Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
These APRN nurses assess, diagnose, and treat patients with mental disorders. Psychiatric mental health nurses offer services to people who have mood disorders, phobias, depression, or dementia, as well as those struggling with substance abuse issues or other addictions. In addition to administering medication and therapy, their duties include crisis intervention, mental health assessment and evaluation, and patient assistance.
- How to Become One: These nurses must have at least an MSN and a valid RN license to qualify for APRN licensure. Aspiring nurse practitioners can follow several pathways to a graduate degree, including RN-to-MSN programs for RNs with associate degrees and direct entry MSN programs for holders of non-nursing bachelor’s degrees. Graduates of an NP program with a psychiatric mental health population focus seeking state licensure must obtain the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner certification available through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
- Salary: $113,870 /Salary” rel=”nofollow”> November 2022)
Pros And Cons Of Becoming An Lpn
Becoming an LPN can be a desirable choice for many looking to fast track into the nursing field, because you can achieve your LPN degree sometimes much faster than an RN degree. In some cases, you can get your LPN degree in as little as 12 to 15 months if you choose a diploma based-program. With an associates-degree program, you will complete your associates degree in about 18 to 24 months.
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As an LPN, you earn significantly less than a registered nurse. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average pay for an LPN in the United States is $46,240 per year or $22.23 per hour, while RNs earn on average $75,510.
But, there are LPN-to-RN bridge programs available if you choose to go the LPN route and want to advance your education to become an RN down the road.
Opportunities For Clinical Training
Nursing is by nature a hands-on career, so it requires some degree of hands-on training. Both the NLNAC and the CCNE require nursing schools to integrate on-site clinical training with real patients in order to be accredited. Most online nursing schools allow students to complete these practical requirements under the supervision of licensed nurses or physicians at local health facilities while tackling their more academic coursework online. Future students should clarify schools’ expectations before committing to any one program.
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Unsure Where To Take Your Next Nursing Job These Cities Should Be On Your List
You cant beat travel nursing for finding adventures and resume-building, but are there other factors to consider when creating your bucket list of locations? How do you determine the best cities for nurses? Quality of life, amenities, job opportunities, nursing salaries, cost of living, and even the citys personality or vibe are all important considerations.
Your professional growth and personal enjoyment are both important to the team at Onward Healthcare when we work to find the best opportunity and the best city for nurses on each travel assignment. Take a closer look at these best cities for nurses that you just may want to call home.
Become A Healthcare Volunteer
Volunteering is another networking opportunity. Youll not only get experience working with patients, but youll also meet other healthcare professionals.
If you plan to choose a nursing specialty, look for volunteer opportunities in that area. While you wont be paid for your time, treat the experience as you would a job. Making a good impression could mean a career connection in the future.
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What Does Allied Health Refer To
Many great stepping-stone careers for future nurses are in the allied health field. The term “allied health” is used to describe the multitude of healthcare workers that do not include physicians, nurses, dentists, or pharmacists. In fact, allied health professionals actually make up the majority of all healthcare workers. They perform both direct and indirect patient care and can also be highly specialized. Allied healthcare workers include:
- Medical assistants
- Medical billers
Allied healthcare workers can work in various environments. Examples include hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities, and dental offices. They are vital to the healthcare industry because patient care is so multi-faceted one patient may need care from multiple disciplines. For example, a patient admitted for a stroke may need physical therapy, medication regimens/adjustments, dietary services, spiritual services, and assistance with ADLs. Therefore, the physician will need to involve allied health professionals such as physical therapists, pharmacy technicians, dieticians, social workers, and nurse assistants.
General Nurse Practitioner: Annual $120680 Or $5802/hr*
As a general nurse practitioner, you can choose to open an independent practice or work in a variety of primary care settings. You can also advance your skills and your earning potential along the way. General NPs can later specialize in a field, if they wish.
General nurse practitioners earn a median salary of $120,680 per year, according to the May 2021 BLS. General nurse practitioners typically work 40 hours per week, making their hourly wage approximately $58.02.
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Job Outlook For Nurses
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , as of 2020 there are 3,080,100 registered nurses in the United States. Yet theres still room for more.
Registered nurses can begin their careers with an ADN or BSN. While both degrees qualify you for RN licensure and a wide range of positions in hospitals and other healthcare settings, a BSN provides a broader education and can position you for roles in nursing management.
