The Reality of Working as a Nurse Practitioner: What to Expect

Nurse practitioners are the backbone of most facilities, providing essential services to patients and ensuring everything runs smoothly. But, what do they do and what can you expect if you become a nurse practitioner? It is crucial to know what to expect – good and bad – so you can prepare for your job and ensure you have everything you need to be successful. 

Wide Range of Patients to Work With

When working as a nurse practitioner, you have the opportunity to work with a wide range of patients. Though the variety may depend on your specialty or the type of facility you work at, you’ll always have the opportunity to meet new and interesting people while you work. If you want to help others through your career, being a nurse practitioner provides you with this opportunity. 

Variety of Tasks to Handle

A nurse practitioner will have many tasks they’ll work on each day with each patient. This can include physical exams, checking vital signs, drawing blood, providing counseling, and more. They can also coordinate with other healthcare providers and work to collect detailed health information from patients. They provide a significant amount of the care the patients will receive while they’re at the facility and will work closely with the patients to ensure they receive excellent care. 

Long Hours

A nurse practitioner may expect to work long hours each working day. In many cases, they will end up working 12-hour shifts at least three days a week and may have plenty of opportunities for overtime. Though the hours are long and it does take some time for many people to get used to it, this does mean they may have more days off than the typical five-day workweek. Nurse practitioners can use the time off to relax, practice self-care, spend time with their family, and more.

Changing Schedules

One common complaint from nurse practitioners is that their schedules are always changing. They may not know one week from the next when they’re going to be working, which can make it more challenging to schedule appointments. However, there are ways to manage a changing schedule and there are things you can do to get used to having the days you work change regularly. Once you’re used to it, you’ll find it’s easy to deal with the scheduling changes and still be able to make plans. 

Variety of Specialties

Nurse practitioners can work in a variety of different specialties, so if it’s time to change what you do or you want to do something different, there are other options to consider. Specialties can include working as a certified nurse-midwife, a registered nurse anesthetist, an acute care practitioner, or an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner. It’s also possible to work in pediatrics if you love working with kids or in emergency care if you prefer a fast-paced job and a way to help more people. 

If you’re ready to start a career in the healthcare field, being a nurse practitioner can be an excellent option and may offer you the opportunity to work in a wide range of specialties you may enjoy. Though some education is required, once you’ve completed that, you can start looking into the variety of job opportunities to find one that’s going to meet your needs and preferences.