How To Become a Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners are healthcare professionals trained to provide a full range of services either independently or as part of a healthcare team. Millions of Americans see nurse practitioners to manage acute and chronic illness and injury. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners reported that more than 1 billion patient visits are made to nurse practitioners each year. Because demand for these healthcare professionals is rising, a career as a nurse practitioner is a smart choice for those interested in making a difference in their community while earning an excellent salary.

Understand a Nurse Practitioner’s Approach

Most nurse practitioners have experience working as nurses, so they are uniquely suited to a holistic approach to treatment. They treat each patient by considering all their physical, mental and environmental conditions in addition to any symptoms that may be present. Nurse practitioners rely on this comprehensive approach to build trust and confidence, leading to stronger patient relationships and better outcomes. Patients who see nurse practitioners may also lower their healthcare costs by maintaining preventative care.

Nurse practitioners are trained to educate patients on disease prevention and lifestyle choices to promote good health, which could mean fewer office visits and treatments. According to AANP, patients who see nurse practitioners as their primary care providers often have fewer emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays and lower medication costs. Plus, nurse practitioners can take on routine patient care to relieve a portion of the workload of physicians who need to perform surgery, review test results, and maintain complex documentation.

Because they have advanced qualifications, nurse practitioners can prescribe medication and carry out most of the same testing as physicians in some states. However, nurse practitioners can be found in a much wider variety of settings than physicians. Nurse practitioners work in primary care, acute care and long-term healthcare settings, including:

To pursue their ideal careers, most nurse practitioners add to their advanced education with a license in one of several specialties.

Choose a Specialty

Although becoming a general nurse practitioner is possible, nurse practitioners typically specialize in healthcare for a specific population or community. This requires them to pass a national certification exam as part of their boards. AANP describes national certification boards as “rigorous, psychometrically sound, evidence-based exams that verify entry to clinical practice. These exams test both general advanced practice knowledge and population-specific competencies.” Nurse practitioners can only sit for an exam that aligns with their graduate education, so students need to know which specialty they would like to target as they enter their program. Five of the most common nurse practitioner specialties are described below.

Family Nurse Practitioner

Family nurse practitioners, or FNPs, treat individuals and families throughout their lives. As long-term primary care providers, family nurse practitioners often enjoy building relationships with patients and helping them through healthcare issues. Many family nurse practitioners work in doctor’s offices or clinics, while others work in community health centers or public health departments. One estimate showed about 211,000 family nurse practitioners in the U.S. in 2024. At that time, Salary.com reported an average annual salary of $126,030.

Emergency Nurse Practitioner

Emergency nurse practitioners are trained to work in an emergency room at a hospital or urgent care center. They diagnose, assess and treat acute injuries and illnesses with the help of an emergency healthcare team. Emergency rooms are usually crowded, so emergency nurse practitioners use their specialized skills to triage patients and decide who needs care first. According to Nursing Journal, 13.3% of acute care nurse practitioners work in inpatient settings and 14.4% work in outpatient facilities.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner is a good choice for those who want to help kids. These nurse practitioners work in clinics, hospitals, schools, colleges and other settings. They must understand how illnesses and injuries impact children and adolescents, and a large part of their knowledge base is preventative care. An employment estimate indicated there were more than 188,000 pediatric nurse practitioners in 2024.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Psychiatric nurse practitioners help diagnose and manage the treatment of common mental health issues, substance abuse disorders and more. Like psychiatrists, they can prescribe medication and perform therapy. Unlike psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners don’t need to go to medical school or complete rotations, and psychiatric nurse practitioners are not equipped to treat less common mental health conditions. In 2024, an estimate showed about 10,500 psychiatric nurse practitioners in the U.S.

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

Women’s health nurse practitioners typically work in primary care or private practice settings, including obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive health. They are trained to give annual checkups, test for pregnancy, treat pregnancy-related conditions and educate patients about contraception. When it comes to labor and delivery, a women’s health nurse practitioner can assist as an obstetrician delivers the baby. In 2024, there were more than 13,000 women’s health nurse practitioners in the U.S., per membership data from the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health.

Other nurse practitioner specialties include dermatology, gerontology, hospice, neonatal care, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, oncology, orthopedics and surgery. While it can be challenging to assess the career outlook for different specialties, the overall career outlook for nurse practitioners is promising.

Review the Career Outlook

A career as a nurse practitioner is rewarding and sustainable. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that nurse practitioner employment will grow 46% from 2023 to 2033, adding about 135,500 jobs. Several factors will contribute to the need for more nurse practitioners, such as vacant positions as nurses retire, providing more preventive care and increasing healthcare services for the aging U.S. population. Moreover, Florida is facing a shortage of physicians, and additional family nurse practitioners could help fill gaps in primary care.

As the U.S. baby boom generation retires, they move to warmer areas, like Florida. The most recent U.S. Census revealed that 21.7% of Floridians are 65 and older. Additionally, Florida’s population grew by nearly 1.1 million from April 2020 to July 2023. According to the New York Times, this growth was “fueled in large part by a steady stream of retirees lured by Florida’s year-round balmy weather, beaches and endless golfing.” The growing number of retirees who relocated to Florida in the past decade led to the state securing an additional Congressional seat in 2021.

The increase in Florida’s population of people 65 and older has increased the demand for nurse practitioners. The BLS identified Florida as one of the states with the highest employment of nurse practitioners—more than 22,000 nurse practitioners worked in Florida as of May 2023. With 7,080 nurse practitioners, the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach area had the third-highest employment level for this position.

