Becoming a family nurse practitioner is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have in the healthcare industry, as well as one of the most stable.
Firstly, becoming a family nurse practitioner can be deeply rewarding because you are responsible for the primary care of a number of patients for an extended period of time. You will often be their first point of contact, diagnosing symptoms, treating illnesses and injuries, as well as administering medicine.
This is rewarding in itself because you are helping to make people’s lives better on a daily basis. Seeing your positive effect on people is a huge mood booster, but what makes a family nurse practitioner special is that it gives you the opportunity to build close bonds with your patients.
The reason for this is that, when you help the same people for months, or even years at a time, you cannot help but build a human connection with them, making your work more rewarding.
Furthermore, there is a substantial demand for nurse practitioners on the job market, making it easier for you to achieve a stable income. Salaries are competitive, and you can quickly carve out a successful career for yourself.
Here are some of the benefits of becoming a family nurse practitioner:
You can study for your qualification online
One of the major benefits of becoming a family nurse practitioner is that you can study for your qualifications online. This massively increases the level of flexibility you have when it comes to studying, allowing you to remain in control of your routine, keep your existing job, and carve out a lifestyle that works for you, not a university.
For example, the FNP program at Texas Woman’s University allows you direct access to the course facilities (such as student success counselors), without significantly impacting your life. As a result, you could continue with your existing career without any hiccups, as you wait to gain the necessary nursing qualification.
The salary is competitive
Another benefit of becoming a family nurse practitioner is that the average salary is very competitive. You can expect to earn a healthy pay packet from the off, and there is a lot of room for growth.
Naturally, your income will depend on where you work, but the strong demand for nurse practitioners has ensured that you will be well-compensated for your labor. This strong salary gives you the security of being able to put money aside, can help boost your standard of living, and prevents you from becoming distracted by money troubles when you are trying to help others.
In fact, having a more competitive salary than many medical professions can also help with job security. Even though demand for family nurse practitioners is high, you can never be certain that you won’t lose your job through no fault of your own. Having a financial buffer will help keep you on your feet if the worst happens and you need to find another job.
You have a great chance of finding work
This strong demand for nurse practitioners is due largely to the burgeoning elderly population, who need constant care and attention. There are simply not enough medical professionals to keep up with demand, leading to an expected recruitment drive for family nurse practitioners over the course of the next decade.
Furthermore, there are a whole host of different environments you can work in. These include clinics (which are currently rising in number), hospitals, community health centers, universities, schools, colleges, and physicians’ offices.
This also gives you the opportunity to work in a variety of different work environments, which prevents your career from plateauing and helps you to access a wider range of experiences throughout your working life.
It is rewarding to develop deeper relationships with your patients
Naturally, when you work closely with your patients for a number of years, you will start to develop deeper connections with them. While every medical profession offers its own rewards – helping other people feels good regardless of the job title – as a family nurse practitioner you will essentially be responsible for the health (both mental and physical) of certain families for an extended period of time.
Your influence will be clear for all to see, which makes it a particularly rewarding role to pursue.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are many benefits associated with becoming a family nurse practitioner.
In an uncertain economy, it offers the rare combination of a competitive salary, relative job security, a strong demand from companies, alongside a deeply rewarding work environment which allows you to develop bonds with your patients in a manner few other medical professions can match.
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