobs are projected to grow by 32% between 2020 and 2030. As of 2021, the median salary for medical and health service managers was $101,340, according to the BLS.

As the American health system recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares for increasing medical needs due to the aging population, nurse administrators who can improve outcomes and reduce or maintain costs will remain in high demand.

If you enjoy working directly with patients but want more autonomy, a higher salary, or the opportunity to diagnose and treat conditions, consider becoming a nurse practitioner.

On the other hand, if you want to make a difference in patient outcomes at the macro level, enjoy analysis and using data to make decisions, and want to take on a leadership role, then a nurse administrator job will be a good match. Nurse administration is also an excellent choice if you want to transition to an office job.

Both careers offer rewarding salaries, excellent job growth prospects, the satisfaction of helping others, and a high level of professional autonomy. The nurse practitioner vs. nurse administrator career decision depends on your personal goals and preferences.

Page Last Reviewed April 24, 2022

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