The Top 15 Career Path Options For Family Nurse Practitioners

A family nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed a doctoral or master’s degree in advanced practice nursing. Often, a family nurse practitioner, or FNP, will work with parents and children alike, throughout various generations or even within a particular small community.

Becoming a family nurse practitioner can open a variety of doors in the healthcare profession. Below is a list detailing the 15 top career paths for FNPs could be ideal for you.

1. Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

As a family nurse practitioner typically works with parents and children throughout the generations, they may find that they gain more enjoyment out of their time spent caring for children than anything else. In this instance, the correct career path for you may be in pediatric nursing. A pediatric nurse works with children in an intensive care or clinical environment, providing specialized levels of care.

How to Become One

To become a pediatric nurse practitioner, you will need to have at least at Master of Science in Nursing degree with coursework in ethics, health assessment, pharmacology, primary care, and physiology. You also need to be certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.

Job Growth Trends

From 2008-2018, the job demand for pediatric nurse practitioners was estimated to increase by 22%.

Salary

The median salary is $97,000 a year.

2. Nurse Midwifery/Family Nurse Practitioner

A nurse midwife is an advanced practice registered nurse who coordinates and provides care for women expecting to give birth. Though they can perform births, a nurse midwife also works with mothers before, after, and during the delivery to give the best care to both mother and child. This can be a wonderful option for family nurse practitioners, who already get to know families and can make expectant mothers feel more comfortable.

How to Become One

After several years as a family nurse practitioner, you will be able to earn your Master of Science degree in nurse midwifery.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the job demand for nurse midwives should increase by 31%.

Salary

The median salary is $97,000 a year.

3. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

When working as a family nurse practitioner, individuals form strong bonds with their patients, and during the course of providing care, may find that they have to work with a neonatal nurse if a child is born prematurely. A neonatal nurse practitioner will provide intensive care for premature infants who generally have health problems.

How to Become One

It is helpful to have experience working with premature babies during your time as a FNP, and you will have to have at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing, which your FNP career should have afforded you. You will need national certification by an agency like the National Certification Corp. and also by the State Board of Nursing.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the job demand for neonatal nurses is expected to grow by 17%.

Salary

The median salary is $105,325 a year.

4. Oncology Nurse Practitioner

After working as a FNP for a number of years, the chances are you will be exposed to a patient who has been diagnosed with cancer. Oncology nurses provide specialist care for individuals who have cancer, working one on one with them during their time in hospital, and at home.

How to Become One

Practicing as a family nurse practitioner for several years will help you to eventually earn your certification as an oncology nurse, before moving on to an MSN, which qualifies a person to be an oncology nurse practitioner in any health care setting.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the job demand for oncology nurses is expected to increase by 20%.

Salary

Salary can range from $72,150 to $89,839 annually.

5. Geriatric or Gerontological Nurse Practitioner

A geriatric nurse practitioner works primarily with elderly patients, typically within a hospital or care home. As a family nurse practitioner, the chances are you will have worked with similar patients in the past, however a geriatric nurse is trained specifically to handle the kind of challenges an elderly patient deals with, such as chronic illnesses, dementia, arthritis, and other long term conditions.

How to Become One

Experience working with elderly patients as a family nurse practitioner will be useful. You will need a MSN degree and a board certification for gerontological practice that is provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the job demand for geriatric nurses is expected to increase by 23%.

Salary

Salary can range from $63,000 to $85,000 annually.

6. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Typically, a family nurse practitioner will offer some kind of counselling to the patients that he or she sees regularly. However, a psychiatric nurse has a higher degree of expertise regarding mental health, and they can help patients to deal with addictions, mood disorders, drug abuse and anxiety.

How to Become One

Experience working with a family nurse practitioner dealing with mental illnesses will be useful. You will need a MSN degree with focus on Psychiatry and a board certification for psychiatric nursing that is provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the job demand for psychiatric nurses is expected to increase by 19%.

Salary

Salary can range from $66,000 to $85,000 annually.

7. Chronic Pain Nurse Practitioner

Chronic pain management nursing is considered to be a vital part of the medical field, as it helps to improve the quality of life for patients. This is typically something a family nurse practitioner will hope to achieve as they build a relationship with their patients.

How to Become One

Experience working with a family nurse practitioner dealing with chronic pain will be useful. You will need a MSN degree and a board certification for nurse practitioners that is provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the job demand for pain management nurse practitioners is expected to increase by 26%.

Salary

Average salary of $91,450 annually.

