My Interest in a Nurse Practitioner Career

Ever since I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was to help people. When people were sad, I wanted to make them happy. When people were hurt, I wanted them to feel better. I have always been a nice, welcoming, and caring person. As I got older, I took a class in psychology. As I took this class, I realized how much I loved the body and the way it works. As a 9th grader, I made my final life decision. I knew, without a doubt, from then on out, that I wanted to become a nurse. By the time I graduated high school, I realized that I would go the extra mile for my education. I loved learning and pursuing my dreams. So why stop at a nurse? Right now, in this point in life I am going to school to become a nurse and then I am going to go back to school to become a NP, a nurse practitioner.

The education of the career is important and can form a basis to a career that you plan on pursuing. The Nurse Journal: Social Community for Nurses Worldwide is a source that addresses the process of becoming a nurse practitioner and the requirements for the job. The source begins by saying the level of education that is required for being a NP is that, “they hold advanced degrees, either as an MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) or DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), a national certification in a patient population focus, and state APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) licensure”. This source also states and includes that an MSN alone will get you certified for the job, but more and more states are transitioning to require the DNP degree. The difference between the two degrees is that the DNP takes longer to complete and goes more in depth than the MSN. To at least graduate from these programs with a good standing and to stand out from others, you need to maintain a GPA (Grade Point Average) of a 2.5 to a 3.0. On the other hand, considering that this program is extremely competitive and high in demand, it is wise to keep your GPA above a 3.0 because it would help you stand out from other applicants. To continue, #EveryNurse states that the tests that need to be completed in order to receive the degree are the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) and specific board certified for the NP specialty. “A minimum of faculty-supervised clinical practice hours in the area of population focus” is an aspect of internship hours that I need to complete for the board certification and credentialing.

To research for a Nurse Practitioner career, the researcher referenced to potential job openings and applications. One opening was from the US Department of Defense that was looking for an Advanced Practice Nurse in Bethesda, MD. This job’s responsibilities consisted of “performing physical examinations”, “ordering and interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests”, “to perform rounds”, and “travel required” (US Department of Defense). This job opening can be appealing to a potential worker because the job is on base and secure. This job has a lot of qualifications and consists of multiple background checks, drug tests, and a certain amount of working experience that is required. These qualifications could happen at any other job but can be looked as too restricted. The job specified that traveling was required. The position in Bethesda, MD was something that was a potential opportunity but has many constrictions.

The next job that was researched was on a website specified for finding NP jobs. This job’s position was for an experienced advanced practice clinician at Novant Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, VA. Experience is critical in this position. It requires a master’s degree and you must have a “surgical or pulmonary background” (American Association of Nurse Practitioners). To extend the research for this job, I looked at the ratings of this hospital. The overall rating was 2.5 stars. The most recent ratings complained about the waiting time, the customer service, and on the employees. The comment on the employees was important because teamwork with people in this field is vital and it is favorable to work with people that are trustworthy and able to complete certain tasks to help others and save lives. Judith Hufford, a Google Reviewer, stated that the “nurses being downright nasty and having bad mouths”. This comment can ultimately stray a person away from the position.

The last job that was researched was a psychiatric mental health nurse. This job welcomed new, inexperienced graduate students. The position called for a master’s degree and was at Aiken Regional Medical Center in South Carolina. The Google rating on the hospital was 2.5 stars, but the comments suggest that the staff was nice and supportive. The negative comments mostly focused on the long wait times in the emergency room, but the owner of the company went on the website and commented under the comments, apologizing for their discomfort and assured them that it was something that they were going to work on. This job can bring attention to employees mostly because of the way they conduct themselves and other vital aspects. While investigating the hospital’s website, it was easy to navigate, the location is close, they welcome new grads, the staff is nice, and the employer tries to please the customers as much as possible. One of the comments from Jenny B commented on the “wait is always awful”. The owner of Aiken Regional Medical Center responded by saying, “Hi, Jenny. We truly appreciate your feedback and have forwarded it along to the appropriate department. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and we wish you all the best.” This hospital making this comment could overall help its rating, its potential and value in employees or employment, and will keep their customers happy.

