Career Guide: Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
If you’re an RN considering going back to school, you might be wondering: Can a nurse practitioner be a primary care provider? Yes, they can, with additional schooling and clinical experience. And if you enjoy building long-term patient relationships, this could be a great role for you. Learn more about the path to becoming a primary care nurse practitioner.
Primary care services are essential to the health of a population and are linked to improved health equity and care quality. Patients access preventative care and ongoing medical support through primary care, which nearly 90% of nurse practitioners are trained to deliver. NPs are especially necessary in rural settings, where physician shortages mean that they may be the only medical provider available to the community.
If you’re interested in promoting healthy lifestyles and helping patients understand their bodies, you might make a great primary care NP. Let’s review the duties of this role and what it takes to become one.
Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Daily Tasks
Wondering if the responsibilities of this role could be right for you? There are many specialties you can pursue if you’re interested in becoming a nurse practitioner. As a primary care provider, an NP may do the following tasks in a day:
- Coordinating referrals to other providers
- Delegating to medical assistants, RNs, and support staff
- Diagnosing conditions
- Documenting and updating electronic health records (EHRs)
- Managing chronic diseases
- Ordering and interpreting tests
- Ordering vaccines
- Performing patient assessments
- Prescribing medications
- Performing minor procedures
- Providing patient education
This role differs from other advanced practice nursing (APRN) roles because you’ll be seeing patients who are relatively well. Patients may come in for minor issues or follow-up, but for the most part, primary care clinics exist to keep patients healthy and prevent illnesses. So compared to an acute care NP, for example, a primary care NP sees more stable patients.
How to Become a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner: 6 Steps
Becoming a primary care NP may take as much as eight years if you don’t have another degree. If you’re already an RN, skip to step four to learn more about NP schooling requirements.
Step 1: Attend Nursing School
The first step in becoming a primary care NP is completing a prelicensure nursing degree program. You can do this via an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). While an ADN is a faster (and typically less expensive) degree, a BSN is often preferred by employers. Many schools require the BSN for NP program admissions, but there are RN-to-MSN programs that don’t. Learn more about comparing ADN vs. BSN degrees.
If you already have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, there is another option — direct-entry NP programs. These fast-paced curriculums are designed to help you earn your RN license while also training to become a nurse practitioner. They require a serious commitment, but if you’re looking for a faster way to become a primary care nurse practitioner, they can be a good option.
Step 2: Become an RN
Once you finish your nursing degree, you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to become a registered nurse. This nationwide exam tests your ability to provide safe, effective patient care. It’s between 75 and 145 questions, with formats including multiple-choice, case studies, select-all-that-apply, and more. Check out our resources on preparing for the NCLEX.
Depending on the state you live in, you may need to complete an additional licensure application before or after you complete the NCLEX exam. This typically requires a background check, official school transcripts, and a licensure fee.
Step 3: Gain Experience
Most aspiring NPs gain hands-on experience as RNs. Many programs require a minimum of one to two years of clinical work in settings like ambulatory care, family medicine, or outpatient clinics. This will give you time to understand the primary care role and be sure that it’s the right one for you. You’ll also develop essential skills in patient assessment, chronic disease management, and preventive care.
On the other hand, inpatient experience also has benefits for new graduate nurses. Hospital acute care settings such as med-surg and emergency department nursing can help you gain critical thinking skills in a fast-paced environment. Urgent care or home health nursing may also be great options for aspiring primary care NPs.
Step 4: Attend Nurse Practitioner School
Next, you’ll need to complete a graduate nursing program for primary care or family medicine. You can choose between a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), both of which prepare you for advanced clinical practice.
Your program should have a primary care focus, such as:
- Family Nurse Practitioner: Prepares you to care for patients of all ages.
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner: Focuses on adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations.
- Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner: Prepares NPs to care for young patients.
All programs should include coursework in advanced pharmacology, health assessment, and pathophysiology, along with clinical rotations in primary care settings. Full-time MSN programs typically take one to three years, while DNP programs can take three to four years to complete.
Step 5: Gain National Certification and State Licensure
After earning your degree, you must pass a national certification exam to practice as a board-certified NP. Two major certifying bodies offer primary care NP credentials:
- The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) provides certification for Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C) and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP).
- The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers certifications for Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP-BC), Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners (AGPCNP-BC), and Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioners (PPCNP-BC).
- The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) provides the Primary Care Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-PC) certification.
Finally, you’ll need an APRN license from your state’s board of nursing to practice. This typically includes providing proof of your RN license, NP education, and national certification, as well as an application fee.
Step 6: Start Your Job Search
Ready to start caring for patients as a primary care NP? Search our nurse practitioner jobs to find roles near you.
The average salary for primary care nurse practitioners is about $122,780. Experience and additional certifications can help you earn more as a nurse. If you’re open to a move, you might consider relocating to one of the states where nurse practitioners earn the most income. Check out NP roles in these high-paying states:
Becoming a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner FAQ
NP vs. doctor: What’s the difference?
When comparing nurse practitioners vs. doctors for primary care, keep in mind that they have similar responsibilities — evaluating patients, head-to-toe assessments, ordering tests, and prescribing medications. But their backgrounds and authority differ in the following ways:
- Schooling: Physicians go through medical school and residency (about 11 years), while NPs go through nursing school and an NP program (about 8 years).
- Practice scope: Physicians can practice independently in every state, and while NPs have full practice authority in many states, they need physician supervision in others. Learn more about the NP scope of practice.
- Geographic availability: NPs often help fill gaps in healthcare access, especially in rural settings, so they are often more available to patients in these areas.
Is FNP higher than NP?
No, they both refer to nurse practitioners. An FNP is a specialized type of nurse practitioner who works in family medicine.
Find Roles for Nurse Practitioners
Ready to learn more about primary care nurse practitioner jobs? Our personalized job notifications make it easy to know when roles open up in your area. Learn more today.