Nurse Practitioner

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Work Tasks

• Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries in patients
• Order lab work and x-rays and look at the test results
• Prescribe medication and treatment
• Give prenatal care, vaccinations, physicals, and counseling
• Work for hospitals, clinics, private offices, community health agencies, nursing homes, hospices, industrial plants, schools, universities, mental health centers, correctional facilities, the federal government, the military, the Peace Corps, and schools of nursing
• Work with patients, medical records, lab requests and reports, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, ophthalmoscopes, and other medical equipment

Salary, Size & Growth

• $88,500 average per year ($42.50 per hour)
• A very large occupation (2,655,000 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.2% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: Registered nurses (RNs) who have attained advanced expertise in the clinical management of health problems
• Employers Prefer: Master's degree level education with advanced teaching and clinical preparation beyond that of the basic registered professional nurse
• Skills/Courses: Students entering a nurse practitioner program need a bachelor's degree in nursing.
• Certification/Licensing: Nurse practitioners must be certified.