3 Reasons to Become a Family Nurse Practitioner

A family nurse practitioner (FNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) that provides comprehensive healthcare for families and individuals of all ages. Nursing plays one of the most important roles in healthcare and is considered by many in the field to be not just a career but a calling. Dedicated to serving the needs of their patients, nurses offer a compassionate and empathetic side to health care which is highly valued by patients and the medical community at large.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Registered Nursing is one of the top occupations which is expected to grow from three million in 2019 to 3.3 million in 2029. For many registered nurses becoming an FNP is often a natural career progression. If you are considering whether this would be the right career move for you, in this article we will look at some of the reasons to become an FNP.

Greater Responsibility 

Similar to registered nurses, FNPs have overlapping duties such as monitoring the health of patients, performing physical examinations and maintaining patient records. However, their duties also extend beyond this, as they are also authorized to diagnose and treat health conditions, develop treatment plans, prescribe medication and educate their patients on preventative care and lifestyle habits.

As FNPs offer more comprehensive care for their patients they are able to delegate duties, manage health care teams and assume greater responsibility with regard to management roles. Being an FNP also offers the opportunity for greater leadership roles in areas such as patient education, academia and research, healthcare policy as well as mentorship and health care program administration.

Offer Holistic Care

Being an FNP allows you to treat your patients holistically by focusing on matters such as disease prevention, healthier lifestyle habits and counseling. By helping your patients make better choices you can help them to lead happier and healthier lives.

By treating more than just symptoms, an FNP will aim to understand all of the factors which may be affecting their patients’ health. As a result of such treatment practices, there is greater attention to the overall well-being of patients which has a positive effect on families, communities and societies.

Positive  Career Prospects

Many FNPs provide care without the oversight of physicians, giving them greater autonomy and the ability to provide care to their patients independently. This opens up greater possibilities to work in different ways and in varied settings. This may include hospitals, community health centers, outpatient clinics and educational or medical institutions as well as the option to open up your own practice.

Irrespective of the setting, working as an FNP offers the ability to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives while boosting your income as a nurse. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nurse practitioners in the U.S. earned up to $114,870 per year in 2021, making this one of the highest paying nursing jobs.

With the information in this article, you can now make an informed decision on whether to pursue a career as an FNP.