No matter where they work, nurse practitioners enjoy a salary commensurate with their background. Because of their advanced education and experience, nurse practitioners can earn a higher salary than other nurses, such as registered nurses, travel nurses and LPNs. Gaining additional specialties can raise the salary potential for nurse practitioners, as well as working for larger, more established healthcare providers.

Here are the average annual salaries for three nursing roles in Florida, according to BLS data from May 2023:

• Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses: $57,140
• Registered nurses: $84,760 
• Nurse practitioners: $119,710

Pay can increase for nurse practitioners based on skill level, specialties, location and years of experience. According to ZipRecruiter, the top 90th percentile of nurse practitioners in Florida made $134,512 per year in November 2024. ZipRecruiter also provided the top five areas in Florida where the typical nurse practitioner salary is above average:

1. Big Pine Key
2. Summerland Key
3. Collier County
4. Merritt Island
5. Marco Island

Along with their specialties, career outlook and location, nurse practitioners should familiarize themselves with their scope of practice.

Consider the Scope of Practice

For nurse practitioners, the scope of practice has three major categories. These categories refer to the legal ability to prescribe medication, practice with or without oversight, and define the nurse practitioner’s role as a primary care provider. Each state determines the scope of practice for nurse practitioners, so job seekers need to know what they’ll be allowed to do.

Prescriptive Authority

For nurse practitioners, having prescriptive authority means prescribing medications to patients. In some states, nurse practitioners can prescribe without oversight, but others require a physician or doctor to review and approve prescriptions. Sometimes, a nurse practitioner can transition from supervised to independent prescribing after some time.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, nurse practitioners in 22 states and Washington, D.C., have full prescriptive authority, meaning they can prescribe medications without oversight. However, some states require a transition period before nurse practitioners can independently write prescriptions. In other states, a physician must approve prescriptions by a nurse practitioner. In Florida, nurse practitioners can gain independent authority to prescribe medications after a transition period while following protocols established by the medical staff of the healthcare facility where they work.

Full Practice Authority

Like prescriptive authority, gaining full practice authority means that nurse practitioners can independently perform their duties. Without full practice authority, nurse practitioners must consult with their supervising physician to outline which procedures can be done independently and which require approval.

Nurse practitioners in the U.S. have full practice authority in 15 states and the District of Columbia, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. In 17 other states, nurse practitioners can transition to independent practice after a period of supervision by a physician. Nurse practitioners do not have full practice authority in the remaining states.

In Florida, nurse practitioners were given full practice authority after several years of deliberation by the Florida Medical Association. DailyNurse reported that as of July 2020, nurse practitioners who accumulate 3,000 hours of experience under physician supervision gain the right to independently operate primary care practices in Florida without an attending doctor. Those pursuing independent practice in Florida will also need graduate coursework in differential diagnoses and pharmacology.

Primary Care Provider

In some states, nurse practitioners can officially be named primary care providers. In other states, nurse practitioners are identified as a separate entity from primary care providers. The National Conference of State Legislatures noted that nurse practitioners are not recognized as primary care providers in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. In all the other states, nurse practitioners can work as primary care providers for the population they specialize in.

Nurse practitioners in Florida can independently practice family medicine, general pediatrics and general internal medicine, according to DailyNurse. This allows nurse practitioners to help patients while using the full extent of their education and training.

Becoming a qualified, independent nurse practitioner can seem complicated, but it starts with the right education.

Map an Educational Path

For those interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and holding an active RN license is the first step. Securing an RN license requires passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Guidance from AANP explained that the NCLEX “tests your knowledge and critical thinking skills related to nursing,” and RNs who pass the exam are eligible to apply for a state license.

All nurse practitioners must also complete a graduate program, most commonly a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), although some also choose to complete a doctoral degree program. The goal of graduate school for nurse practitioners, according to AANP, is to provide advanced clinical knowledge and skills needed to diagnose, manage, treat and prescribe medications for patients.

In their graduate program, aspiring nurse practitioners will decide which specialties they would like to pursue and take the appropriate courses. Upon completion of a graduate degree, nurse practitioners must pass a national board certification exam that aligns with their specialty. After passing the exam, the final step is to apply for state licensure as a nurse practitioner.

Once licensed, nurse practitioners nationwide need to fulfill continuing education requirements to ensure that their practice remains up to date. Continuing education is necessary for anyone who works in healthcare, but it’s especially important for nurse practitioners because they work so closely with their patients.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse Practitioner?

The time it takes to become a nurse practitioner depends on each student’s background. For instance, registered nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a nursing program with NLNAC, ACEN, or CCNE accreditation can complete the University of West Florida’s Master of Science in Nursing — Family Nurse Practitioner program in as few as 27 months. UWF’s program accepts up to nine transfer credits, helping nursing professionals use their past education to complete the program in their desired timeframe.

Studying online can help working nurses fit a graduate program into their schedules. Taught by nurse educators with years of experience in nursing and healthcare, UWF’s online MSN — Family Nurse Practitioner program enables professional nurses to study where they prefer, which helps with balancing their work and school requirements. The program also includes 600 direct patient care hours to give you the experience you need to step into practice.

Graduates of UWF’s accredited online MSN can complete the national certification exam and pursue nurse practitioner licensure in their state.* To learn more, request information today.

*UWF cannot confirm whether a particular program meets requirements for professional licensure outside of the State of Florida. Please contact the applicable licensure board(s) in any state you may want to pursue licensure prior to beginning the academic program to determine whether the program meets licensure requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm program eligibility for licensure in any state outside Florida.