Nurse Practitioner
The Advance Practice Nurse Consensus Model recognizes four advance practice roles: Certified Nurse Anesthetists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners. Nurse Practitioners are the most common of the four main roles for advanced practice nurses. The requirements for advancing to a Nurse Practitioner vary by state, however, Nurse Practitioners are Registered Nurses who hold both a Master of Nursing, and license as a Nurse Practitioner from an approved national licensing body, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Each national licensing body may have unique requirements for licensure, which generally include a Master of Nursing, specific levels of nursing experience, and a certification examination. Individuals should check with their state boards of nursing to determine which licenses are accepted.
Nurse Practitioners are responsible for direct patient care, including both diagnosing and treating illnesses, in contrast with Clinical Nurse Specialists, who generally spend more of their time educating and consulting with staff and improving quality patient outcomes. Many Nurse Practitioners hold specialty licenses in areas such as acute care, adult care, pediatric care, gerontology, family nurse practitioner, neonatal health, and oncology. Nurse Practitioners also have varying degrees of prescriptive authority.
Nurse Practitioners generally earn higher salaries and more generous benefit packages than those received by Registered Nurses who do not hold advanced practice licensure. The average nurse practitioner salary is around $89,000 in total compensation. Additionally, the current nursing shortage has prompted many hospitals to offer increased salaries to advanced practice nurses in an effort to attract more nurses with specialty expertise.
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