Where Can You Work as a Nurse Practitioner? 6 Job Settings to Consider

As a nurse practitioner, or an advanced practice registered nurse, you’ve completed advanced schooling. This means that you can perform many of the same tasks as a physician, including:

• Assess patient needs
• Diagnose disease
• Order lab tests
• Prescribe medications

Because of your many qualifications, you’re able to work in a variety of medical settings. Here are six examples of where you can work as a nurse practitioner.

#1: Assisted Living Facilities

Also known as nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities, working in an assisted living facility means that the majority of your patients will be senior citizens, or those aged 65 and older. Some facilities act as rehabilitation centers for those who have just been released from the hospital but aren’t able to return home, while other facilities are long-term homes for their patients. You’ll be helping patients with activities of daily living, including eating, bathing, and dressing, and you’ll also be able to administer medication to those who need it.

#2: Convenient Care

You’re probably already aware of pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens, and RiteAid, and even those located in grocery stores such as Walmart where pharmacists work. Now, these retail locations are also setting up clinics (usually located near the pharmacy area) where physicians and nurse practitioners can see patients. You’ll be able to give immunizations including flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines, but you’ll also be able to treat minor injuries in this type of setting.

#3: Doctor’s Offices

This is the most common place you’ll find nurse practitioners, and it’s likely that you’re already looking into different physician offices for employment. You’ll see a lot of walk-in patients, but you’re more likely to have regulars that you’ll examine once or twice a year. On the job, you’ll likely treat a variety of ailments, or you can choose a specific area/population to focus on. Some examples of the areas of medicine that you can specialize in include:

• Adult-Gerontology
• Family Medicine
• Obstetrics/Gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry

Hours depend on the doctor’s office you work in, so you may work a traditional 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday schedule, or something very similar to this. Keep in mind that you may also be on call if the doctor’s office is a part of a hospital network.

#4: Hospitals

Nurse practitioners can also work directly in hospitals, just as physicians can— in fact, hospitals are the second largest employers of nurse practitioners after doctor’s offices. Examples of some of the hospital settings you can work in include:

• Cardiology
• Critical care
• Emergency room
• Maternity and neonatal care

Working in a hospital will give you the least traditional working hours, so you may have to work nights, weekends, and even some holidays. However, if this is your passion then helping people in their time of need will be your greatest reward.

#5: Private Practice

In some states, you’ll be qualified to open your own private practice as a nurse practitioner. This may be the right move for you if you’re wanting more autonomy and have an entrepreneurial spirit. However, as with any business, it takes a lot of time, money, and resources to get your business up and running successfully— but it’s not impossible. Just make sure to do all of the research and understand all legal matters before opening a private practice.

#6: Urgent Care Centers

Urgent care is a medical facility that accepts walk-ins that aren’t experiencing a severe medical emergency. This isn’t the most routine setting, as you can expect to see people of all ages and many different types of ailments. You’re also not likely to see the same patients regularly, as the majority of people don’t use urgent care as their primary care facility. You may also work longer hours at urgent care centers as some are open seven days a week and 12 hours each day.

Other places you can work as a nurse practitioner include correctional facilities, hospice centers, and even the home of your patients. All jobs related to healthcare are in high demand at the moment, so there’s not a shortage of jobs for nurse practitioners. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook over the next decade for nurse practitioners is increasing much faster than average. You may have to move around to find the specific position you want, but if you’re open to working in any type of medical setting, finding a job won’t be too hard to do.

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