If you’re looking for a rewarding career path that allows you to help people every day, then consider looking to the healthcare industry. There are several types of jobs within this field, and nursing is one of the most popular, challenging, yet rewarding career paths. There are also several different types of nurses, such as a licensed practical nurse, a registered nurse, a home care nurse, a labor and delivery nurse, and a clinical nurse specialist. There is also one particular type of nurse that allows you to have the same level of interaction with your patients as a medical doctor, but with much less schooling: a family nurse practitioner. Considering your interest in healthcare professions with a shorter educational path, you might find valuable insights in the Archer Review, which delves into the roles and responsibilities of family nurse practitioners, offering a comprehensive overview of this specialized field.
#1: Nurse Practitioners Get Paid Very Well.
The median salary for a nurse practitioner in the United States is just over 111,000 per year. This is one of the highest-paid nursing positions in the healthcare industry. Nurse practitioners may not make as much as physicians, but it’s a fair trade-off considering that they don’t have to be in school as long as doctors have to. This means that you’ll make a good living, and it won’t be as hard to pay off any student loan debt. Keep in mind that the pay will vary, depending on where you live and work.
#2: You’ll Have Some Flexibility With Your Work Hours.
Nurse practitioners are medical professionals, so you may think that they have to work long hours and barely have any time off to spend with their families. It’s true that nurse practitioners will have some 12-hour shifts, but they also have rotating shifts. It is possible, however, for them to have regular 8-9 hour shifts if they’re employed in a family practice setting that operates during normal business hours. This schedule will allow you to spend evenings and weekends with your family, and you can also take some time off for family vacations.
#3: You Can Choose a Specialization.
If your passion is working with children, then you can become a nurse practitioner that specializes in pediatrics. You can also choose to specialize in gerontology, neonatology, or family care, addiction struggles, or a specialized field of medicine such as anesthesiology. Specialization allows you to become an expert in your field, which opens up job opportunities and increases pay opportunities. In fact, certified registered nurse anesthetists are some of the highest nurses in demand and are the top earners in the nursing field (earning an average of around $180,000 per year).
#4: You’ll Get to Work With Some of the Newest Technology.
The healthcare industry is ever-changing due to technological advances, and one of those advancements includes telehealth services, which allow medical professionals to communicate with patients remotely. This means that you may also have the ability to work from home, meeting with your patients online while still remaining close to your family. You’ll also be able to work with the latest technologies utilizing AI (artificial intelligence), chatbots, and VR (virtual reality).
#5: Your Job Will Never be Replaced.
While technology in healthcare has eliminated the need for humans in some areas, nothing can replace the care only a human can give to another human. Nurse practitioners are in high demand because people are living longer and because there’s a shortage of physicians, and nurse practitioners are skilled enough to do a physician’s job. There will always be a need for nurse practitioners and other healthcare workers, and the number of available healthcare jobs is increasing.
#6: You’ll Be Working in a Respected Profession.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have been among the most respected workers in the world. Even before the pandemic, nursing was considered one of the most trusted professions. Being a good nurse (of any type) requires you to be highly knowledgeable and very compassionate, making nurse practitioners both respected and trusted people in the healthcare industry.
Nurse practitioners are some of the highest-paid professionals in healthcare. They get to experience a rewarding career by helping people every day, but they also get more flexibility than other healthcare professionals. This career may be right for you if you’re looking to go into healthcare and still want to have time with your family.
