Nurse Practitioner Salary

The nursing profession is very old. Many women who are interested in doing humanitarian work are keen to become nurses. It is not just a rewarding career, but it is the inner satisfaction that an individual gets when he/she helps a sick person and it makes the former feel responsible for someone's life. There are various departments in the nursing profession and this piece of information talks about nurse practitioner salary and their job description.

A nurse practitioner is a medical professional who has completed her nursing education (medical degree) and studied how to deal with common as well as complex medical conditions. Nurse practitioners are licensed through nursing boards, not medical boards. To be a certified Nurse Practitioner (NP), the candidate first must be a Registered Nurse (RN). To be a registered nurse the candidate should first have a degree in nursing or complete a diploma program. Experience in treating minor or chronically ill patients is also considered very helpful. The degree program takes 4 years plus some necessary requirements to complete. Before they are permitted to practice nursing, they are certified by the two biggest nurse certifying bodies called American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

The job description of a nurse practitioner may include

• Examining and treating patients independently and in collaboration with other physicians.
• Ensuring the treatment of the disease or illness through prevention, treatment and recovery.
• Going through the patient's medical history thoroughly and also conducting medical tests.
• Prescribing drugs for various illnesses.
• Advising physical therapy to patients.
• Advising mothers on prenatal and child care.
• Assisting physicians in minor surgeries.
• Educating parents on child care and behavior.

The different types of nurse practitioners in the medical profession are

• School Nurse Practitioner
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Adult Nurse Practitioner
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Certified Nurse Midwife
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
• Advance Practice Nurse
• Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Specialist in Mental Health Nursing
• Family Nurse Practitioner

Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner must obtain 6 to 10 years of post secondary education. The candidate must earn a 4 year college degree in nursing and after obtaining the degree, he/she must take the NCLEX-RN test for a valid license as a certified nurse. If the candidate passes this exam; he/she qualifies for a nursing program which includes 600 hours of clinical service.

A psychiatric and mental nurse practitioner provides a range of medical services to the entire family. These medical professionals provide their services in an outpatient health clinic, psychiatric emergency services, primary care facility and in a hospital. A psychiatric and mental nurse practitioner helps in the treatment for patients who are suffering from substance abuse problems, mental conditions and psychiatric disorders. These nurses are also certified to give emergency psychiatric services and psychosocial assessment to their patients. They can also serve as a consulting physician for families and hospitals. A psychiatric and mental nurse practitioner focuses on diagnoses of psychiatric disorders of a patient and on the medications given for the illness. A psychiatric and mental nurse practitioner works as a team member with different medical care professionals. They also participate in research related to mental and psychiatric disorders and respect the ethical and legal standards related to mental health care. The average salary of a psychiatric and mental nurse practitioner is $95,000.

The average salary of nurse practitioners has been classified according to their job types.

NURSE PRACTITIONER TITLE	SALARY p.a.
Nurse Practitioner	$106,000
Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric	$87,000
Nurse Practitioners Physician Assistant	$80,000
Hospital Nurse Practitioner	$92,000
Hospitality Nurse Practitioner	$117,000
Nurse Practitioner Correction Facility	$120,000
Certification for Medical Assistant	$33,000
Critical Care Nurse	$114,000
Dental Hygienist Assistant Training	$54,000
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner	$93,000
Medical Assistant Primary Care	$40,000
Certification for Pharmacy Technician	$29,000

This job is not for the weak-heart. Nurses have to deal with sick patients all day and sometimes the situation can demand extremely long hours. However, after the initial training, the job can become less stressful and more rewarding. Women working as Registered Nurses start up with a decent salary, and it pay package gradually increases with years of professional experience. To be a successful nurse practitioner one must be dedicated, intelligent and responsible towards his/her profession. As it is rightly said 'Save a life, Save a Generation'.