Nurse Practitioner VS Registered Nurse? Yes, you heard it right. Both nurse practitioners and registered nurses are healthcare professions that let you offer many patients sensitive care. Despite their numerous similarities, nurse practitioners need more training and are qualified to carry out more treatments than registered nurses. You should find out more about the differences between the two if you are considering pursuing a nursing career.
To get you started, we’ve detailed who they both are, and the fundamental differences between registered nurses and nurse practitioners below. Continue reading to see if you can find the ideal career for you!
Who is a Registered Nurse?
One of the main categories of medical healthcare professionals in the UK is, Registered Nurses. You need a bachelor’s degree in order to work as a Registered Nurse. Nurse practitioners may work with registered nurses and supervise them.
However, there are specific tasks that RNs perform in all specialisations and settings that are displayed below;
Who is a Nurse Practitioner?
A registered nurse who has more autonomy is a nurse practitioner. Compared to registered nurses, nurse practitioners have a higher level of education and can occasionally work independently.
Collaboration between nurse practitioners and other medical specialists like doctors, social workers, and registered nurses is common. Across all states and specialties, typical NP duties include:
Nurse Practitioner VS Registered Nurse - the fundamentals
Both the roles of Nurses or Nurse practitioners are in high demand in the UK. By 2027, the NHS will require 190,000 more positions to be filled, according to Public Health England. Let’s get to understand these two roles based on five key distinctions:
- Roles
- Education Qualification
- Salary
- Job Prospects
- Lifestyle
1. Job roles
Registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), are two different nursing specialties, and each has its own areas of expertise:
An RN manages assessments, daily tasks, and predetermined procedures and operations while working closely with patients. RNs collaborate closely with medical professionals on a care team. They are not permitted to make medical diagnoses, design treatment plans, or prescribe medications.
An advanced practise registered nurse (NP) is a nurse who works closely with patients yet conducts themselves more like a doctor. Diagnoses can be made, treatment plans can be developed and managed, medicine can be prescribed, and more by nurse practitioners. After working as a registered nurse, becoming an NP is an excellent next step in your career because you typically have more autonomy, a wider range of practice, and higher earning potential.
2. Education requirements
Depending on the institution, degree preference, and any prior college courses already taken, you’ll typically need two to four years of education to become an RN. Either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will suffice as your undergraduate degree (BSN).
Graduates must pass the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses exam after earning their degree (NCLEX-RN). To determine whether graduates are qualified to practise entry-level nursing, a national exam evaluates them on how to apply and analyse the nursing knowledge they learned in school.
With the appropriate training and experience, RNs can also potentially specialise in a field of interest, such as medical or surgical care.
3. Pay scale
You might not have to work as an RN first before becoming an NP, depending on the state. However, the majority of nurses begin their careers as RNs before pursuing additional schooling to become NPs, a form of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Tuition support is one of the perks some businesses offer RNs to entice them to go back to school and further their education.
Compared to registered nurses, nurse practitioners typically make more money due to their wider scope of practise.
4. Job prospects
Both nurse practitioners and registered nurses have promising work prospects. Registered nurses’ employment is expected to increase by 9% through 2030, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The population is aging, preventive care is being prioritised more, and the prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes is rising.
For nurse practitioners, the employment prognosis is even better. This group’s employment is anticipated to expand by 52% through 2030, which is substantially quicker than average.
The substantial anticipated increase in the coming years is due to the significant need for basic healthcare services more in line with what physicians generally deliver, particularly in rural and inner city areas.
5. Lifestyle
When a nurse practitioner advances from being an RN, their work/life balance or quality of life may improve. They get to meet patients with more complex health conditions, allowing them to broaden their nursing skills beyond the RN job.
RNs enjoy greater flexibility and autonomy. Nurse practitioners frequently get to have more control over their schedule and patient visits than RNs. They spend more time with patients as they perform many of the same duties as physicians, including making diagnoses, developing treatment regimens, and prescribing medicine.
Despite these advantages, working as an NP can be more difficult and demanding than working as an RN. Because nurse practitioners frequently manage complex patient cases and are responsible for making higher-level judgments, their jobs may be more demanding than those of RNs.
However, this is typically considered a positive challenge, and the rewards of having a larger part in patients lives are very fulfilling and worth it.
Get promoted from RN to NP
Whether you’re thinking about becoming a nurse because you want to be a registered nurse, a nurse practitioner, or something else entirely, the reasons for becoming a nurse are numerous.
In fact, we met with a handful of nursing students to see why they opted to pursue such a passion-filled and challenging career. If you want to further become successful, contact our JP Medicals Team.