The BLS predicts that the RN workforce will grow by 195,400 jobs by 2031. Since the BLS includes nurses who have ADNs, BSNs and MSNs in their reports on RNs, the expected opportunities extend across many roles. Opportunities will also expand as more than one million nurses reach retirement age over the next 10 to 15 years, according to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
195,400 RN JobsWill BeAdded to the Workforce
Factor in the number of nurses who will retire and leave the field during this time and the projected workforce in 2031 will be
3,326,000
Heres a look at some factors that could impact the nursing job market in the foreseeable future.
Overview Of Nursing Degrees
Nursing schools offer an array of degree options, from associate degrees through postgraduate programs. Each level is designed to meet different career needs, so courses, curricula, and skills learned vary. Understanding how nursing degrees differ–and how these differences translate to the workplace–allows future nursing students to choose programs that are in line with their goals and interests. In addition to the degree information provided below, students can visit this nursing program search tool and rankings page to help round out their research.
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Other Advances That Play A Role In Nursing
As you embark on a nursing career, youll need to be prepared for even more innovations in healthcare.
Genetics | Gene mutations can predict whether a patient is at risk of developing a disease. The use of genetics and genomes can also help identify whether a parent will pass along a mutation to their child. Since nurses often have the most communication with patients, its their job to gather as much information about family history, help patients make informed decisions about genetic/genomic tests, especially now that genetic tests are readily available to consumers and provide guidance and referrals to patients based on test results.
Biometrics | Proper healthcare cant exist without confidentiality and security, which is why biometrics is so important in todays fast-paced healthcare environment. Biometrics is a scientific method used to identify people through physical qualities such as fingerprints and voice. In healthcare, biometrics are used to accurately identify patients and providers, ensuring that care is provided to the right patients and that only authorized providers can access patient data. For nurses, this means easier sharing of patient records for more efficient and coordinated care. For patients, it means fewer medical errors and better outcomes.
Tips For Landing Your First Nursing Job
Getting your RN license has been one of your greatest achievements. Now its time to enter the nursing profession. Getting started might be a bit overwhelming at first since there are so many career avenues to explore but thats a good thing! Being an RN opens a lot of career doors for you, and once you start putting some job experience on your resume, the possibilities are limitless.
But you have to start somewhere. Heres a gameplan for finding, applying for, and landing your first nursing job.
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Narrow Your Job Search For Your First Nursing Job
The marketplace is waiting for you and, if you havent already gotten out there, its time.
An important question to answer is whether you really know what you need to know. If this is your first career and first job hunt, the answer is you need to know a lot.
Begin your first nursing job hunt by doing some research.
- Bring yourself up to date on the nursing job market.
- Talk with your past professors.
- Visit some online chat rooms with other new nurse grads.
- Study whats trending with jobs in your area and ones in areas you would consider relocating to for your first nursing job.
- Take a look at local professional nursing organizations and think about joining one.
- Make some decisions on where you want to work, what kind of role you want, and the salary and benefits you require.
After youve accomplished some of these preliminaries, get your thoughts together and make a who, what and where list of your questions, such as:
- Who was your best resource for information and advice?
- What kind of family and lifestyle needs fit best with your choice of specialty, shift, role or facility?
- Where are the best places for you to work and live, and have you narrowed your search down enough?
Each of you will have a different list because finding the right job is not a cookie-cutter exercise. Each one is personal and unique.
Requirements To Become A Nurse Anesthetist
Be prepared to hit the books in order to achieve a degree from an accredited nurse anesthesia educational program, and upon completion, passing the National Certification Examination.
Although a doctoral degree is not yet required to become a CRNA, it will be required in the future as the Council on Accreditation has announced a doctoral degree as a requirement by 2025.
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Best Nursing Jobs For New Nurse Grads
January 21, 2020 By Kati Kleber, MSN RN
What jobs should new nurses look for? What are the best nursing jobs for a new grad nurse?
Knowing where you want to work is helpful, but alls not lost if you dont know.
Please dont think that if you dont get your dream job right away that youve failed, that you will never work where you want to and that all your effort was in vain. So many of us start in different areas, discover new passions, and our career journeys look vastly different than what we thought in nursing school
Best Nursing Jobs To Consider Pursuing
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed’s data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
Two nurses discuss patient records in a medical office setting.
Nursing can be a fulfilling career path with multiple specializations. High-quality nursing jobs often have high-paying salaries and opportunities for flexible schedules. By learning about some optimal positions, you can better determine which area of the field best fits your needs and preferences.
