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Nurse practitioners (NPs) work in almost every healthcare setting, from hospitals to long-term care facilities and everything in between. Family practice may be the right move in your NP career if you’re searching for a position that offers a more relaxed schedule and a broad scope of care. As a family nurse practitioner (FNP), you provide preventative care, prescribe medications and diagnose and treat patients, often in an outpatient setting. In many states, you fill the same role as a family doctor. As you consider specialties, weigh the requirements and benefits of family practice.
Qualifications to Become a Family Nurse Practitioner
The basic qualifications for nurse practitioners are the same, regardless of specialty. First, you need to become a registered nurse (RN). Becoming an RN generally requires an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs. If your goal is to become an NP, you must have your BSN before pursuing your NP-focused education.
Gain nursing experience, then when you’re ready to continue, pursue graduate education by earning an advanced degree through a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), post-masters or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Advanced education prepares you with the specialized knowledge needed to practice as an NP and sit for a national NP board certification exam. Once certified, apply for a nurse practitioner’s license in your state. NPs are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and specialize in various fields.
Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization
FNPs have one of the broadest scopes of practice, making it a good choice if you’re undecided on the patient population you’d like to serve. To become a family nurse practitioner, you must specialize in family medicine during your MSN program. Master-prepared NPs qualify to sit for one of two board certification exams in family practice.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center offers the Family Nurse Practitioner board certification (FNP-BC) exam and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board offers the Family Nurse Practitioner-Certified (FNP-C) exam. Both professional certifications are valid for 5 years, then require recertification. Both credentials require you to complete a set number of contact hours in continuing education, plus other requirements, to renew your certification.
7 Benefits of Family Nurse Practitioner Jobs
Selecting or changing a specialty is a big commitment, requiring time and money. Before you make your decision, it’s helpful to consider whether the benefits justify the costs.
1. Job Security
Becoming a family nurse practitioner all but guarantees job security. Between 2021 and 2031, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the demand for nurse practitioners to rise by 46%. In 202, there were 246,700 NP positions, but by 2030, the BLS anticipates 359,400 nurse practitioner jobs.
Aging baby boomers are contributing to the increase in demand. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the entire generation will be 65 or older by 2030. That means aging nurse practitioners will retire at a faster rate, creating a gap in the profession. Plus, as 73 million baby boomers start to experience age-related health conditions, they require more time with primary healthcare providers. These shifts come amid a healthcare shortage spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, further intensifying the demand.
The BLS reports that an increasing interest in preventative care further drives the need for primary care providers among the general population. Nurses are responding. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) stated that more than 36,000 new nurse practitioners graduated between 2019 and 2020. Many of those graduates likely became certified and licensed as BLS data indicated that there were 34,090 more working nurse practitioners in 2021 than in 2019.
Family medicine is a popular specialty. According to the AANP, 69.7% of nurse practitioners have a primary certification in family care, more than any other certification area. Adult care comes in at 10.8% and adult-gerontology primary care accounts for 7% of NP certifications.
2. High Earning Potential
NPs are among the highest-paid APRN specialties. The latest Vivian salary data shows the average hourly rate for nurse practitioners is $53.77. Your actual pay rate could be much higher, depending on your state. In California, for example, nurse practitioners make an average of $67 to $91 per hour. In New Jersey, the average range is $60 to $76 per hour.
According to the BLS, the average nurse practitioner salary is $120,680. Pay is higher in metro areas including San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, where the average is $197,870. You can also make a hefty FNP outside of major cities, such as the southeastern Minnesota area, where the average is $129,340.
3. Greater Flexibility or Even Autonomy
Family nurse practitioners have a great deal of autonomy in many areas. As of late August 2022, 26 states, Washington, D.C. and 2 U.S. territories allowed full practice authority to family nurse practitioners, meaning you’re permitted to work independently without the supervision of a doctor. In fact, you have many of the same responsibilities as a physician, including ordering tests, writing prescriptions, diagnosing patients and administering treatment. You also have the right to set up your own practice.
States with reduced-practice rules have more restrictions but still provide plenty of independence. However, individual laws vary. Some states require you to prescribe medications under a doctor’s supervision, while others only limit your ability to prescribe controlled substances.
Just 11 states operate under restricted NP practice rules, but specific laws still vary by state. NPs may be required to diagnose and treat patients and prescribe medications under a collaborative agreement with a doctor in restricted practice states. These laws may change as states amend laws to address critical healthcare staffing shortages.
Regardless of state law, FNPs enjoy ample freedom. Even when you work in collaboration with a physician, you can typically maintain a separate patient roster. Most agreements require the doctor to provide guidance on a limited or as-needed basis.
4. Strong Patient Relationships
Family nurse practitioner jobs can be ideal if you’re interested in direct patient care. In many settings, you’re the primary care provider for patients, working with them for years, building strong relationships with families and playing a key role in their health and well-being. These long-term bonds enable you to deliver exceptional and personalized care.
Family practice can be a fulfilling career for NPs who desire to serve. Your patients benefit from your compassion and empathy, and you get to see the results of your work. Some jobs also provide the opportunity to serve the community through health initiatives, workshops and events.
5. Broad Population and Scope of Care
Family practices typically accept patients of all ages. They allow you to work with patients from infants to the elderly and everyone in between. The broad patient population comes with a wide range of health conditions, ensuring that you always have something new to diagnose and treat. Depending on the patient load, you might run tests, adjust medication dosages, examine patients and/or create or update treatment plans.
Because every day is different and varied, the challenge can keep you engaged and happy if you’re someone who thrives in a dynamic environment. The broad scope of care in a family nurse practitioner job also keeps your skills sharp and your knowledge fresh, serving you well if you decide to switch specialties, become an administrator or move into education.
6. Flexible Work Schedules
FNPs often work during standard business hours, which frees up most of your holidays, weekends and evenings. Many jobs deal entirely with an outpatient population, so you need not worry about mandatory overtime. A predictable schedule is a significant perk, especially if you’ve been working long shifts in a hospital or long-term care facility.
You have even more scheduling freedom if you’re working as an autonomous nurse practitioner. Depending on the practice, you can schedule vacations and rearrange appointments at will, often without seeking anyone’s approval.
7. Numerous Career Opportunities
Many family nurse practitioners work in direct-care settings, but there are many other career opportunities if you want to branch out. Some nursing education programs enable nurse practitioners to teach, allowing you to be an instructor in a clinical or classroom setting. Given the popularity of the family care specialty among new nurse practitioners, it’s safe to expect a consistent demand for instructors with firsthand experience.
You can also use your degree and experience to work in healthcare administration or research. As an administrator, you could help set policy that benefits patients and medical staff. Research positions also enable you to participate in the development of new medications, medical equipment and treatment models.
If you’re interested in serving veteran populations or living and working in foreign countries, the military often hires NPs to work in Veterans Health Administration hospitals or on-base medical facilities worldwide. Family-care specialists can also find travel nurse practitioner jobs throughout the United States.
Transitioning to Family Practice
Whether you’re still in school or already working as a nurse practitioner, the benefits of family medicine are clear. From the high salary to the reasonable hours, the job provides a work-life balance that’s missing from many other nursing positions. If you’re willing to commit to the education and certification requirements, a family nurse practitioner job can potentially expand your career in meaningful and lucrative ways.
