What Is a Nurse Practitioner? Your Career Guide

A nurse practitioner is an experienced nurse who has completed additional education to meet specific healthcare needs. The UK is experiencing an ongoing demand for healthcare workers due to various factors, including an aging population, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift towards preventative care, and technological advancements requiring skilled staff. As of March 2024, the NHS needs 31,294 nurses to fill available vacancies, representing 7.5 percent of the nursing workforce [1].   

It’s safe to say that nurses are in demand. As a nurse practitioner (NP), you’ll acquire advanced training that will allow you to take on more responsibilities, make diagnoses, and prescribe medications. 

Is this a rewarding career in your future? Find out more as you explore what a nurse practitioner does and what it takes to become one.

What is a nurse practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who has earned a master's degree and additional training. The skills of the nurse practitioner go beyond those of a registered nurse (RN) and often mimic doctors' work. 

Like physicians, nurse practitioners can treat patients by diagnosing illnesses, ordering and interpreting diagnostic or laboratory tests, and prescribing medicine. NPs may also focus on educating their patients to make healthy lifestyle choices. 

Nurse practitioner salary and job outlook

Nurse practitioners earn more than nurses who are starting out in their careers. The role is classified as band 7 on the NHS Pay Scales, which means you could earn £46,148 to £52,809 depending on how long you’ve been practising [3].

Due to the nursing shortage in the UK, nurses will be in demand for the foreseeable future. If you seek an in-demand job in healthcare, training to become a nurse practitioner may be a good option.

Types of nurse practitioners

Nurse practitioners can work in hospitals, doctor's offices, outpatient centers, or schools. Specific types of nurse practitioners include:

• Family nurse practitioners: One of the most common types of nurse practitioners. Family NPs provide primary care to people of all ages.

• Gerontology care nurse practitioner: This type of nurse practitioner treats adult or elderly patients, provides preventative care, and treats illnesses, usually in a clinic or private practice setting.

• Neonatal nurse practitioner: Neonatal nurse practitioners offer advanced care to newborns who are sick, injured, or born prematurely.

• Pediatric nurse practitioner: Paediatric nurse practitioners provide primary care to children and adolescents.

• Psychiatric nurse practitioner: These NPs offer primary mental healthcare to patients.

Skills needed to become a nurse practitioner

Working as a nurse practitioner can be a rewarding as well as demanding job. As an NP, you should consider building both technical and workplace skills.

Technical skills

Becoming an effective nurse practitioner requires a wide range of technical skills. They may vary depending on your specialisation, so you may learn some of these skills in your training or certification programmes. Typically, you can expect employers to focus on these three areas:

• Clinical training: A nurse practitioner must possess ample clinical knowledge. Employers will want to assess your clinical experience—direct experience working with patients—to feel confident they can trust you to assist physicians and administer treatment effectively.

• Specialty training: Employers will want to see evidence of mastery, such as certifications or training programmes in your specialisation. 

• Patient education: You will need to demonstrate that you can help patients make informed decisions about their condition and treatment.

Workplace skills

If you possess the following personality traits and skills, you may be a good fit for a career as a nurse practitioner. These skills can be developed with on-the-job training and experience over time:

• Communication: It's critical to practice active listening to understand the patient's needs and communicate clearly to demonstrate empathy.

• Critical thinking: As a nurse practitioner, you'll need to analyse a wide range of medical problems to diagnose patients and offer treatment plans.

• Leadership: When caring for patients, you will need to make effective and efficient decisions that benefit their health. As a care team member, you will need to make balanced decisions that support you and your clinic.

• Patience: The work of a nurse practitioner can be stressful at times. Exuding a calm, patient demeanour is an important quality for NPs.

• Physical endurance: Working as a nurse practitioner can be mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. You will need to take care of your own health to continue providing the best care for your patients.

How to become a nurse practitioner

Before becoming a nurse practitioner, you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You will also need to complete a master’s degree. 

Becoming an NP typically requires going through the following steps: 

1. Get a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP).

You will need to complete a master’s degree, such as the Master of Science (MSc) in Nursing or the Advanced Clinical Practice MSc. Both of which require hours of clinical coursework and specialty classroom instruction. While an MSc in Nursing is the most common path to becoming a nurse practitioner, a doctorate would provide you with academic opportunities. 

2. Apply for licensing and credentialing. 

In addition to being registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, you may choose to apply for advanced nurse practitioner credentialing through the Royal College of Nursing. This credential will provide you with formal recognition of your expertise.

3. Go further in your career.

Becoming a nurse practitioner can take several years of education and training. The work you put in is necessary because you are in charge of people's health and lives, which makes this career path exciting and rewarding. 

After becoming an NP, you may pursue more learning and certifications to switch your specialty or dive deeper into your current one. Self-directed learning and professional development are essential to maintaining a steady career as an NP. You will need to continue to update your technical skills as technologies and new systems or tools arise and be open to improving your workplace skills every day. 

Begin a career path towards becoming a nurse practitioner

If you are interested in a career in healthcare, consider taking Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us on Coursera. By learning about vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, and pain, you will gain insight into this exciting and in-demand profession.