In this article, we list 32 of the best nursing jobs in the United States based on salary and areas of specialty, then provide some key benefits of these positions.
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Career Outlook For Family Nurse Practitioners
As stated above, nurse practitioner jobs are expected to grow 45 percent through 2029, according to the BLS. Those who focus on family practice will always be in demand since there are a variety of healthcare institutions where they can work. Fully autonomous practice is possible in almost half the states in the U.S., as well as within the Veterans Administration system.
Where Is The Best Place To Work As An Rn
The ideal workplace is different for each RN, and every healthcare setting comes with positives and negatives. Some nurses are more attuned to handling paperwork and documents in a legal office, while others prefer creating interpersonal connections. Aspiring nurses must decide which setting best suits their skills and needs.
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Move To Nursing From Another Career With An Accelerated Bsn
Accelerated BSNs are designed for students who have already earned a bachelors degree in another field.
You want to become a nurse, but your background is in finance. No problem. Not all RNs start in nursing. Motivated by job dissatisfaction, salary or other reasons, some people change careers and head back to school to earn a bachelors in nursing. But what if you dont have the time and money to invest in another four years of school? Enter the accelerated BSN.
Accelerated BSNs are designed for students who have already earned a bachelors degree in another field.
While you may have to complete certain science and math prerequisites, accelerated BSN students arent required to take general education courses again. Instead, the accelerated program focuses solely on nursing skills. Students graduate with a BSN and should be prepared to take the NCLEX-RN.
Best Cities For Nurses
The following cities offer high wages and large employment opportunities for nurses. We use both wage and location quotient data to show you the average job opportunities for registered nurses in each city. Indeed, click on the salary link. Here are the top cities listed in order of the highest wage amounts:
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Pain Management Nurse: Annual $110420 Or $4741/hr*
Pain Management Nurses help manage a patients pain post-surgery or work with patients who have chronic pain issues. They work within a healthcare team to help determine the cause of the pain and the proper course of treatment, while also educating patients about pain management and avoiding addiction or dependence on prescribed medication.
How To Become A Nurse 9 Steps To Consider
With human needs constantly evolving and numerous health care specialties available, nursing is a profession that may offer you variety, as well as the opportunity to do meaningful work. Because nurses administer valuable patient care, those aspiring to become one must take specific steps to complete a nursing education and get licensed.
If youre wondering how to become a nurse, how long it takes, and what to expect in this profession, this guide is for you. Read on for common steps you can take to become a registered nurse.
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Want To Make Yourself More Marketable Here Are A Few Tips
- Learn another language: Many hospitals need nurses who speak more than English, with Spanish being the second language in highest demand.
- Get certified: If you have expertise in a specialized area, earn professional certification.
- Be flexible: Be open to working for different employers, even if you have your heart set on one in particular. The experience you gain could be valuable.
Make Connections During Clinicals
When its time for you to complete clinical rounds during school, youll likely be assigned to a hospital where youll shadow a nurse . During this period, be an attentive learner with a positive attitude. Make connections with your preceptor and even their managers. If a position opens up, they may be more willing to recommend you for the job.
Once your clinical ends, stay in touch with your preceptors as they may be a good resource for job opportunities.
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What Are Todays Best Opportunities For Nurses
High-paying nursing opportunities abound. As an in-demand nurse, you are in control of your career. Check out the best jobs from coast to coast on our job board. Get the pay and career path you deserve.
Dawn Papandrea is a Staten Island, NY-based freelance writer who specializes in personal finance, parenting, and lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in Family Circle, WomansDay.com, Parents, CreditCards.com, and more.
On Assignment As A Travel Nurse
One of the best ways to gain overall experience is to work as a travel nurse.
This involves registering with a travel nurse staffing agency and working with them to determine your next placement.
There are a number of significant advantages to doing this.
- Gain a wide range of subject matter experience in a broad selection of healthcare settings around the country.
- Ask for placement in a renowned healthcare institution for a specific concentration.
- Explore many areas of the country while working.
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For example, if you want to specialize in oncology, then working at Dana Farber Clinic in Boston would be a great option. And because you are not limited to one region, youll have the opportunity to work with all sorts of demographics and a significant number of highly knowledgeable professionals.
When you work as a travel nurse, your recruiter at the staffing agency will get to know your likes and dislikes, which means he or she can help you plan your next job so it aligns with your overall career development.
And of course, there are the other perks to being a travel nurse: the salary is higher than that of a regularly employed nurse.
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