Registered Nurse To Nurse Practitioner: Is It Worth It? | NurseJournal.org (2024)

FAQs

Registered Nurse To Nurse Practitioner: Is It Worth It? | NurseJournal.org? ›

Among nurses, NPs have one of the highest job satisfaction rates, stemming from the passion for their specialty and the direct ways they impact their patients. Combined with high earning potential and growing demand for advanced practice nurses, many find the choice to become an NP a rewarding decision.

Salary: NPs earn higher salaries because of their advanced degrees and levels of professional autonomy. Professional Autonomy: Some states allow the NP to practice independently. Relationship Building: NPs can form long-standing relationships with patients and their families in the primary care setting.

This means that the primary difference between registered nurses and nurse practitioners, from a responsibility perspective, is that nurse practitioners have greater autonomy and responsibility due to their advanced education, training, and experience.

Working With Autonomy

Nurse practitioners have greater control over their professional practice. They can practice independently in more than half of the states and are being granted more autonomy nationwide. Additionally, there is a nationwide shortage of physicians and an ever-increasing need for primary care.

Disadvantage: It takes some time on the job before you will feel confident and competent in your job as a nurse practitioner. On-the-job learning can be stressful and anxiety provoking. If you choose to switch specialties or start a new job, this learning process must often be repeated.

“One myth is that NPs cannot provide quality care because we have a different background,” Anno says. “Many studies that compare NP and physician primary care find very few differences.” In other words, the quality of your care depends in part on the provider (not their degree) and your relationship with them.

As an NP, patient management and care are of utmost importance. Everything you learn in NP school will teach you how to be an independent and successful NP. While you may be familiar with some concepts thanks to your previous RN experience or schooling, this coursework is way more rigorous.

Their duties may be more stressful compared to RNs because nurse practitioners often manage complicated patient cases and are responsible for making higher-level decisions. However, this is often seen as a positive challenge, and the benefits of playing a larger role in patient lives is very rewarding and worth it.

It's important to note that both PAs and NPs are mid-level medical professionals. They're basically at the same level. However, NPs can work independently in many states that PAs can't. So, it places nurse practitioners above physical assistants in terms of practice independence.

While doctors and nurse practitioners have many similarities, there are some notable differences. The biggest difference between the two is the amount of time spent on training. While NPs have more training than a registered nurse, they receive less training than a doctor. They also are licensed differently.

Why am I seeing a nurse practitioner instead of a doctor? ›

Nurse practitioners are typically not as booked as doctors, and can fit patients in sooner, providing relief without long delays or wait times. Nurse practitioners see a variety of patients, meaning that their knowledge and experiences are varied and may be better suited to creating preventative care plans.

Nurse practitioners will work with you personally to take the best steps forward with your health. Not only will they look at the bigger picture, but they will also personally contact your specialists and recommend medications or lifestyle changes to move you toward better health.

FULL: NPs can prescribe, diagnose, and treat patients without physician oversight. Nurse practitioners who operate in full-practice states are also allowed to establish and operate their own independent practices in the same way physicians do.

Living Comfortably as a Nurse Practitioner

According to the BLS, the median NP salary in May 2022 was $121,610. NP salaries vary depending on each state. But in all but two states, the median salary was more than double the state's average cost of living.

According to the BLS, the median annual salary for an RN is $77,600, while an NP earns $123,780. While NPs are required to complete more schooling, which does come at a cost, becoming a nurse practitioner could be a worthwhile path.

Essentially, a nurse practitioner can do everything a doctor can do, although they are not able to perform surgical procedures. Doctors may, on average, complete more specialized training as well, although nurse practitioners complete extensive education and training programs as well.

Many job markets across the U.S. are saturated for nurse practitioners. Many are not. Regardless of the situation in your area, if you're a new grad you may need to be determined and flexible as you look for that coveted first position.

The median annual salary for nurse practitioners is $121,610, according to the BLS. These factors contribute to nurse practitioner taking the No. 1 spot in this year's 100 Best Jobs list, up one spot from last year's rankings. It also swept the top spots for U.S News' Best Health Care Jobs and Best STEM Jobs rankings.

Nobody will tell you that becoming a self-made millionaire as an NP is easy. You will need to put much effort into work, and long hours may be necessary initially to seed your financial plan and get it growing. However, hard work pays off.