8. Clinical Nurse Specialist

A clinical nurse specialist is expected to deal with and treat patients who struggle with chronic and serious health conditions. Usually, they will work with these patients in a clinical setting, and the individual in question may suffer from an acute illness. As family nurses work with patients on a long term basis, they can be exposed to individuals who have chronic health conditions.

How to Become One

A clinical nurse needs specialized training, on top of a BSN and MSN.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the job demand in this field is expected to grow by 20%.

Salary

$66,200 median annual salary

9. Nurse Advocate

A nurse advocate represents the interests of the patient and the patient’s family when in a clinical care or hospital setting. Family nurse practitioners are often used to this role, as they work very closely with patients throughout their lives, providing an important link between them and other healthcare professionals.

How to Become One

You will need a degree of experience in nursing, which your time as a FNP should provide, from there, you will have to use your BSN to take further education classes in financial and social matters relating to healthcare.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, job demand in this area, as well as nursing overall, is expected to grow by 19%.

Salary

$57,000 a year median salary.

10. Nurse Researcher

Family nurse practitioners can be employed in a variety of different health care settings, and in addition to working directly with patients, they may decide to fulfil leadership roles with their qualifications. Nurse researchers work with other medical organizations and research groups to perform clinical studies in relation to health. They will generally be required to write proposals for grants so that they may get the funding they need to conduct studies.

How to Become One

Having experience as a FNP will provide a great deal of the educational background that you need, but you will also have to achieve your MSN.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, the demand for research scientists is expected to grow by 26%.

Salary

$90,000 a year.

11. Dialysis or Nephrology Nurse Practitioner

As a family nurse practitioner, one of the patients that you see on a regular basis throughout the course of their lives may develop a kidney problem. These individuals need dialysis regularly to filter their blood for them so that they can survive. As a dialysis nurse, you would be able to provide the care your patients need in this instance.

How to Become One

You will need to have a masters or doctoral degree in nursing (some states require a doctoral degree) and must be a Certified Nephrology Nurse with at least 2000 hours of work experience of giving services to kidney patients.

Job Growth Trends

By 2022, job demand in this area, as well as nursing overall, is expected to grow by 19%.

Salary

Salary can range from $88,000 to $100,000 annually.

#12. Nurse Anesthetist

Nurse anesthetists offer care to patients going into surgery, by giving them anesthesia, and helping to manage patient care in the OR. They also provide follow up care for procedures that are done on an outpatient basis. This job can be particularly convenient for a family nurse practitioner, who would follow up on their patient’s care as part of their regular practice.

How to Become One

You will need your BSN, and two years of experience as a nurse which you may have already obtained as a FNP. Then, you can earn your MSN in anesthesia, before spending some time in acute care clinics and treatment centers.

Job Growth Trends

This field should grow 22% by 2022.

Salary

$154,300 a year.

13. Nurse Case Manager

A nurse case manager job could be ideal for FNPs, as they monitor the progress of patients, suggest alternative treatments, and evaluate their care, all tasks that an FNP regularly carries out. However, on top of this, they also help to provide more cost-effective care for insurance providers and medical facilities.

How to Become One

Many RN-MSN programs can provide a case management track, although this certification is not always required, it does improve your chances of getting the job.

Job Growth Trends

This field should grow by 19% by 2022.

Salary

$68,032 a year.

14. Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse Practitioner

Similarly to a pediatric nurse, a pediatric endocrinology nurse cares for children, however they specialize in children who have disorders in their endocrine system, educating parents and children about managing the disease. This can be a fantastic opportunity for family nurses, who develop relationships with their patients, and can help to monitor the status of a child throughout their life.

How to Become One

You will need an RN license, as well as two years of experience which you may have from working as an FNP. You should also have a bachelor’s degree in nursing and substantial experience in diabetes education, internal medicine, endocrinology, and pediatric nursing.

Job Growth Trends

This field should experience growth of 19% by 2022.

Salary

$81,000 a year.

15. Public Health Nurse Practitioner

A public health nurse is something like a family nurse practitioner, except for instead of caring for one patient at a time, they care for an entire population of people, helping them to learn about preventative medicine.

How to Become One

Your experience as a family nurse practitioner will come in handy, and you may be required to earn your Master of Science in nursing too if you want to give yourself the best chances of getting the job.

Job Growth Trends

This field is expected to see strong demand in the future, as the government is focusing on preventative medicine as a way to reduce healthcare costs. By 2022, there should be at least an 18% growth.

Salary

$66,000 a year.