Nurse Practitioners

What Do Nurse Practitioners Do?

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses (RNs) with advanced training in a practice specialty. NPs specialize in areas such as acute care, adult health, women’s health, family health, school health, community health, oncology, gerontology, psychiatry, geriatrics, pediatrics, palliative care, mental health, and others.

NPs serve as primary and specialty care providers, providing a blend of nursing and health care services to patients and families. NPs may diagnose and treat patients, as well as prescribe medications for a wide array of acute and chronic illnesses. NPs provide primary care to patients, including taking patient histories, conducting physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, educating patients on disease prevention, giving vaccinations, and referring patients for additional care.

The state of New York requires NPs to have a collaborative agreement in place with a physician, yet NPs are autonomous and do not practice under the supervision of the collaborating physician. Legislation has been introduced in New York to increase the scope of practice for NPs.

To learn more about this profession in New York, go to www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/
For more information, please click here. 

Where Do Nurse Practitioners Work?

NPs work in a variety of clinical settings depending on their areas of specialization. These settings include physician’s and specialist’s private practices, health clinics, community health centers, hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies. NPs may also be educators, administrators, or researchers and work in schools or offices.

What Do Nurse Practitioners Earn?

According to the 2019 BLS, the average salary for full time, nurse practitioners nationwide was $223,680, varying by specialty and geographic region. Average annual salary also varies greatly across New York State, depending on location. The NYSDOL reports that nurse practitioners in New York earned an average annual salary of $122,550, (entry level-$85,520, experienced- $162,460).

Supply and Demand

Between 2016 and 2026, the BLS estimates that the number of jobs available for NPs will increase by 36.1% nationally, and by 41.6% in New York.

Today, NPs are working in more specialties and in more settings, and their range of expertise and skills has become more widely understood, accepted, and in demand. Experts agree that there are excellent opportunities for increases in the NP workforce nationwide as primary care and preventive care become even more important priorities due to the federal Affordable Care Act. Also, it is anticipated that significant growth in the number of older Americans will also lead to increases in demand for the array of health services provided by NPs.

New York anticipates increased demand for nurse practitioners in the coming years, too. That may be at least partly because large numbers of New York NPs are nearing retirement age. For more information on nurse practitioners by New York State labor regions, click here.

Education Requirements for NPs

NPs must be at least bachelor’s degree-prepared RNs and must maintain licensure as an RN. In addition, NPs must have advanced education and clinical training to practice. NPs must earn a master’s degree in nursing while specializing in one or more areas of care, such as adult care, gerentology, community care, family health, oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry, palliative care, and women’s health, among others. Coursework may include health promotion, physical assessment, and nursing research, and all require a supervised clinical practicum.

NPs must graduate from a New York State approved NP education program. For more information about NP education programs in New York, please go to the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State Web site page here.

New York Licensure Requirements

In order to qualify for certification as a NP in New York, an applicant must be licensed as an RN in New York and complete an NP education program registered with the New York State Education Department. NPs providing patient care must also have a practice agreement with a collaborating physician and establish practice protocols.

NPs relicense every three years in New York and update their national certification every five years through ongoing training and education. NPs must have a master’s degree before sitting for the national certification exam.
For more information, go to: http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/np.htm.

Financial Support

The New York State Department of Education lists state and federal scholarships, grants, and loans available to students entering the nursing field or nurses interested in pursuing additional education–view this resource here.

Educational Programs in New York (subject to change)

For additional details about education programs, see the New York State Department of Education Web site page here.

Additional Web Links

For more information on NPs, go to:
the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Web site at: www.aanp.org;
the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State Web site at: http://www.thenpa.org/.
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