The family nurse practitioner is a much-needed part of our society and an important job role within the healthcare industry. As a nurse, your responsibility is to help care for and diagnose any patients that come to a hospital or trauma centre looking for medical attention and help. The role of being a family nurse practitioner can be incredibly rewarding as it sees you looking after the general population and putting their health and wellbeing before your own.

Typically, the role of family nurse practitioner can be quite a tiring one that leaves you feeling very fatigued at the end of a shift. However, the benefits far outweigh the negatives that may be associated with this role. If you are a register nurse (RN) wondering why you should study to become a family nurse practitioner, or someone wondering what career is right for them and are interested in nursing, the following article is going to list the benefits of being an FNP and how you can become one.

What is the Role of a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)?

You may be unfamiliar with what the role exactly involves. While you may have a general understanding of what a nurse does, your overview of the job description could be something as basic as “you simply care for patients”. While this is not wrong, it is too abstract and does not cover the individual roles and responsibilities.

Before you head off to university with the intention of enrolling in medical school to train to become a nurse and then specialise as a family nurse practitioner, you may want to read a number of job descriptions so that you are sure that this is the role for you. A typical job description for a family nurse practitioner usually involves:

• Care for patients
• Maintaining patient records
• Performing physical exams
• Ordering diagnostic tests
• Performing diagnostic tests
• Prescribing medications
• Developing and offering treatment plans for patients
• Treating illnesses (acute and chronic)

Overall, you will be providing primary care for patients and helping patients manage their health so that they live healthier and better lives. As you will be seeing patients time and time again, you will also be reviewing and monitoring their health and wellbeing, ensuring that there are not any unexpected and dangerous changes to their health.

What is the Typical Salary of a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)?

The salary of a family nurse practitioner is usually pretty high due to how in demand the role is. Within Canada, the typical salary fluctuates between $85k to $143K. However, the average is around the $110K mark. Therefore, if you are an RN and wanting a better paycheck, then studying to become a family nurse practitioner could be the best thing that you do for your career. You can enroll in an online family nurse practitioner course such as those provided by Carson-Newman University. Take a look at their course and see if it is a career change that speaks to you.

The Advantages of Being a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

As previously explained, there are many advantages of training to become a family nurse practitioner. However, the following advantages ring true to the nursing industry in general. It is a reliable and secure job profession for those who wish to do good for the world. But also wish to work in a field that is in demand and offers a rewarding pay for those who wish to specialize and become an expert in a certain field.

Here are the benefits of being a family nurse practitioner and why you should consider making the move from RN to trained FNP.

Job Security

The need for family nurse practitioners is growing, especially with the current pandemic threatening the general public. And if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that we cannot have too many healthcare workers. FNPs are in demand because there is a current shortage of primary care providers. And with there also being an increasing number of elderly people who are aging and in need of care. Nurses are the typical healthcare workers who would provide this level of care. Therefore, as a family nurse practitioner, you can benefit from job security as there will always be a job opening for you. no matter where you choose to work.

Increased Pay

As an FNP, you will have greater responsibilities, which is why you will typically be offered a greater salary than the ones offered to RNs. This is because you have a greater understanding of nursing practices and will have to organize nursing teams, etc. The benefits do not stop with a better salary, however. FNPs will typically also enjoy a range of other benefits and perks such as tuition reimbursement, health insurance, and vacation pay!

Work More Directly with Patients

While RNs will also work with patients, as an FNP, you will have more direct patient care roles which work well with those who enjoy communicating and looking after patients directly. This more patient-facing time comes from the added responsibilities of diagnosing and treating more conditions. Plus, as an FNP, you will be working with more families and therefore building relationships with parents and their children and infants.

You are a Respected Member of the Community

Working in healthcare will bring you respect in general but working as a nurse is greatly viewed as a very selfless role someone can go into. This is because nurses do not get paid as highly as doctors or surgeons, but they work long hours and odd and unfavorable shifts at times. The general public will view these traits as selfless.

Working within the healthcare industry can be exceptionally rewarding, especially because of the type of selfless work you will be doing as you will usually put the health and wellbeing of your patients before your own. However, there are numerous more benefits to working as an FNP. For instance, you can progress your career, unlock more opportunities, earn more money, and work more directly with patients.

Also Read:

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2. 18 Tips for Advancing in Your Nursing Career