Advanced Practice Nurse Job Description
Advanced practice nursing jobs take the registered nurse role a step further and dive deeper into a specialty career. Some nurses take additional educational courses to advance their careers.
According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), advanced practice nurse jobs include nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, midwives, and clinical nurse specialists.
As healthcare has evolved and a major shortage of physicians has ensued, these professions have taken on vital roles to ensure that patients get the advanced care they need.
The advanced practice nursing profession is expected to grow at a faster pace than other occupations, i.e., by 40% through 2031. Each year, there are over 30,000 job openings in the field.
Advanced practice nurses act as primary care health providers and provide preventative and interventional care to patients.
Advanced practice nurse providers work in a variety of settings, including doctor’s offices, healthcare clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. The specific duties of an advanced practice nurse professional will depend on the facility and what is required of the role.
A nurse practitioner can provide primary, specialty, or acute care to patients and may also evaluate, diagnose, and treat illnesses and injuries. They can also manage a patient’s chronic health condition.
A clinical nurse specialist can also diagnose, treat, and manage acute and chronic health conditions, but their role goes a little deeper. They can lend their expertise to help facilitate positive changes in a medical practice or organization while ensuring that the facility adheres to best practices for optimal patient outcomes. They also provide support to nurses who care for patients.
Becoming an advanced practice nurse is rewarding and challenging. If you want to take a nursing career to the next level, it might just be the profession for you.
Advanced Practice Nurse Salary
The salary for advanced practice nurses will depend on your level of education, specialized training, number of years and experience, and the job itself.
For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics places the average salary for nurse practitioners, midwives, and anesthetists at $59.51 an hour, or $123,780 a year.
A clinical nurse specialist’s salary is harder to pin down as so much depends on the aforementioned factors. The BLS doesn’t provide specific information for clinical nurse specialists, but most reputable sources cite that the profession pays up to $120,000 a year.
For Instance
UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas has several open advanced practice nurse positions at this time. In some cases, UT Southwestern is offering a sign-on bonus to qualified candidates.
Middlesex Health often has openings for advanced practice nurse jobs in Connecticut. These jobs include both full-time and per diem positions.
RWJBarnabas Health is also seeking numerous advanced practice nurse providers to join its team at several of its New Jersey locations. RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest academic healthcare provider delivering services and treatment to over 3,000,000 patients every year.
Advanced Practice Nursing Training and Requirements
As with most careers in the nursing field, certification and licensing requirements may vary by state.
But, generally speaking, in order to gain employment as an advanced practice nurse, you will need an active license in the state of practice and a master’s or Doctoral degree in nursing along with any required certification from a nationally accredited organization. These include but are not limited to NP, APN, IBCLC, or CNM certification.
You’ll also need years of experience working in a healthcare setting related to the specialty you plan on practicing.
In addition, advanced practice nurse candidates should have excellent organizational, communication, and critical thinking skills, good problem-solving abilities, and work well under pressure and in a variety of high-stress situations.
