NP vs. APRN – What’s the Difference?
You may have noticed “APRN” and “NP” being used interchangeably, and maybe you wondered about the difference between the two. We're here to show you that while an NP is an APRN, an APRN isn't always an NP. But what about the APRN meaning? What is an APRN? Enough with the alphabet soup! Read on to find out the meaning of APRN and NP, their duties, types, and the difference between them.
What Is an APRN?
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is a nurse who has obtained a graduate-level degree, besides the initial nursing education and the Registered Nurse (RN) license. APRNs possess advanced knowledge and skills in specific areas, and they are prepared for one of the four APRN specializations.
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What Does an APRN Do?
The exact duties of an advanced practice registered nurse may vary depending on the nurse's specialization. However, an APRN is qualified to evaluate, diagnose, and follow up on patient problems, order tests, advise people on health issues, and prescribe medications.
Furthermore, as the American Nurses Association (ANA) states, APRNs continuously pursue education to stay ahead of any developments (technological, methodological, or others) in the field.
How Do You Become an APRN?
To become an APRN, you need to go through some steps, including education, certification, and licensing.
Education
The first step to becoming an APRN is completing an advanced nursing degree. However, to be able to do that, you need to have an RN license and working experience. When these prerequisites are met, you can go on and pursue a graduate-level degree. Depending on the area you plan to specialize in, you can choose to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
Certification & licensure
Next, you need to earn your specialty certificate and licensure.
Apart from the RN licensure exam, you need to pass the national NP (nurse practitioner) certification board exam. There are many national accredited organizations that offer certification for APRNs, such as:
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB)
The National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA)
You need to choose which certification exam to take based on your area of specialization.
The last step to becoming an APRN is obtaining your license. After you pass the certification exam, you need to apply for NP licensure in your state. Licensure requirements may vary depending on the state where you will practice.
Skills
In addition to the hard skills obtained through education and certifications, as an APRN, you also need to possess soft skills. Strong communication skills are essential to being a successful APRN, as you need effective communication when collaborating with other nurses and colleagues. Furthermore, you need to communicate with patients. When you take the time to listen to their issues, it results in better patient care. You also need to be organized and able to work under pressure. An advanced role in nursing comes with more responsibilities. Leadership, decision-making, critical thinking, analytical, organizational, and stress management skills—these are all skills that you must possess as an APRN.
APRN Career Paths
In your journey towards becoming an advanced practice registered nurse, you need to choose an area of specialization. There are four specialization areas; hence, four types of APRNs: certified nurse-midwives (CNM), certified registered nurse anaesthetists (CRNA), clinical nurse specialists (CNS), and certified nurse practitioners (CNP).
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMIs)
Certified nurse-midwives provide primary, reproductive, as well as gynaecological health care. This care includes family planning services, preconception care, prenatal and postpartum care, labor and delivery care, and care of the newborn. In addition, they treat male partners for sexually transmitted diseases and provide reproductive health care.
Furthermore, CNMs educate women about their reproductive health and advise pregnant women on how to take care of themselves during pregnancy.
Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs)
Certified registered nurse anaesthetists administer anaesthesia and pain management services to patients undergoing surgery, in need of palliative care, or in need of trauma stabilization/treatment.
In addition, CRNAs are responsible for developing an anaesthesia plan for each patient they work with and advising patients on the anaesthesia procedure before administering it.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs)
Clinical nurse specialists provide direct patient care, besides having administrative and management responsibilities in order to develop care systems in the environment in which they work. Their duties include giving diagnoses and treating illnesses, managing diseases, promoting health, preventing diseases, training and supporting other nurses, and more.
Certified nurse practitioners (CNPs)
Certified nurse practitioners are prepared and qualified to practice as primary care CNPs or acute care CNPs, depending on their certifications. Their responsibilities may vary depending on the setting in which they work. But, they usually include assessing patients' health statuses and medical records to create medical care plans, managing acute and chronic diseases, leading registered nurses and medical assistants, performing procedures and administering medications, and educating patients about preventative healthcare.
APRN Job Outlook and Salary
The demand for APRNs is expected to increase. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the overall employment of APRNs is projected to grow by 45% from 2020 to 2030.
The average annual salary for an advanced practice registered nurse is $97,050. However, an APRN’s pay varies based on the level of experience you have. For example, APRNs with less than a year of experience have a yearly salary of $91,000, while those with over 10 years of experience earn $103,000 per year.
What Is an NP?
