Occupation · SOC 29-1171
Nurse Practitioners
Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
Median wage
$129,210
$97,960–$169,950
Projected growth
+40.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings
12,840
per year
Employed (US)
307,390
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
805 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingActive ListeningWritingSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingActive LearningService OrientationScienceCoordinationLearning StrategiesTime ManagementPersuasionSystems EvaluationInstructingSystems AnalysisOperations AnalysisNegotiationMathematicsManagement of Personnel ResourcesQuality Control AnalysisOperations MonitoringTroubleshootingManagement of Material ResourcesManagement of Financial ResourcesTechnology DesignOperation and ControlEquipment SelectionProgrammingRepairingInstallationEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryEnglish LanguageBiologyPsychologyCustomer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingEducation and TrainingSociology and AnthropologyMathematicsChemistryAdministration and ManagementComputers and ElectronicsPublic Safety and SecurityCommunications and MediaLaw and GovernmentTelecommunicationsAdministrativePhilosophy and TheologyPersonnel and Human ResourcesForeign LanguagePhysicsEngineering and TechnologyTransportationSales and MarketingEconomics and AccountingProduction and ProcessingGeographyMechanicalDesignHistory and ArcheologyFood ProductionBuilding and ConstructionFine Arts
Technology & tools
Allscripts Professional EHRAmkai AmkaiChartsBizmatics PrognoCIS EMRCerner MillenniumEpic SystemsGE Healthcare Centricity EMRHealthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSMEDITECH softwareMedical condition coding softwareMedical procedure coding softwareMedscribbler EnterpriseMicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMRMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Internet ExplorerMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WordNextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMRPCC Pediatric PartnerPatient management softwareSOAPware EMRStatCom Patient Flow Logistics Enterprise SuiteSynaMed EMRTexas Medical Software SpringCharts EMRWeb browser softwaree-MDs softwareeClinicalWorks EHR software
Representative tasks
Documenting/Recording InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsGetting InformationAssisting and Caring for OthersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsAnalyzing Data or InformationProcessing InformationInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersWorking with ComputersCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkTraining and Teaching OthersProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationDeveloping and Building TeamsCoaching and Developing OthersThinking CreativelyResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesPerforming General Physical ActivitiesScheduling Work and ActivitiesEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationSelling or Influencing OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesStaffing Organizational UnitsHandling and Moving ObjectsControlling Machines and ProcessesOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient health records — document initial care plans and baseline prognoses under the supervision of a preceptor in a primary care or acute care setting.Treatment plan components — identify and apply established standards of care and professional practice guidelines under direct clinical guidance.Patient health education materials — select and present foundational information to promote health and reduce risk factors under supervised practice.Patient histories and symptom data — collect, organize, and report clinical findings to a supervising provider for diagnostic review.Complex or comorbid patient presentations — recognize clinical indicators and escalate care needs appropriately to collaborative care team members.Medication dosages, routes, and frequencies — calculate and propose prescriptions based on patient age, gender, and weight under attending oversight.Chronic condition management protocols — apply evidence-based guidelines for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes under structured supervision.Electronic health record systems — enter, retrieve, and manage patient clinical data accurately using medical software platforms.Clinical diagnostic information — interpret basic laboratory and imaging results to support differential diagnosis development with preceptor guidance.Active listening and social perceptiveness skills — demonstrate during patient interviews to gather accurate subjective data in supervised clinical encounters.
developing
Comprehensive patient health care records — maintain detailed, accurate, and timely documentation of evolving care plans and prognoses with minimal supervisory review.Evidence-based treatment plans — develop and implement plans grounded in scientific rationale and current clinical guidelines across routine patient panels.Patient risk reduction counseling — deliver targeted health promotion and disease prevention education adapted to individual patient circumstances in outpatient settings.Patient histories, physical findings, and diagnostic data — analyze and synthesize independently to formulate appropriate diagnoses for stable and familiar case types.Episodic and acute conditions — diagnose and manage with growing confidence, coordinating with physicians or specialists when clinical complexity warrants.Prescription regimens — determine and authorize medication dosages, routes, and frequencies within full prescriptive authority, applying pharmacokinetic reasoning.Chronic disease management — monitor, adjust, and maintain longitudinal treatment for conditions such as diabetes and hypertension across a defined patient caseload.Clinical decision-support software and database tools — query and interpret resources to validate diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in routine practice.Time management and caseload prioritization — organize patient scheduling and care tasks efficiently across a full clinical day in a community health or specialty setting.Written clinical communication — produce clear referral letters, consultation summaries, and care coordination notes using word processing and office suite tools.
