Career Goals for Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are healthcare professionals that play a vital role in healthcare. As such, they continuously work to improve themselves and their skills when it comes to delivering care to patients. Nurse practitioners advance by setting goals regarding their careers and skills and working towards achieving them.
Why Is It Important to Set Goals for Nurse Practitioners?
The role of a nurse practitioner requires hard work and dedication. That being said, even after achieving the title of a nurse practitioner, one can and should advance their career even further. This, of course, starts with the goals you set for yourself. But firstly, why is it necessary to set goals? Being a nurse practitioner means you never stop advancing; that’s why a goal is always the first step in professional development.
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However, setting goals, and more importantly, achieving them, is not always easy. That’s why there are specific templates you can use to organize your NP goals. After you have set some goals for yourself, it is time to work hard to achieve them. Don’t forget to check on them regularly (quarterly, mid-year, annually, etc.) to ensure you are achieving them.
15 Career Goals for Nurse Practitioners
If you are a nurse practitioner who would like to advance your career even further, there are a few goals you can set for yourself. Below we have prepared a list of career goals that every ambitious nurse practitioner should try to achieve. Let’s begin!
Get certified
One of the first goals every nurse practitioner should achieve is to get certified in their specialty. Board certification is crucial for a nurse practitioner as a degree from an accredited program isn’t enough to practice most of the time. Nurse practitioners can get certified by a number of certification bodies for NPs, based on their specialty (focus population). NPs can get certified through:
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC);
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB);
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN);
National Certification Corporation;
The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB);
Each of these certification bodies varies in two aspects: the specialties you can get certified in and the certification process. Additional information for those who are interested in getting certified can be found on each of their websites.
Specialize
One of the most important career goals a nurse practitioner can set and achieve is specializing in their preferred area of practice. You can choose from several specialties, like acute care, family practice, geriatrics, women’s health, or psychiatry. You select one of these specialties during your studies, but you can always opt for another specialty if you change your mind later. The specialty you choose will have its own distinctive employment opportunities and work environment. If you opt for a dual specialty, you will have to spend more time in school and sit for an additional state board test, but in return, you’ll have better employment opportunities and career satisfaction.
Develop new skills
This is true for people of every profession who want to advance their careers. In the case of a nurse practitioner and every medical professional, it is vital to keep developing new skills. As healthcare is an ever-changing field, nurse practitioners must stay updated with the latest developments to serve their patients better. You can develop new skills by obtaining a more advanced degree, getting certified in two specialties, or simply mastering a new technique.
Get a higher degree
The minimum requirement to be able to practice as an NP is a master’s degree in nursing (MSN). However, many NPs, for various reasons, aim for a doctorate in nursing (DNP). So in a way, a doctorate is a common career goal for nurse practitioners. Both a master’s degree and a doctorate are advanced degrees with several similarities. Before opting for one or the other, it is crucial to know these similarities and only then decide if you want to advance your degree or start with a DNP program.
There are several advantages of obtaining a DNP, such as:
A DNP is the most advanced degree, meaning you will have obtained the highest level of education possible a nursing professional can get.
A DNP grants you a higher salary than an MSN. The average salary for a DNP is $117,000, whereas the average salary for an MSN is $112,000.
A DNP program trains the NP for leadership roles, quality improvement, evidence-based medicine application, changes within the healthcare system, etc.
Obtaining a DNP means you can teach at a university level.
Start your own practice
This is an excellent career goal for nurse practitioners living in states that allow NPs to work independently, i.e., have their own practice. Such states are called Full Practice States. If you do work in such a state, in your own practice, you can:
Evaluate and diagnose patients;
Order and interpret diagnostic tests;
Initiate and manage treatments;
Prescribe medications; and
Manage controlled substances
Having your own practice as an NP has a lot of advantages, including independence and flexibility. However, this is a huge step for every NP, especially those who have only recently graduated. This is why some states require NPs to work with a physician as a supervisor for the first two years of their practice until they have enough experience.
