What Is a Nurse Practitioner? Your Career Guide

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Learn what types of skills and education you'll need to embark on a rewarding health care career as a nurse practitioner.

[Featured Image] A smiling nurse practitioner listens to a patient's heartbeat with a stethoscope as they both sit on a hospital bed.

Key takeaways

Nurse practitioners diagnose patients, interpret tests, and prescribe medicine, with some operating independently of physicians in certain states.

  • Nurse practitioners can focus their care on specific patient groups, such as adult gerontology, family care, pediatrics, and women’s health.

  • To work as a nurse practitioner, you’ll need technical skills, including clinical knowledge and experience, specialty training, and the ability to educate patients. 

  • You can become a nurse practitioner by earning your Master of Science in Nursing or Doctorate of Nursing Practice, passing your exams, and securing your license or certification.

Learn more about a career as a nurse practitioner, including required skills and the path to becoming one. If you’re ready to build your skills for a career in health care, consider enrolling in the University of Minnesota's Integrative Nursing Specialization. In as little as two months, you can learn about clinical leadership, nursing management, treatment planning, health assessment, and more.

What is a nurse practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse who has earned a master's degree and additional training in a specialty area, such as geriatrics or mental health. The skills of the nurse practitioner go beyond those of a registered nurse (RN) and often mimic what doctors do.

What does a nurse practitioner do

Like physicians, nurse practitioners can treat patients by diagnosing illnesses, ordering and interpreting diagnostic or laboratory tests, and prescribing medicine. NPs may also focus on educating their patients to make healthy lifestyle choices. 

Much of the work you can do as a nurse practitioner is determined by state guidelines. In many states, you can work independently of a physician but can consult with a medical doctor when needed. NPs can serve as both primary and specialty care providers. 

Read more: 38 Jobs in the Medical Field: From Practitioners to Support Staff

Nurse practitioner salary and job outlook

Nurse practitioners can earn quite a high income. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for a nurse practitioner in the United States is $132,050 [1]. Salary will vary depending on your location, education and certifications, and specialization.

The BLS predicts that job growth for nurse practitioners will rise 35 percent between 2024 and 2034, which is much faster than average for all occupations [1]. If you are seeking an in-demand job in health care, training to become a nurse practitioner may be a good option for you.

Types of nurse practitioner jobs

Nurse practitioners can choose to work in hospitals, doctors' offices, outpatient centers, or schools. Specific types of nurse practitioners include:

  • Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner: This type of nurse practitioner works within a hospital, offering immediate care to injured or ill elderly patients.

  • Certified registered nurse anesthetist: Anesthetists administer anesthesia to patients during medical procedures.

  • Family nurse practitioners: One of the most common types of nurse practitioners, family NPs provide primary care to people of all ages.

  • Neonatal nurse practitioner: Neonatal nurse practitioners offer advanced care to newborns who are sick, injured, or born prematurely.

  • Pediatric nurse practitioner: Pediatric nurse practitioners provide primary care to patients under the age of 21.

  • Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner: These NPs offer primary mental health care to patients.

  • Women's health nurse practitioner: These NPs provide primary, acute, and OB/GYN care specifically to females. 

Is a nurse practitioner the highest level of nurse?

A nurse practitioner is one of the highest levels of nursing practice. However, whether you have a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) may determine the kinds of senior-level positions you qualify for. While you may only need an MSN to become a nurse practitioner, a DNP gives you a doctoral-level qualification and skills in nursing practice, health care policy, and leadership. 

Skills needed to become a nurse practitioner

While working as a nurse practitioner can be a demanding job, it's also a rewarding one. As an NP, you should consider building both technical and workplace skills.

Technical skills

Becoming an effective nurse practitioner requires a wide range of technical skills. They may vary depending on your specialization, so you may learn some of these skills in your training or certification programs. Typically, you can expect employers to focus on these three areas:

  • Clinical training: Possessing ample clinical knowledge is necessary for a nurse practitioner. Employers will want to assess your clinical experience, or your direct experience working with patients, to feel confident that you can be trusted to assist physicians and administer treatment effectively.

  • Specialty training: Employers will want to see evidence of mastery, such as certifications or training programs in your specialization.

  • Patient education: You will need to demonstrate that you can help patients make informed decisions about their condition and treatment.

Workplace skills

If you possess the following personality traits and skills, you may be a good fit for a career as a nurse practitioner. These skills can be developed with on-the-job training and experience over time:

  • Communication: It's critical to practice active listening to understand the patient's needs and communicate clearly to demonstrate empathy.

  • Critical thinking: As a nurse practitioner, you'll need to analyze a host of medical problems in order to diagnose and offer treatment plans.

  • Leadership: When caring for patients, you will need to make effective and efficient decisions that benefit their health. As a member of a care team, you will need to make balanced decisions that support you and your clinic.

  • Patience: The work of a nurse practitioner can be stressful at times. Exuding a calm, patient demeanor is an important quality for NPs.

  • Physical endurance: Working as a nurse practitioner can be mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. You will need to take care of your own health in order to continue providing the best care for your patients.

How to become a nurse practitioner

Before you can become a nurse practitioner, you must be a licensed registered nurse (RN). You will also need to complete an MSN. Many programs prefer that you have a bachelor's degree in nursing, but some may offer a different type of certification program.

If you meet the qualifications above, you can go through the following steps to become an NP: 

1. Get an MSN or a DNP.

Both the MSN and DNP paths require hours of clinical coursework and specialty classroom instruction. While an MSN is the most common path to becoming a nurse practitioner, there is evidence that more places are requiring NPs to earn a DNP degree.

2. Pass the nurse practitioner exam.

After completing all coursework and clinical training, you can take a board-certified examination per your state's requirements. 

3. Apply for nurse practitioner certification or licensing.

Upon passing your exam, you can obtain a license or certification to work as a nurse practitioner. You may decide to complete more training and certification in order to practice with a specialization.

4. Go further in your career.

Becoming a nurse practitioner can take several years of education and training. The work you put in is necessary because you are in charge of people's health and lives, which makes this career path exciting and rewarding.

After becoming an NP, you may choose to pursue more learning and certifications if you want to switch your specialty or dive deeper into your current one. Self-directed learning and professional development are essential to maintaining a steady career as an NP. You will need to continue to update your technical skills as technologies and new systems or tools arise, and be open to improving your workplace skills every day.

Access free resources for your health care career

Visit our Career Resource Hub, where you can take a quiz, assess your skills, and check out resume and interview guidance. Then, you can explore the following free resources to learn more about a degree and career in health care:

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses. 

Article sources

  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm.” Accessed May 29, 2026.

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