How Much Does an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Make?
Congrats, you may have discovered your passion for healthcare and helping others. If you feel especially drawn to care for seniors, you may be considering a career in gerontology. A nurse who helps senior patients with their care is known as an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner (AGNP).
Read on to find out more about the career, its responsibilities, requirements, prospects, and the average adult gerontology nurse practitioner salary.
What Is an Adult Gerontological Nurse Practitioner?
We established that an AGNP is a nurse who specializes in treating aging patients or those suffering from diseases that typically afflict seniors. Such nurses have an extensive understanding of how diseases and disorders increasingly affect a person as they age. Thus, they are essential in providing high-quality, compassionate care to improve their patients’ lives.
Job responsibilities
Gerontological nurses are responsible for helping their adult patients become more independent. Because many of the diseases an AGNP works with are complex, a crucial part of the job is facilitating patients’ ability to do things without immediate assistance. Helping senior patients remain physically and mentally active requires a wide range of skills.
An AGNP must enjoy working with seniors and display patience and compassion. Additionally, these practitioners must be able to face demands that are often conflicting and be able to quickly come up with solutions. Great communication and listening skills are crucial too.
In addition to conducting tests and performing physical exams, other responsibilities include:
Assessing a patient’s cognitive status.
Understanding the development of chronic diseases.
Answering questions about common health issues such as incontinence.
Prescribing and administering medications.
Educating patients and their families about preventive measures.
Explaining pertinent safety issues and how to address them.
Connecting patients with valuable resources.
How to Become an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner?
If you know being an AGNP is the path for you, you should consider starting with a relevant undergraduate program. You will build experience early on through a combination of hands-on clinical experiences and classroom learning.
Education and training
You will need to start with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN). Becoming an AGNP typically takes between six to eight years to complete. If you’re starting out, a BSN will take about three or four years to finish. However, there are accelerated programs if you have a bachelor’s degree in another field.
Additionally, if you obtained an associate’s degree in nursing, you can enroll in an RN-to-BSN program. These special programs help bridge your education gap more quickly and typically take up to 20 months.
There are also accelerated programs available to nurses with vocational nursing licenses. If this is your case, or if you have an associate’s degree in vocational nursing, you might be happy to know that you will be able to skip the first three semesters of the BSN program.
The next step is to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). After you pass the exam, you will be able to find employment as a registered nurse (RN).
Once you receive your license to work as an RN, you can apply for a Master of Science Degree in Nursing (MSN). This is a crucial step to becoming a qualified AGNP. Though you can choose a specialization for your MSN program, it isn’t necessary. In total, you will spend between 18 and 24 months completing an MSN.
During your MSN program, you can gain supervised experience as a nurse in the field. The American Nurses Credentials Center (ANCC) recommends 500 hours working in a supervised clinical setting before taking an exam. Before beginning your clinical experience, you will require the following courses:
Physiology
Health Assessment
Pharmacology
Lastly, you must pass the GNP Certification Exam. You will have four hours to respond to 200 questions, per ANCC requirements. You can apply for this exam at your convenience by choosing a 90-day window year-round. There are several times and locations to choose from. Once you pass this final hurdle, you will be a qualified AGNP ready for the workforce.
While the required education to become an AGNP may seem extensive, it is worth it if caring for senior patients is your passion. AGNPs enjoy not only one of the most fulfilling jobs, but also one of the highest-paid.
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Skills
Communication skills are a key part of an AGNP’s day-to-day life. As an AGNP, you will need to think on your feet and be a problem-solver. Here are a few additional traits and skills you’ll need to check off the list:
Ability to work well on a team and in high-pressure environments.
Analytical and detail-oriented.
Working well independently.
High organizational skills.
Lastly, showing dedication, compassion, and devotion when supporting seniors will guarantee your success in the field.
AGNP Job Outlook
The outlook for AGNP jobs is a major positive. Experts project a 45% job growth in this field over the next decade. This is significantly higher than the projected job growth for most occupations.
Several factors play a role in determining the surging demand for AGNPs. As scientific fields continue to innovate, healthcare will become more focused on preventative care. Because AGNPs hold many of the same skills as physicians, the push toward team-based healthcare models makes them more essential.
New changes in healthcare have resulted in AGNPs receiving the title of primary healthcare provider. With a shortage of primary physicians and a growing demand, many AGNPs have taken on the role. Changing public health policy has allowed this trend to take off.
AGNP Salary
If you’re considering becoming an AGNP, you may be wondering about a gerontology nurse practitioner salary. The median salary for an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner in the United States is $98,788.
Indeed, a gerontology nurse practitioner’s salary is in the top ten percent of earnings and is thus a highly lucrative field. However, your salary range will depend on your years of experience in the field, your education, and any additional skills you may possess.
Conclusion
Being an AGNP is a rewarding career path with excellent job prospects. The field is growing tremendously with no signs of slowing down. With a high-paying gerontology nurse practitioner salary and a fulfilling line of work, it is a perfect choice for anyone passionate about healthcare and senior patients.