Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) have chosen to advance their medical careers by focusing on a path of direct and full patient treatment. This usually involves attending to the patient’s medical needs over an extended period, sometimes even for decades. The role can be a gratifying career with increased financial and emotional benefits. Many nurses aspire to this career because of the potential job satisfaction. However, many factors must be considered before starting a trade like this. Read further to find out more.
It May Take Longer Than Expected
Similar to the way nurses advance from high school education to care for patients, FNPs have first to earn a Bachelor or Master of Science in Nursing (BSN & MSN), which in itself can take anywhere from 4 to 5 years to complete. Graduates must then gain licensure as practicing Registered Nurses (RN). Many nurses stop at this point and are happy to care for patients in a hospital setting. However, those who want to become FNPs must prove their competence by completing two years of practical experience once becoming an RN. The last major step before certifying as an FNP will require a secondary qualification to earn your Masters’s or Doctorate in Nursing.
Remember that each step requires that a nurse has gained their degree and experience through reputable institutions and universities that validate their credentials. Becoming certified in family practice often depends on the type of certification earned. Depending on your state, different certificates will be preferential with varying state boards. The certificate must be maintained and renewed every five years to continue practicing as an FNP. To understand more, check out this family nurse practitioner program.
Dedication is Key
FNPs often have to allocate a significant amount of their time to a patient. FNPs often have to give a patient a substantial amount of their time. This doesn’t just mean attending to every test, check-up procedure, and arising medical problem. Many patients might need round-the-clock care that only an FNP can provide, including emotional support. Since an FNP’s main aim is to provide family-focused care, they often assist with teaching certain healthy lifestyle habits that will prevent illness and disease.
As you can see, becoming an FNP is not impossible. Still, pursuing your educational qualifications to achieve a rewarding career will take some serious dedication and time. Work towards a minimum of 6 years of full-time studying and practicing nursing before settling as an FNP. You also want to ensure you are young enough for this career choice.
Your Stress Levels May Increase
Many nurses choose to be FNPs because their earning potential is much greater. The average FNP can expect a take-home salary of up to $150 000 per year, plus bonuses and incentive payments. Some may even think that the workload and stress will be less because they will no longer deal with hundreds of patients in an immensely stressful hospital environment. Some FNPs see almost 20 separate patients in one day, and although this may seem manageable, FNPs are responsible for every aspect of that patient’s health and well-being. It may or may not be less stressful, but it will be a different kind of stress you will need to get used to.
FNPs lookout for all primary and urgent care and internal medicine. This means performing regular patient check-ups, scheduling and attending specialist visits, drawing blood and sending for testing, and prescribing required medication.
The Work May Be Monotonous
Generally, nurses who become family practitioners specialize in a particular field of choice,e medical. Take courses and seminars that will advance your knowledge of various medical procedures to diversify your portfolio once you open a practice. Take classes and workshops to increase your understanding of different medical procedures to diversify your portfolio once you open an approach. This often entails performing the same functions multiple times daily and regularly dealing with the same disease and patient health issues. Tasks may become redundant and boring, so you should continue your education throughout your practicing career.
Working with Multiple Healthcare Professionals and Regulations
All FNPs need to have good communication and relationships with various healthcare professionals. If you have been working with healthcare agencies for a while, you build more valuable relationships that ultimately benefit the patient. These include rehabilitation and physical therapy consultants, specialization consultations for advanced diseases, and paramedic and emergency services. These partnerships are important to build a strong foundational support team for your patient that will have every health problem and need to be taken care of.,
The negative side is that depending on the state board registered, certain regulations will be limited to FNPs. For example, an uninsured patient being treated under a specific FNP bound by state board regulations may not be allowed to transfer to a government hospital, which would be cheaper. This results in a large and concerning medical bill for which the patient is now liable. The conflicts of interest can be detrimental to a patient’s treatment plan, especially since many FNPs report feeling disrespected by other healthcare professionals. For example, their career is not as important as a surgeon’s, yet FNPs need to understand far more about anatomy and diseases, with less formal education and training.
Only passionate individuals who dedicate their time to caring for patients should pursue this career. There are many benefits to obtaining FNP licensure and certification, such as higher salary potential and greater job satisfaction, but the pros need to be properly weighed against the cons. There will be constant backlash and red tape from many healthcare agencies you choose to work with until legislation can be amended. If you know you will love what you are doing at the end of the day, the rest will become manageable.
