where nurse practitioners can work?

“Becoming an FNP can give you so many job opportunities,” said Sue Ann Maughmer, a graduate of Chamberlain’s MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty track. “Becoming an FNP has been one of the best decisions that I have made for my professional career.”

You might be asking, where do nurse practitioners work? And in particular, where do family nurse practitioners work? The answer is: many places.

One of the great advantages of the nurse practitioner job outlook is the variety of settings where you can practice. Let’s take a look.

An FNP is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who focuses on comprehensive healthcare across all ages and demographics, body systems and diseases. Read more: What is a Family Nurse Practitioner?

So, where do these nurses work? Your nurse practitioner career could see you practice nursing in a diverse range of settings, from a doctor’s office, to a prison, to a factory. Here is a list of workplaces where FNPs may practice.

People typically come to urgent care centers when they can’t get an appointment with their regular doctor, or when the issue is relatively minor and patients expect they will get attention more quickly than at their local hospital emergency room. These kinds of centers are, however, designed for more serious issues than would be seen at a walk-in or retail clinic.

The type of care needed is unpredictable, you’ll see new patients every day, and the pace of work can be quick. Although broken bones and burn wounds are quite common, the fast pace of this setting also means that you’ll be getting a variety of experiences with different patient populations and conditions.

When considering the question ‘where do nurse practitioners work?’, your mind may go immediately to doctors’ offices – and you’d be spot on. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, the largest employer of nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists were doctors’ offices in 2019, where nurses tend to work traditional hours during the week.

You may see fewer patients per day in a clinic or doctor’s office than in a hospital setting. You’ll also likely have more time to spend with your patients, and will see them on repeat visits. On the flip side, you might be exposed to a greater variety of patients and illnesses in a hospital setting. You have to consider the kind of work atmosphere you prefer.

Holly’s favorite part of her nurse practitioner career? “When a patient returns for follow up after I’ve treated them for something and they feel better, or the treatment plan is helping their issue.”

After a doctor’s office, the hospital is the second most common clinical setting for a nurse practitioner, according to the BLS. In hospitals, nurse practitioners can work in a variety of settings – from the emergency room, to critical care, a cardiac floor or the maternity ward. As a step in your nurse practitioner career path, it can be a helpful way to gain exposure to a wide variety of conditions and patient populations.

Hospital work requires working in shifts, so you may have non-traditional work hours – including nights, weekends and holidays.

If you enjoy working with patients in later life, you could work in either a skilled nursing facility (SNF) or a long-term care facility (nursing home).  Skilled nursing facilities typically admit older patients who have been released from the hospital but who still need rehabilitation and supportive care before they can return to their homes or to long-term care facilities. Such care consists of physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy and determining proper medical treatment and making sure patients are stabilized on their medication plan. One of the biggest issues with those later in life is falling, so nurses in SNFs help patients strengthen their muscles and learn to regain their ability to live as independently as possible.  You’ll also work with patients’ families so they can help in the healing process.

SNFs sit in the interface between hospitals and a return to the patient’s previous life. As such, you’ll probably spend a few months with your clients and get to know them well.

If you would prefer to work with the same patients over much longer periods of time and you prefer a little slower pace (at least most of the time), then long-term health facilities might be where you want to focus your nurse practitioner career. It’s important to be a good listener in this role. There may also be a fair amount of physical activity required, as you’ll be helping patients get up and sit down, take baths and assist with other activities of daily living.  You may want to specialize in gerontology if this is the career path of interest.

Read more: 4 Reasons to Consider a Career as an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner

Some FNPs are drawn to working with those who are in the final stages of illness. Palliative care nurses assist patients with their medications, make sure they are as comfortable as possible and provide emotional support.  If the medical team decides that death will mostly likely occur within 6 months, the patient may be provided with a hospice nurse during these final months. Both palliative and hospice nurses work with patients in the hospital, a nursing home or assisted living facility, a hospice center or in the patient’s home.

You may have noticed that large chain stores, such as Target and Walmart, have an area of the store set aside for a clinic. These stores, as well as places such as CVS Minute Clinics, Rite Aid Rediclinics, are new locations your family nurse practitioner career options may take you. If you were working in this setting, you would be involved in many aspects of healthcare, such as giving flu shots, treating minor injuries, fevers and colds, immunizations or COVID-19 testing.

These kinds of locations are becoming more popular primarily because they are convenient, low cost places to be seen by a healthcare worker, and there are often lower wait times for patients than at an ER.

If you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire for autonomy, then you might want to look into opening your own, or joining, a private practice. The first thing to know is that not all states permit nurses to open their own practice. Read more: Check your state’s requirements.

