Why do you want to be a Nurse Practitioner? You will get asked this question at many different points in time – when you start thinking about going to NP school, when you apply and begin writing your essays, while you’re in school, and always during job interviews.
Today I’m sharing 5 of the many reasons to become a Nurse Practitioner. If you’re already a RN and are thinking about becoming a NP, this is a huge decision to make. The reasons I’m sharing today are some of the reasons I chose to advance my education as a RN and study to become a FNP. There are without a doubt so many other reasons and benefits beyond the 5 I’m sharing today to being a Nurse Practitioner.
Now let’s get to it.
5 reasons to become a Nurse Practitioner:
- A desire to advance your knowledge
- More career options
- Increased autonomy
- The opportunity to work with patients to improve their health
- Salary growth potential
Reason #1 – A desire to advance your knowledge
Are you the type of RN who is constantly wondering – Why did the provider choose this diagnosis? This medication? How did they arrive at this treatment plan? Why did they choose these lab tests and imaging studies?
If you’re asking yourself these questions, you may love being a Nurse Practitioner.
Are you interested in learning more about disease processes and pharmacology? The why behind all of the decisions/recommendations a provider makes?
If you’re answering yes, you may love being a Nurse Practitioner.
Check out this post for help deciding whether to pursue a MSN or a DNP on your journey to be a Nurse Practitioner.
My Experience
The desire to learn more and advance my knowledge of medicine became apparent very early on in my RN career. The first two years of my RN work experience were at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or also referred to as a community health center (CHC).
One of my primary tasks was to “manage my inbox.” In other words, this means calling patients and triaging their medical concerns, responding to their questions, or discussing lab and imaging results. Most of these calls involved some degree of digging through the chart to understand the patient’s past medical history. If the call was regarding lab or imaging results, it was always helpful to look back at the notes for the visit during which the tests were ordered.
When digging through charts to find the background I needed to make my call, I would get lost in the details – why did the provider choose this medication for this problem? Why did the provider order these labs? Based on the symptoms and history the patient reported, why did the provider choose this diagnosis and treatment plan?
Attempting to answer these questions led me to investigate disease processes, look up details of medications and resources for lab interpretation. As a result, I knew from this experience and my desire to learn more that becoming a Nurse Practitioner would give me the opportunity to learn more about these areas and equip me with the knowledge I desired.
Reason #2 – More Career options
Do you want a career that is both personally and professionally rewarding and challenging? Do you want to grow and have the option to work independently or maybe own a business?
If your answer is yes, you may love being a Nurse Practitioner.
Nurse Practitioners are part of a growing field with increasing demand due the need for more for healthcare services. Nurse Practitioners are well positioned to meet this need, especially in providing preventive and primary care. Therefore, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of Nurse Practitioners is expected to grow 26% between 2018 and 2028.
My Experience
I was fulfilled professionally and challenged as a RN, but I couldn’t help but wonder – what else can I do? I spent a lot of time thinking about what opportunities there may be in the future as a RN versus as a NP. Both careers offer a lot of different work opportunities. I knew that advancing my education and working at the top of the nursing profession as a NP would provide the intellectual and professional challenge that I wanted.
In addition, being an NP in most states means that you can work independently and even open your own practice if desired. As a RN, the same opportunity to work on your own and be your own boss just isn’t there. The opportunity to work independently as a provider opens a lot of doors down the road. I wanted to have the option to open my own business one day if I decided to.
Reason #3 – Increased autonomy
Do you wish that you could practice independently? Would you enjoy the challenge and responsibility of diagnosing and treating your patients? Would you like to be a leader on your patient’s healthcare team?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may enjoy being a Nurse Practitioner.
As a Nurse Practitioner in most states, you can work as an independent provider, meaning that you do not report to a physician. This affords you the ability to diagnose and treat your own patients. This is a lot of responsibility no doubt and requires a lot of education and clinical experience. If you’re up for it, your career will be challenging and rewarding.
As a Nurse Practitioner, you will be a central part of your patient’s healthcare team. As part of the team, you will work with many other professionals who have different expertise than you – psychologists, nutritionists, RNs, pharmacists, physical therapists, physicians, etc. There are always opportunities to involve other professionals in the care of our patients. Especially if you work in primary care, you are often the leader of a patient’s healthcare journey and coordinate care with other healthcare professionals.
My Experience
I loved the idea of being able to work with my patients in the provider role. As a RN, there is a limit on your autonomy and independence. While slightly terrifying in the beginning, the autonomy gained by being a provider intrigued me. I love that I get to work with other healthcare professionals to help my patient meet his or her health goals.
Reason #4 – The opportunity to Work with patients to improve their health
Do you enjoy working with patients to investigate a problem they’re experiencing? Would you enjoy helping patients make decisions around their plan of care? Do you want to be an integral part of a patient’s healthcare team?
If you say yes to all of the above, you may love being a Nurse Practitioner.
As a Nurse Practitioner, you’ll be able to diagnose medical issues, prescribe medications and provide other treatments to your patients.
My Experience
Above all, the biggest draw for me was working more directly with patients to make decisions together around their healthcare. RNs are instrumental in the care of patients and can really make a difference in their lives. We are patient advocates, health coaches, and educators. RNs typically have more time to spend with patients in the hospital and clinic setting. This aspect of nursing really appealed to me.
However, I wanted to take it a step further and be more involved in a different way – helping patients make decisions around their health that have a huge impact. I will never lose my passion for being a patient advocate or health coach. As a NP, I can still be both of these things in addition to having more education that allows me to help guide patients in the best treatment and plan of care for them.
Reason #5 – Salary growth potential
Do you love the idea of getting paid more to do what you love (taking care of patients)?
If your answer is yes to this question, being a Nurse Practitioner may be a good fit.
The increased salary that comes with being a Nurse Practitioner is directly related to the increased responsibility you have in providing healthcare to patients and their families. However, the increased salary potential should not be your only reason for becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Your heart must be in it. If being a Nurse Practitioner is right for you, then the increased salary potential compared to being an RN is an added bonus.
According to the AANP, the median income for a full-time Nurse Practitioner in 2019 was $115,000 compared to an average of $60,00-$90,000 for a full-time RN.
Why do you want to be a Nurse Practitioner?
In conclusion, between advancing your education, opening up doors in your career, enjoying increased independence, helping patients improve their health and a higher salary, there are many great reasons to consider a career as a Nurse Practitioner. As a Nurse Practitioner, you’ll get to do something you love while making a difference in the lives of people within your community. You’ll be fulfilled personally and professionally while also being challenged and in a state of constant learning.
If you’re interested in being a Nurse Practitioner, you’ll want to start looking at programs. This post will help you consider what’s important when choosing a school.
I’d love to know – Why did you choose to become a Nurse Practitioner? Make sure to leave a comment and share below.
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