All of these jobs have different rules and qualifications, and they each differ in a major way. The job at Novant Health Prince William Medical Center seemed nice at first, but as more research was conducted, it appeared as an unpleasant place to work. The reviews about the staff, care, and wait time was horrible and seems as if it could become a potential sudden uninterest. The job at Waler Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD was better than the job at Novant Health Prince William Medical Center. This job was located on base and had a lot of constrictions and limitations. This was the only one I read, and it slowly became too much to read. This job also wanted some previous experience but required a lower educational level. Instead of a master’s degree, the job called for a bachelor’s degree. The last job ad for the job at Aiken Regional Medical Center in South Carolina was the best one of them all. This job ad had the qualifications. Not too much information and requirements and not too little. They did not have the best rating, but this was only because of the long waits and, in response, that owner tried to help them have a better experience. This also had a good experience for the staff. If I had the qualifications now, I think I would have loved working there.

Availability and Compensation

The availability of the position is important so that the employee will be aware of how easy it will be to find a job. The job positions are from coast to coast. “ARPNs will be increasingly utilized in team-based models of care, particularly in hospitals, offices of physicians, clinics, and other ambulatory care settings, where they will be needed to provide preventive and primary care” according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Explore Health Careers also commented on the United States Department of Labor Bureau that states that “jobs are expected to grow 31% between 2014 and 2024, much faster than the average”. In result, this job is only expected to get better and expand as time progresses. This also shows that there is variety in the job between being in an office and in a hospital. The availability coincides with my goals because I am in charge of my ours if I work in my office according to All Nursing Schools. I will get benefits such as health benefits, and because the job demand is steadily increasing, I would not have to struggle to find a job. Considering the job educational requirements, expectation of the income for the job is relatively high. The median pay for an NP is $96,018 and it predicted to increase by 19% by 2020 which is above the national average (Nurse Journal). But, I think that this price fluctuates because Registered Nursing.org says that the average annual salary is $101,681. These statistics also depend on where you are at in the United States. Some states are said to pay more than others.

Daily Life as A Nurse Practitioner

The work environment of a typical nurse practitioner is in an office or in a hospital. The professionals are usually in high stress environments and push their minds and bodies to the max. Interpersonal communication is vital in this job. You have to be able to communicate to patients, other nurses, doctors, and even the people that might be shadowing you. People in this career work together. It’s never really an independent job and nurses and doctors are always ready to help each other. Depending on where you work, you could have a job that runs 8 to 5 or you could have a hectic on call job. Typically, those who work in an office have controlled hours.

For a Nurse Practitioner, their day starts early with pulling charts, maps, and schedules for the day. Some may drink coffee or tea as a morning drink. They make sure to pack all the medications they might need and their lunch. As a nurse practitioner, eating comes second. Some have lunch on certain days, but some are just too busy to stop and take a quick bite. As the day starts to end, the nurse practitioner usually starts to finish up their work like charts, and usually reflect because they have impacted on the lives of so many. This was a day in the life of the certified Nurse Practitioner Julia Eze.

Conclusion

My ability to enter this career has only increased based solely on the statistics that I have found on the job. The job seems like a nice career to pursue with benefits and high demand. I get these benefits while also doing what I love sounds like a dream, but they are goals that I am ready to achieve. Preparing to for graduate school is something that I should start now. If I prepare now, the tests, equipment, and process would not be something that is new to me. Volunteering and internships are crucial to my future career. These elements will help strengthen my application and will give me more experience. Considering that this is a very competitive field to get into. Having good grades, high test scores, volunteering hours, and internship hours would help tremendously to my success. Adding a minor is a wise decision considering that I could help more people, go to more places in the world, and ultimately make more money, it would benefit my job greatly. Researching this job helped me know what I want to do and how I should be preparing for it.

Works Cited

• #EveryNurse. How to Become a Nurse Practitioner. 2019. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Acute Care Crisis Stabilization Program. n.d. Website.. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• All Nursing Schools. How Much Does a Nurse Practitioner Make? NP Salaries, Job Growth and Career Advancement . n.d. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Novant Health Inc. Nurse Practitioner. 1 March 2019. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Eze, Julia. Medelita. 2019. Blog. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Health eCareers. How Many Years Does It Take To Become a Nurse Practitioner. 6 March 2019. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Hospital Jobs Online. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner PMHNP. 4 March 2019. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Learn How To Become. How to Become A Nurse Practitioner: Nurse Practitioner Programs and Careers. 2019. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Liaison. Nurse Practitioner. n.d. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Nurse Journal: Social Community for Nurses Worldwide. Requirements to Become A Nurse Practitioner. 2005-2019. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Registered Nursing.org. Nurse Practitioner. n.d. Website . . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• Simply Hired. Advanced Pactice Nurse: Department of Defense . 20 February 2019. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.
• United States Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners. 13 April 2018. Website. . Accessed 10 March 2019.