Family nurse practitioners are in increasingly higher demand across the US. Most registered nurses choose to study to become a family nurse practitioner because they truly care about the health of others and want to spend their career helping their patients achieve better health and wellbeing. However, there are various other benefits of being a family nurse practitioner that you might want to consider if you are thinking about this career for the future.
1. Additional Responsibility:
Being a family nurse practitioner means that you can find work that is quite similar to being a doctor without actually having to attend years of medical school and while still being able to use your caring, nursing disposition. Nurse practitioners work directly with their patients but are able to take on significantly more responsibilities compared to a general registered nurse. In some states, those licensed as family nurse practitioners are even able to prescribe medication to patients.
2. Autonomy:
Many family nurse practitioners benefit from being able to choose how, where, and when they would like to work. Since the growth in the field of family nurse practitioners is higher and faster than most other areas of nursing, those who get into this profession can enjoy a higher level of demand which allows them to choose from a wider variety of work settings. Many family nurse practitioners even go on to start their own practices and choose their own working hours.
3. Higher Earnings:
As a family nurse practitioner, you have the opportunity to earn a much higher salary compared to working as a registered nurse. There are also many opportunities for growth and progression in your career which can boost your earnings even further. Of course, you may not earn quite as much as a doctor, but the salary can still be very substantial.
4. High Demand:
Once you have qualified as a family nurse practitioner you are pretty much guaranteed to always be able to find work. All types of healthcare settings in the US and even around the world have requirements for family nurse practitioners, so you’ll definitely have no shortage of choice when it comes to where you work and how you want to work, which can make for a really varied and interesting career.
5. Geographical Choice:
Since family nurse practitioners are in demand everywhere, those who qualify can choose from lots of different geographical areas. Some family nurse practitioners prefer to work in larger hospital settings, others prefer working in remote or rural areas, while others prefer to start their own practice in a city or town. Either way, you can always find meaningful work wherever you would like that to be, and wherever you move to.
6. Education Choices:
When it comes to training as a family nurse practitioner, there is a wide range of educational choices to consider. Aspiring family nurse practitioners no longer need to put their career on hold while they attend college and study, thanks to online degree programs that allow them to get their qualification from home and fit it around their life as a registered nurse. Also, because there is such a rapidly growing demand for qualified family nurse practitioners, many employers are now covering the bill for education meaning that you might not have to get into any more student debt to get there.
7. Work With People:
One of the many benefits of being a nurse practitioner is that you get to continue working with people. For many nurses, the main part of the job is getting to work directly with the patients and sadly this can be lost when you move into several different areas of advanced practice, where work tends to be more behind the scenes. This is not true for those who decide to become a family nurse practitioner, where the work continues to be direct with your patients.
8. Range of Work:
As a family nurse practitioner, no two days in your career are going to be the same. You’re going to be in a different situation every day and you’ll definitely get frequent adrenaline rushes when you have patients who are depending on you to do the right thing for them. As a family nurse practitioner, you will get to work with people of all ages, genders, and from different backgrounds and walks of life, with a full range of medical problems. You could be spending your time doing anything from helping an older person stay active, to supporting a new mother with breastfeeding.
9. Make a Difference:
Family nurse practitioners get to make a real difference in the lives of individuals and entire communities. As a family nurse practitioner, your role will be just as much about healing as it is about preventative care and measures. As a family nurse practitioner, you will play a key role in improving the health and happiness of the communities that you serve and will be influential in improving the society that you are a part of.
10. Improve Healthcare:
More and more family nurse practitioners are taking on the role of improving healthcare services and facilities within their communities. You may find plenty of opportunities to work alongside other people to create and build healthcare facilities that are a huge improvement on the previous ones, to help the future generations get access to better health care services.
11. It’s Interesting Work:
Working as a family nurse practitioner means that you are able to be a part of an interesting, fascinating, and diverse field. In this career role, you’re unlikely to ever spend a single part of your day feeling bored or thinking about going home; there’s too much going on. If you want to work in a field that stimulates your interests and allows you to think on your feet every day, working as a family nurse practitioner could be an ideal choice for you.
12. Take on Political Roles:
If you are interested in politics, becoming a family nurse practitioner could be an ideal way for you. Healthcare professionals are increasingly becoming trained in politics and the world of nursing has seen some significant changes as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Family nurse practitioners will often become spokespeople for this, pushing towards reforms in healthcare and improving the services for their patients.
13. Leadership Roles:
Aside from independent practice work, family nurse practitioners are often found in leadership positions in healthcare. There are several extended fields such as research, academia, patient education, and policy advocacy that are experiencing a growth in need for experienced and qualified healthcare professionals like family nurse practitioners to support and help the growth of their causes.
14. More Fulfilment:
Many family nurse practitioners in the US have prescription authority, which means that they can offer more cost-effective healthcare services that can be utilized by a bigger percentage of the population. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, almost 90% of family nurse practitioners are certified in a primary care area and just over 70% of family nurse practitioners deliver primary care, meaning that most in this profession have a greater chance of having a meaningful impact on healthcare communities.
15. Intellectual Challenge:
Becoming a nurse practitioner is no easy ride, especially if you decide to study for the role while you are working full-time as a registered nurse. It is certainly an intellectual challenge right from the moment that you apply to school to become a nurse practitioner and throughout your career. If you would like to work in a career that allows you to continue learning for the rest of your life and allows you to solve a range of complex problems every day, a role as a family nurse practitioner could be ideal for you.
16. Return on Investment:
Investing in education to become a family nurse practitioner can provide you with an excellent ROI. The role of a nurse practitioner is interesting, exciting, and meaningful with plenty of chances to work hard, make a huge difference in the lives of their patients and save lives while earning highly competitive wages along with a range of generous benefits. Additionally, attending school to become a family nurse practitioner also tends to be significantly cheaper compared to medical school, while still resulting in a career that is almost as financially rewarding as becoming a doctor. Over the past few years, family nurse practitioner roles have often been named as one of the best paying careers for women.
17. An Elite Group:
Last but not least, family nurse practitioners are in a very respected, elite group of healthcare professionals. Choosing to become a nurse practitioner means that you’ll join an elite group of over 200,000 healthcare professionals who are changing the way that modern healthcare is delivered to patients. Nurse practitioners are providing a strategic solution to improving the critical condition of the healthcare system in the US and making it more affordable and accessible.
If you are interested in a career that allows you to make a real difference in the lives of the individuals you work with while enjoying a range of benefits, becoming a family nurse practitioner could be ideal for you.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