proficient
Complex, unstable, and comorbid patient presentations — diagnose and manage autonomously, leading collaborative care with physicians, specialists, and interdisciplinary teams.Individualized treatment plans — design and refine plans across the full scope of NP practice, integrating scientific rationale with patient-specific factors and cost considerations.Advanced patient education interventions — develop and execute tailored counseling strategies that address health literacy, behavioral risk factors, and chronic disease self-management.Comprehensive diagnostic reasoning — interpret multi-system clinical data, laboratory results, and imaging independently to generate accurate differential diagnoses for non-routine cases.Emergency and high-acuity conditions — assess, stabilize, and initiate evidence-based treatment under urgent conditions in emergency department or inpatient collaborative environments.Pharmacotherapy decisions — prescribe based on comparative efficacy, safety profiles, and formulary cost-effectiveness within full legal prescriptive authority across diverse patient populations.Longitudinal chronic disease programs — oversee and optimize population-level management of conditions such as heart failure and type 2 diabetes using outcomes monitoring and protocol adjustment.Inductive and deductive clinical reasoning — apply systematically to resolve ambiguous or rare presentations, drawing on biomedical science and clinical experience.Interprofessional coordination — lead care conferences and cross-disciplinary communication strategies to ensure seamless patient transitions across care settings.Clinical data analysis and reporting — use spreadsheet and database software to track patient outcomes, identify trends, and inform quality improvement actions.
advanced
Organizational clinical practice standards — establish and champion evidence-based protocols, prescribing policies, and care guidelines across a health system or large practice network.NP workforce development — mentor, precept, and design structured training programs that elevate clinical competency and professional practice for emerging and developing practitioners.Strategic treatment frameworks — lead system-wide adoption of advanced practice models that integrate scientific innovation, value-based care principles, and patient safety imperatives.Health promotion and population health initiatives — design and direct community or institutional programs targeting disease prevention, health equity, and measurable risk reduction outcomes.Diagnostic quality improvement — analyze aggregate diagnostic accuracy data and lead interdisciplinary initiatives to reduce error rates and optimize clinical decision-making across the organization.Prescribing governance and formulary leadership — guide organizational medication policies, controlled substance stewardship programs, and pharmacotherapy standards in alignment with regulatory requirements.Chronic disease center of excellence — build and lead multidisciplinary programs that set regional or national benchmarks for outcomes in complex chronic condition management.Executive-level clinical communication — represent the advanced practice nursing perspective in board-level discussions, policy negotiations, and accreditation processes using high-stakes oral and written communication.Health informatics strategy — direct the selection, implementation, and optimization of medical software, EHR platforms, and clinical decision-support systems to advance care delivery goals.Cross-sector collaboration and advocacy — influence legislative, regulatory, and professional bodies to expand NP scope of practice, improve patient access, and shape healthcare workforce policy.
Also known as
39 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner)Adult Nurse PractitionerAdvanced Practice Nurse (APN)Advanced Practice ProviderAdvanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)ARNP Specialist (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Specialist)Cardiology Nurse PractitionerCertified Nurse PractitionerCertified Registered Nurse PractitionerCPNP (Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner)Dermatology Nurse PractitionerElectrophysiology Nurse PractitionerEmergency Medicine Nurse PractitionerFamily Health Nurse PractitionerFamily Nurse Practitioner (FNP)Family Practice Certified Advanced Registered Nurse PractitionerFNP (Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner)FNP (Family Practice Nurse Practitioner)Gastroenterology Nurse PractitionerGeneral Surgery NP (General Surgery Nurse Practitioner)Gerontological Nurse PractitionerInternal Medicine Nurse PractitionerLicensed Nurse Practitioner (LNP)Medical Surgery NurseNeonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)Neurosurgical Nurse PractitionerNurse Practitioner (NP)OB-GYN NP (Obstetrics-Gynecology Nurse Practitioner)Orthopedic Nurse PractitionerPalliative Care Nurse PractitionerPCNP (Primary Care Nurse Practitioner)Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)Psychiatric Mental Health NP (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)Psychiatric Nurse PractitionerSurgical Nurse PractitionerTravel NP (Travel Nurse Practitioner)Urgent Care NP (Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner)Women's Health Care Nurse PractitionerWound Care NP (Wound Care Nurse Practitioner)