What Does it Really Take to Succeed as a Nurse Practitioner Today?
Nurse practitioners enjoy a unique combination of freedom and power that simply is not seen in other areas of the nursing profession. Able to perform most of the duties of a general practitioner, NPs play a pivotal role in shaping their patients’ lifestyles.
Of course, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. NPs only get to breathe their rarified air through persistence, hard work, and time.
What does it take to succeed as a nurse practitioner today? In this article, we will answer that question by walking you through the job requirements, responsibilities, and regulations.
Earning Your Credentials
Nurse practitioners begin their careers as undergraduates, just like any other nurse. And like any nurse, the first thing they must do is earn their BSN.
As many people know, nursing is really pretty singular in its path toward credentialing. There are slight program variations, but everyone is pretty much getting the same base degree.
Once you have earned your BSN, you will have two basic options: You can get a job and begin working right away as a floor nurse, or you can keep going and get your MSN. Your MSN is what you will need to become a nurse practitioner.
There are pros and cons to both routes. On the one hand, working in the field can help you figure out what you like and don’t like about nursing. This is key for nurse practitioners, who have the opportunity to specialise as they get their MSN.
One of the reasons many nurses enter advanced practice roles is so that they can focus only on what they like the most about their work. You can jeopardise that perk of the job if you get your degree without understanding your preferences.
On the other hand, those who do feel confident in their interests are well off if they can go right into the NP field as their first job. High pay immediately out of school.
The ability to get a bit of a head start. Plus, if you know you want to become an NP as an undergraduate, you may be able to roll together your MSN studies into your bachelor’s program. This will let you complete both degrees in around five years instead of the usual seven to eight.
No matter how you go about getting your degree, you will need to pass standardised tests and complete clinical work for both degrees. Getting those clinical MSN hours can be hard for people who are usually trying to balance school with the responsibilities of their first job.
What Type of Nurse Practitioner Should You Become?
One of the most important success factors is simply choosing the right niche. So many people churn out of nursing altogether because they find themselves in bad-fit placements. Advanced practice nursing work is your opportunity to work in an environment that interests you the most.
Psychiatric work? Neonatal care? Geriatric care? There are NP positions that specialise in each of these territories. You can also work as an FNP—family nurse practitioner. As an FNP, you can see patients for regular annual visits, make long-term health plans, help them understand their unique health needs, and plan accordingly.
If you aren’t going to accumulate a few years of RN experience before going into graduate school, it’s important to be extra careful as you consider your future MSN placement. The better the fit, the more success you are ultimately likely to have.
Give yourself time to fully explore all of the options. It’s easy to rush off into graduate school when you are young and hungry. Doing your due diligence will ensure that the path you choose is one you will love.
Note: You can pivot into new Nurse Practitioner careers by pursuing professional certifications. These are less intensive than graduate school but still require time and money. Always an option, sure. However, most people will prefer to get things right the first time.
Understand Your Local Regulations
It’s important to understand that NP work can vary significantly based on location. Some states give NPs tons of autonomy, while others require MD supervision for certain responsibilities. These regulations can be the difference between starting your own practice and working at someone else’s.
Most states currently have some restrictions on what NPs can do without supervision. However, the general trend is to relax regulations.
Embrace Change
All medical professionals live in a world of continuing education. If not for this requirement, a nurse who graduated twenty years ago would know little to nothing about wearable health monitoring devices, big data, the cloud, or more recently, AI.
As an NP, you will need to be comfortable with change, shifting expectations, and possibly even new regulatory requirements.
Understand the Territory
It’s also important to understand that you are wading into a uniquely difficult time for healthcare. Shortages have basically become the new normal. On average, every hospital in the country has roughly three fewer nurses than they need.
Your community will, of course, be silently grateful to you for doing your part to close that gap. However, you should know that working in hospitals with shortages can be very stressful.
It will mean always being busy, sometimes experiencing scheduling volatility. It may mean working constantly in an environment that feels overwhelming and maybe even a little impossible. Granted, not so different from working in a hospital during times of prosperity and abundance. Still, know going in that these are tough times for healthcare professionals.
Conclusion
Just how hard is it to be a good nurse practitioner? Between the entry requirements and the challenges of the job, you’ll certainly never feel like it’s too easy. NP work is something most RNs should feel confident in pursuing—if it interests them.
That’s the key. Graduate school and advanced practice work are hard but generally achievable for people who managed it at the undergraduate level.
The key is to be excited and passionate about the work. In all healthcare jobs, enthusiasm is an invaluable trait. It will help you overcome the job’s challenges. More importantly, it will ensure that you love what you do.