Stay current with developments
It is crucial for healthcare professionals to stay up to date with the latest developments and provide evidence-based care for patients. You can learn more about the importance of evidence-based care here. You can achieve this by competing for continuing education (CE) courses in the form of a conference, webinar, or online course. Continuing education is essential to maintain your nursing license and stay up to date. Other ways to do this include joining organizations, reading research papers, collaborating with other healthcare professionals, using online resources and tools like UpToDate, etc.
Improve in carrying out your duties
Though it took some time for us to get to this goal, it is truly an important one. As nice as an extra degree or your own practice may sound, your main goal should be to do your job correctly. Even though this might sound like a given, it isn’t easily achievable. Accurately assessing, diagnosing, and treating your patient is a task that requires hard work and continuous effort. All the items on our list are more or less connected to one another, so achieving other goals will help you improve in carrying out your duties.
Treat each patient as unique
A highly ambitious but nevertheless achievable goal for every healthcare worker, including NPs, is being able to deliver personalized care to each patient. Rather than going into a patient’s room with already formed assumptions, make it a purpose to ask questions that will help you get to know the patient, their condition, and their treatment goals. It is essential to realize that each person is unique and with individual needs.
A patient that feels comfortable and heard is a satisfied patient, and you can only achieve this by treating them as unique individuals. One of your goals should be to get patients to trust you and believe in the treatment you are giving them.
Include your patient in decision making
Part of treating a patient as unique is making them a part of the decision-making process. If a patient believes they are part of the decisions that concern their health, they will be more satisfied and likely to comply with the treatment plan. Instead of telling your patients the condition they have and prescribing medication, try to explain to them in terms they understand what exactly their condition is and how the medicine will help them. This includes leaving space for questions that they may have and providing brochures with information on their condition.
Collaborate with other disciplines for better care
Another career goal for nurse practitioners should be promoting interdisciplinary care. Interdisciplinary care is a collaboration between different disciplines to ensure the best care for patients. This means that nurse practitioners should consult with medical professionals and specialists regarding their patients. Interdisciplinary care is only successful when there is fruitful communication between the disciplines with one purpose: to grant the best possible care to a patient.
Share knowledge
The next goal for nurse practitioners is to share the knowledge gained during their studies and practice with others. Even though you might be an NP with years of experience, chances are you haven’t forgotten how tough you had it when you started out. And because you know what beginners might be going through, it is essential you share your wisdom with other nurse practitioners and NP students. You can do this by inviting students and beginners to take part, either by watching or assisting, in exciting procedures. This way, students will learn and have their share of practice.
Build your network
Building professional networks is a huge advantage for everyone, NPs included. When you build a network, you create connections with other professionals in the field. Having professional connections will prove to be beneficial when it comes to career opportunities, including a new job, developing new skills, ensuring you are providing evidence-based care, staying up to date with the latest developments, etc. You can build or widen your network in NP programs, alumni meetings, social media (LinkedIn), etc.
Pursue a leadership role
Nearly everyone who has advanced in their field, NPs included, will find themselves offered or assuming a leadership role. You can assume such a role on an opportunity-basis (i.e. when your supervisor isn’t present), or even go for a full-time leadership role such as a CNO. Another way to assume a leadership role is by becoming a university professor and teaching future generations of NPs. This is all made possible during your education where you will gain certain leadership skills, so this is an attainable goal for all nurse practitioners.
Volunteer
After you have graduated and started practicing, it is important to give back to the community by doing volunteer work. This will not only help the community but also help you develop new skills, get hands-on experience with different patients you will treat, etc. Finally, perhaps most importantly, volunteer work is truly fulfilling. Volunteer work should be an important goal for everyone.
Balance your life and career
As the saying goes: “You can’t pour from an empty cup!” A nurse practitioner has a very demanding and sometimes stressful job. This is why it is important to make time for yourself to recharge (take a bath, read a book, go for a walk, spend time with your family, eat well, etc.) so you maintain good physical and psychological health. You can achieve this by trying to keep a balance between your work and personal life. Only when you have achieved this, will you be able to provide the best care for your patients.
Conclusion
Career goals are important as they give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment when you attain them. However, it is also essential to know how goals work. For you to achieve these goals, they must be realistic and attainable first and foremost. After you have set such goals, you need to give yourself enough time to achieve them. Lastly, there is nothing wrong with reevaluating your goals if it seems like something isn’t working for you.