Nurse practitioner jobs are projected to be a growing opportunity in the coming years in the field of health care. Many people do not realize it, but there is a growing shortage of doctors in the United States. In fact, every year we import medical doctors from other countries to fill the growing need, and we still are coming up short. This is especially true in America’s small towns and rural areas. USA Today recently had an article on the growing number of small towns across America’s heartland that do not even have one practicing doctor. Some experts are even referring to the situation as an outright crisis.
But crisis means opportunity, and that is where nurse practitioner jobs come in. In case you do not know what a nurse practitioner is, he or she is a person who has taken some extra courses beyond the registered nursing degree and has been licensed to do most of the things a general practitioner does. They pretty much function as a doctor, but do not have to spend 4 years in medical school and another 2 year in a residency. Are they actual doctors? No, and state licensing boards are very strict about what NPs can and cannot do. But they can certainly operate their own practice, and do many of the things a doctor does, including prescribing most medicines.
And as the doctor shortage grows worse ever year, the number of openings in nurse practitioner jobs will keep increasing. The nurses who step up to the plate and fill these roles will be providing an awesome service for their communities. Many registered nurses are going back to school to get licensed to become a nurse practitioner, and more and more nursing schools are offering a path to licensing as an NP for brand new first year nursing students. If you have an interest in nursing, or you’re already an RN, becoming a nurse practitioner is something you should strongly consider.
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