5 Things Nurse Practitioners are Thankful For

As you know if you are a regular reader of my blog, I am endlessly thankful for my career as a nurse practitioner.  In observance of tomorrow’s Thanksgiving festivities let’s do a little ‘go around the table and say what you are thankful for’.  I will start with the top 5 things I am thankful for in my career as a nurse practitioner.

1. Endless Career Opportunities

I began my career in family practice but decided I liked treating more acute patients.  So, I moved on to working in urgent care and then the emergency room where I have decided to establish myself. Like me, many other nurse practitioners have found their place in specialty practice.  Working as an NP you can work in any specialty from neurology or oncology to cardiology or dermatology.  Take your pick!  And, if you don’t like it, you can change directions in your career with ease.

2. Excellent Salary

I love my job but making a good amount of money while I do it isn’t so bad either!  With the average nurse practitioner salary at over $90,000 per year, many nurse practitioners are earning well into the six-figure salary range.  Not bad at all.

3. Flexible Scheduling Options

Positions available for nurse practitioners come in all shapes and sizes.  Want to work just a few 12-hour shifts a week?  Or, what about shorter shifts 5 days a week?  Need to work only weekends in order to accommodate a family?  No problem!  There is a job for you.  As for me, I’m not a 5-day-a-week worker.  I prefer working fewer shifts and making up for the fewer number of hours by working a higher paying job with an unconventional schedule.

4. Expanding Job Market

The news is filled with a gloomy outlook on our current economy.  Fortunately, the nurse practitioner career is one of the few fields projected to expand over the next few years.  As a result of the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans will become insured.  A greater number of insured patients and an interest in saving health care dollars creates an excellent job market for NP’s.

5. Our Job is Never Boring

Nurse practitioners interact with different types patients all day long.  Trust me, you will never get bored having conversations with people from all walks of life on a dialy basis.  Not only do we have the privilege of impacting patient’s lives, we also get to do cool stuff.  How many of your non-NP friends have sutured scalp lacerations that extend to the skull or drained a giant, nasty abscess…on a 2-year-old.  Nope, never boring.

I hope you have some things to be thankful for in your nurse practitioner career.  If you have any to add to the list, please share by commenting below!