Different Types of Nurse Practitioners With Salaries
A career as a nurse practitioner involves pursuing a high level of education and developing a range of professional skills. The demand for nurse practitioners is increasing, and so is the need for specialist nurse practitioners who can practice in a range of healthcare settings, such as pediatrics or family care. Here are some of the most popular nursing practitioner specialties you can choose to pursue.
Nurse practitioner jobs
Some of the different roles that you could choose to pursue as a nurse practitioner include:
Family Nurse Practitioner
National Average Salary: $108,974 per year
Primary Duties: A Family Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who diagnoses and treats their patients, prescribes appropriate treatments and medication, performs wellness assessments, physical examinations and other tasks that are similar to that of a family physician. Their scope of practice and patient base is diverse and could involve educating patients on good health practices and how to prevent or limit diseases and injuries.
Family Nurse Practitioners are often the first point of contact that a patient has, and they may need to refer the patient to another health professional and coordinate their care throughout the different disciplines. These nurse practitioners have the FNP-BC (Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified) designation through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and they are able to open up their own practices or work in hospitals, medical offices or clinics.
These nurse practitioners are trained in primary care, but can also find employment as specialists in cardiology, neurology, hospice care, infectious diseases, pediatrics or other areas.
Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
National Average Salary: $110,275 per year
Primary Duties: This is the ideal role for a nursing professional who wants to work with babies, infants, children and young adults in the adolescent age range. The ANCC awards the designation of PPCNP-BC to its Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioners.
These specialist nurse practitioners work in pediatric clinics, schools, private practices and as part of community agencies to help children develop healthily both physically and emotionally. The role involves delivering standard childhood immunizations, prescribing medications and treatments, developmental screenings and assessments and treating and advising about common childhood illnesses. Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioners may also treat injuries and respond to emergency situations.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
National Average Salary: $112,402 per year
Primary Duties: For nurse practitioners who are interested in specializing in the care of patients throughout adulthood and into old age, the role of an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner could be of interest. These nurse practitioners have the designation of AGPCNP-BC or Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner-Board Certification, through the ANCC.
In this role, you could provide primary or acute care, which could be in a clinic or your own private medical office. You could offer routine health assessments, vaccinations and advice on how to live healthily. You will also work with the patients’ families to ensure they are educated about the conditions of their loved ones and are able to care for them as necessary.
Some Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners work mainly with elderly patients who need routine care or who have chronic, age-related conditions. You will require expertise in arthritis and osteoporosis, obesity, dementia, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, cancer, cataracts, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease. You will coordinate care for your patients through specialized physicians and other healthcare providers.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
National Average Salary: $112,402 per year
Primary Duties: An Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in adult-gerontology or ACNPC-AG provides critical care to elderly patients who have serious health issues. They typically work in intensive care units, acute care wards, specialist laboratories and emergency rooms in hospitals. They focus on managing current health conditions and how to prevent further complications from developing.
These nurse practitioners diagnose and treat patients, take histories, perform physical assessments, order laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies, create treatment plans and coordinate care across different therapeutic areas.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
National Average Salary: $112,402 per year
Primary Duties: A Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is accredited by the ANCC as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified or PMHNP-BC. These nurse practitioners specialize in mental disorders in a similar manner to psychiatrists. They care for people of all ages in a variety of settings, including mental health centers, psychiatric facilities, private clinics and practices, schools or correctional facilities and may specialize in a population such as pediatrics or with specific psychiatric conditions such as dementia.
A PMHNP works to provide counseling and psychotherapy to patients who are having psychological difficulties such as anxiety, depression, mania, stress and other issues. Day-to-day responsibilities in the role could include making medical and psychiatric diagnoses, mental health assessments, creating treatment plans and coordinating the care needed in the plan, prescribing medications and treatments, educating patients and their families and promoting good practices for mental health.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
National Average Salary: $112,402 per year
Primary Duties: If you want to work as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, you will need to earn the designation of WHNP from the ANCC. These nurse practitioners care for the needs of the female patient population. They are experts in gynecological health and work in a variety of healthcare settings, including gynecological or obstetric clinics and wards, specialty clinics and private practices, family planning clinics, prenatal clinics and hospitals.
These professionals treat issues with sexual, menopausal and reproductive health and have an in-depth knowledge of prenatal and post-partum care, physiology, female healthcare research and knowledge concerning women’s health issues.