According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by May 2021, the nurse practitioner employment estimate was 234,690. As a nurse practitioner (NP), you are in the best position to help people achieve their health goals. However, this article is for you if you want to expand your career opportunities and explore other specialties. These N.P. specialties will aid you in your future endeavors.
Nurse Practitioner Family Practice
Family practice is a medical specialty focusing on health care for families and individuals, including preventing and treating illness. Family practitioners are trained to treat patients with acute illnesses and chronic diseases, from newborns to geriatric patients.
As a nurse practitioner in family practice, you will work with other healthcare providers, such as physicians or physician assistants. You will help to provide services for patients with complex needs who require comprehensive care.
It includes performing physical exams, diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medications, creating treatment plans, and evaluating patient responses over time. Nurse practitioners in this field also offer counseling services. They help people manage their condition by addressing lifestyle changes or stress management strategies they can use at home when needed.
If you want to pursue this occupation, specific educational programs allow you to do that. For example, the MSN FNP program online, which stands for Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner, offers a well-curated curriculum. These programs are accredited courses worth looking into as you get valuable knowledge from the best in the domain.
Nurse Practitioner Emergency Medicine
Nurse practitioner emergency medicine is a specialty that allows nurse practitioners to provide care in emergency departments. Nurse practitioners can work with patients of all ages, including children and infants. They can also triage and diagnose medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Additionally, nurse practitioners can treat patients with injuries resulting from car accidents or falls. The types of injuries they treat will vary depending on their experience level and training. Still, they may include broken bones, sprains/strains, and concussions/head trauma. These also include burns, lacerations/cuts & avulsions/bruises.
The tasks associated with this career path can vary depending on the setting in which you’re working. For example, some hospitals may have more experienced nurses, so your workload could be lighter than in other facilities.
Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric-Mental Health
One in every 19.86% of adults has a mental illness issue, and according to Mental Health America, that’s around 50 million Americans. If you are passionate about working with emotionally and mentally ill patients, becoming a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner could be your right career path. Compared to psychiatrists, nurse practitioners specializing in psychiatry are more likely to prescribe medications and provide therapy services to their patients. They also tend to treat specific mental illnesses like depression or anxiety.
Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners must be educated in an accredited program that trains them on how to diagnose and treat psychiatric disorders in adults, children, and adolescents. Once they complete their education program, they must pass licensure exams before practicing as a practitioner in their state of choice.
Nurse Practitioner Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
As a nurse practitioner, you can apply your advanced knowledge in assessing and treating patients with acute illnesses. It includes performing physical exams and ordering diagnostic tests to determine what’s wrong with the patient. You’ll then use your extensive training in pediatric, adult, or geriatric medicine to make recommendations for treatment plans.
The number of nurse practitioners with practice licenses increased by 9% from the projected 325,000 recorded in May 2021, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. If you’ve graduated from a Nurse Practitioner program, you may want to explore the many opportunities available within this specialty. Some of the benefits include:
- Patient-Centered Care: Patients are at the center of all treatment and care plan decisions. They’re treated as individuals rather than just as “cases .” It allows nurses more time for personal interactions with each patient.
- Collaborative Practice: Nurses work closely with other medical professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, or social workers. They provide comprehensive care through collaborative efforts between disciplines and specialties within healthcare settings such as hospitals or clinics.
Nurse Practitioner Pediatric Acute Care
You’ll care for children with acute medical conditions as a nurse practitioner in the pediatric acute care setting. It can include common illnesses like ear infections or strep throat to more severe problems like broken bones and dehydration. Ideally, you’ll have the chance to work with your patients on an ongoing basis so that they can become familiar with you as their primary caregiver.
In addition, the fast-paced environment may involve critical decisions having to be made quickly. Therefore, in this setting, you must have as much knowledge as possible about pediatric anatomy and physiology. You are, therefore, able to provide them with high-quality care throughout their stay at the hospital.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
If you are passionate about providing pain management and anesthesia services, consider the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) path. It is a registered nurse who has received additional training in administering anesthesia. While R.N.s are qualified to handle these tasks, CRNAs have more clinical experience and can provide care in multiple settings.
A CRNA has a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) or an associate degree in nursing (ADN). To become an advanced practice nurse, they must complete an accredited graduate program. This program includes anesthesia-related clinical work along with pedagogy studies.
The demand for certified registered nurse anesthetics is high because there aren’t enough qualified workers to meet the needs of patients across America. However, many states require Nurse Anesthetists/Registered Nurses to work under physician supervision.
Nurse Practitioner Cardiovascular
A nurse practitioner cardiovascular is a health care provider who works under the supervision of a physician or other medical professional. Their tasks include diagnosing cardiovascular conditions, identifying risk factors, and providing preventative care to patients with heart disease.
Nurse practitioners have advanced education in health care, with an average of three years of graduate training beyond their bachelor’s degree. They can perform all types of tests and procedures that physicians could do in the past, but they operate under different rules than doctors do. With their expanded scope of practice comes great responsibility for maintaining accurate records throughout all patient treatment aspects.
Start Exploring These Options and Take Your Career One Step Ahead
It is important to note that the options mentioned are the best career choices available. There are many more, but these are some of the most popular and lucrative opportunities for nursing practitioners. Of course, it would help if you chose a career in demand or with enough room for growth in your chosen profession. In such cases, it will be easy for you to find a job after graduation. Moreover, it could lead to positive financial gains and a fruitful career.