A nurse practitioner (NP), also referred to as a certified nurse practitioner (CNP), is a registered nurse who obtained advanced university education. As we mentioned above, the CNP is one of the four APRN types.
What Does an NP Do?
Whether you work alone or in cooperation with other healthcare professionals, nurse practitioners provide a variety of healthcare services. According to the AANP, their responsibilities include:
ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic tests (like lab work and x-rays);
diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions (like diabetes, high blood pressure, various infections and injuries);
prescribing medications and other treatments;
giving advice;
educating patients on disease prevention, and more.
How Do You Become an NP?
The steps to becoming a nurse practitioner (NP) resemble and are part of the APRN journey. Below we present the education, certification and licensure, and the skills needed to become an NP.
Education
To become a nurse practitioner, you need to have clinical training and an RN license prior to completing a graduate-level degree (master's or doctoral degree).
Certification & Licensure
Next, you need certification as a nurse practitioner through accredited certifying organizations, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The last step is obtaining your state license. However, something to keep in mind is that as a certified nurse practitioner, you need to renew your certification and license regularly, according to AANP.
Skills
As an NP, you must possess strong communication skills, together with leadership and decision-making skills. Communication skills include verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.
As a nurse, you will interact with the patient using verbal and nonverbal communication to understand their concerns and opinions. In addition, you need to be proficient in written communication, as you will need to keep patient records and take notes. Patient records need to be accurate for the patients to experience proper care. Furthermore, being able to work under pressure and developing organizational skills are necessary.
NP Career Paths
Below we present to you five nurse practitioner specialties, starting from acute care NPs, to psychiatric and mental NPs; read on to find more about each one of them.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)
Acute care nurse practitioners specialize in taking care of patients with acute conditions or severe chronic conditions. Their responsibilities include completing physical examinations, ordering lab tests, prescribing medications, and so on.
ACNPs work in various environments, like hospital emergency rooms, operating rooms, or intensive care units. They may focus on various specialty areas, such as critical care, trauma or emergency care, or neurosurgery.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
A family nurse practitioner specializes in providing medical care for children and adults. Their tasks and responsibilities are similar and sometimes the same as those of primary care physicians. Some of their duties may include providing children with health care, taking care of patients with chronic diseases, or educating patients on managing cholesterol levels.
An FNP may work in a variety of settings, like emergency rooms, school clinics, physicians' offices, and more.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
Pediatric nurse practitioners specialize in taking care of infants, young children, adolescents, and young adults. Their duties include analyzing data and tests, prescribing medication, assessing the growth and development of patients to determine whether they are meeting their age milestones, educating patients and their families, and more.
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
A women’s health nurse practitioner specializes in providing primary health care services to women of all ages, focusing on reproductive, obstetric, and gynecological health.
They may work in different settings, like hospitals, OB-GYN clinics, family planning clinics, women’s health clinics, prenatal clinics, or women’s prisons. WHNP duties include pregnancy testing, STD (sexually transmitted diseases) screening, health education, fertility evaluation, prenatal care, contraceptive counseling, and more.
Psychiatric and Mental Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
A psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner specializes in helping people with mental health challenges. Their responsibilities may vary depending on their specialization and patient profile. But, in general, they evaluate, diagnose, plan and treat their patients' problems. PMHNPs can work in hospitals, clinics, schools, public health facilities, private practices, etc.
NP Job Outlook and Salary
Employment for nurse practitioners is projected to grow 45% from 2020 to 2030. Meanwhile, the average salary of an NP is $99,053 per year, which can accelerate to $108,000 after 10 years of experience as an NP.
What Is the Difference Between an APRN and an NP?
An APRN and an NP differ in the sense that one is a type of the other. As we established above, an NP is one of the four APRN types. An APRN is a registered nurse possessing advanced education, and an NP falls into the category of an APRN. While an advanced practice registered nurse can be a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), or certified nurse practitioner (CNP), a nurse practitioner can be an acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP), family nurse practitioner (FNP), women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP), or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). The level of education required for an APRN and NP is similar because an advanced degree is required, but it differs depending on the chosen specialization. You need to obtain a state license for both APRN and RN. And again, the certification depends on the field in which you choose to specialize.
Conclusion
Whether you want to take your career as far as becoming an NP or not, what is clear is that pursuing a career as an APRN can open up a whole range of opportunities for your future. Those opportunities will depend on what your interests, strengths, and ambitions are. Pacific College’s nursing programs can help you in your journey towards fulfilling your goals. Come and explore your possibilities!