Nurse Practitioners
What they do
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.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About nurse practitioners
Other titles
ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner), Adult Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), ARNP Specialist (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Specialist), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Family Practice Certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Practitioner (NP), Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP), Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner
Tasks they perform
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
Skills they need
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
- License Type
- Secondary license (another license is a prerequisite)
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- Third-party exam required
- Education
- Degree required
- Continuing education
- Continuing education required to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Specific type of conviction prohibited
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as nurse practitioners.
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Critical Care Nurses
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Registered Nurses
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about nurse practitioners with these helpful sites.
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners (external link opens new tab)
- American College of Nurse-Midwives (external link opens new tab)
- American Nurses Association (external link opens new tab)
- American Public Health Association (external link opens new tab)
- Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (external link opens new tab)
- National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (external link opens new tab)
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (external link opens new tab)