The desire for autonomy can be compelling, but owning your own practice involves many activities outside of providing health services. For example, you would now have to pay your own malpractice insurance. You’ll have to learn more about insurance reimbursements, and how you’re going to advertise your business.

If asked, ‘where do nurse practitioners work?’, your first thought likely isn’t a correctional facility. It wasn’t the first thought for Chamberlain FNP grad Tracey Yeboah either, but she found this first step in her nurse practitioner career path to be exceptionally rewarding:

There are different types of nurse practitioners, so the nurse practitioner career path can take you to a diverse range of healthcare settings, beyond what we’ve listed here. That may include schools or college campuses, health departments or even occupational sites, like factories.

So when asking yourself the question, ‘What do nurse practitioners do?' and 'Where can FNPs work?’ know that earning your certification as a nurse practitioner allows for flexibility and options for work settings, schedules and specialization.

If you're unsure of whether the family nurse practitioner track is right for you, here is a resource that shares why FNP career options are worthwhile.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses (RNs) with advanced training in a practice specialty. NPs specialize in areas such as acute care, adult health, women’s health, family health, school health, community health, oncology, gerontology, psychiatry, geriatrics, pediatrics, palliative care, mental health, and others.

NPs serve as primary and specialty care providers, providing a blend of nursing and health care services to patients and families. NPs may diagnose and treat patients, as well as prescribe medications for a wide array of acute and chronic illnesses. NPs provide primary care to patients, including taking patient histories, conducting physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, educating patients on disease prevention, giving vaccinations, and referring patients for additional care.

The state of New York requires NPs to have a collaborative agreement in place with a physician, yet NPs are autonomous and do not practice under the supervision of the collaborating physician. Legislation has been introduced in New York to increase the scope of practice for NPs.

To learn more about this profession in New York, go to www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/ For more information, please click here.

NPs work in a variety of clinical settings depending on their areas of specialization. These settings include physician’s and specialist’s private practices, health clinics, community health centers, hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies. NPs may also be educators, administrators, or researchers and work in schools or offices.

According to the 2019 BLS, the average salary for full time, nurse practitioners nationwide was $223,680, varying by specialty and geographic region. Average annual salary also varies greatly across New York State, depending on location. The NYSDOL reports that nurse practitioners in New York earned an average annual salary of $122,550, (entry level-$85,520, experienced- $162,460).

Between 2016 and 2026, the BLS estimates that the number of jobs available for NPs will increase by 36.1% nationally, and by 41.6% in New York.

Today, NPs are working in more specialties and in more settings, and their range of expertise and skills has become more widely understood, accepted, and in demand. Experts agree that there are excellent opportunities for increases in the NP workforce nationwide as primary care and preventive care become even more important priorities due to the federal Affordable Care Act. Also, it is anticipated that significant growth in the number of older Americans will also lead to increases in demand for the array of health services provided by NPs.

New York anticipates increased demand for nurse practitioners in the coming years, too. That may be at least partly because large numbers of New York NPs are nearing retirement age. For more information on nurse practitioners by New York State labor regions, click here.

NPs must be at least bachelor’s degree-prepared RNs and must maintain licensure as an RN. In addition, NPs must have advanced education and clinical training to practice. NPs must earn a master’s degree in nursing while specializing in one or more areas of care, such as adult care, gerentology, community care, family health, oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry, palliative care, and women’s health, among others. Coursework may include health promotion, physical assessment, and nursing research, and all require a supervised clinical practicum.

NPs must graduate from a New York State approved NP education program. For more information about NP education programs in New York, please go to the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State Web site page here.

In order to qualify for certification as a NP in New York, an applicant must be licensed as an RN in New York and complete an NP education program registered with the New York State Education Department. NPs providing patient care must also have a practice agreement with a collaborating physician and establish practice protocols.

NPs relicense every three years in New York and update their national certification every five years through ongoing training and education. NPs must have a master’s degree before sitting for the national certification exam. For more information, go to: http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/np.htm.

The New York State Department of Education lists state and federal scholarships, grants, and loans available to students entering the nursing field or nurses interested in pursuing additional education–view this resource here.

For additional details about education programs, see the New York State Department of Education Web site page here.

• Acute or Urgent Care Centers.
• Doctor's Office or Private Clinic.
• Hospitals.
• Skilled Nursing Facilities and Long-Term Care Facilities.
• Hospice Centers & Patients' Homes.
• Convenient Care (e.g., Retail) Clinics.
• Private Practice.
• Correctional Facilities.