Nursing is one of the most diverse professional fields there is, with a huge range of specialisms and possibilities that you can consider once you have been working as an RN for a while. However, one of the most sought-after roles, and one which can offer a very rewarding future for nurses who want to be involved in primary care, is becoming a nurse practitioner, for example, by qualifying as a family nurse practitioner (FNP).
It is more accessible than ever to start advancing your career towards becoming an FNP, thanks to the wealth of great online colleges that now offer FNP programs you can work on in your own time from home. If you are considering making 2021 the year when you commence your training to be an FNP, then here are just three of the reasons why this could be a great choice:
A Highly in Demand and Lucrative Profession
At the moment, there is a big deficit in healthcare when it comes to doctors who go into primary care roles after qualifying. In many places, nurse practitioners take on the role of offering advanced levels of primary care to people at all stages of life, which means they are responsible for diagnosing and treating a vast array of conditions and offering important health advice to families. Because NPs fill a role similar to physicians, they are very much in demand and are paid accordingly, with nurse practitioners often making six-figure annual salaries.
Further Your Leadership Skills
The move to transition from RN to nurse practitioner is one that you can begin by embarking on an online FNP course, and one of the things you will see a lot of focus on as you study is the leadership and relationship building aspect of the FNP role. Nurse practitioners have a lot of responsibility and need to be able to coordinate with other healthcare professionals well to be able to deliver the best care. They may also work autonomously, and so need to be able to lead their own practice and mentor other nurses. These are all interesting aspects of the work that can give you a sense of being able to make a difference in healthcare in your community on a broader level than you can by working with individual patients only.
Rewarding Primary Care Work
The work done by NPs can be very satisfying, allowing them to not only help their individual patients but also further the success of the practices they work in. It is also possible for NPs to specialize, so if you have a particular passion for working with a certain type of patient, for example, elderly people, people in hospice care, pregnant women, or children, then you can also find specialist NP roles that allow you to help the people you think your skills are best suited to working with.
As you can see there are some great reasons to think about going for an NP role, so if you are considering it, why not start researching your FNP program options?
