Nurse Practitioner Articles

Last Updated/Verified: Feb 9, 2023

Nurse Practitioner Hot Topics

DNP by 2025? 4 Reasons to Support DNP Entry-to-Practice

There is a push to eliminate the MSN in favor of the DNP entry-to-practice for nurse practitioners and other APRNs by 2025 - learn about the pros and cons.

Have You Seen “FAANP” After a Nurse Practitioner’s Credentials and Wondered What It Means?

Being elected as a FAANP is the highest professional designation for a nurse practitioner. Learn more about what this credential means.

Clinical-Community Linkages: Why Public Health Needs Nurse Practitioners

Public health and nurse practitioners can work together to improve the health of their patients and communities through clinical community linkages (CCL).

Six Nurse Practitioner Visionaries You Should Know About

These six non-conformist nurse practitioners demonstrate strength, innovative action, and growth.

The Personality Pandemic: Managing 6 Common Character Traits During COVID-19

As NPs are often asked to weigh in on COVID-19, these six patient personalities should be carefully considered.

Is the DNP Worth It? Four Reasons Why Nurse Practitioners May Feel Cautious

Pros and cons to earning the DNP degree - the highest degree level a nurse practitioner can hold.

Public Health Simulations: How I Learned What I Thought I Knew

Public health simulations can give nurse practitioners a unique perspective to bring to their practice.

Is Full Practice Authority Here to Stay? How COVID-19 is Advancing the Future of Nurse Practitioner Practice

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the subject of nurse practitioner full practice authority. How will we approach a post-pandemic society in regards to NP practice?

Nurse Practitioner Students

What I Wish I Had Known as a New NP

From taking board certification exams to landing a job and establishing a new career, an experienced NP shares what she wished she had known as a new grad.

4 Tips to Succeed in Nurse Practitioner Clinical Rotations

Becoming a lifelong learner is part of being a successful nurse, but for an RN with prior clinical experience, it can be hard to take on these NP opportunities with fresh eyes. Here are four tips to maximize your NP learning experience.

Student Loan Forgiveness: 4 Options for Nurse Practitioners

Learn about the Federal student loan forgiveness programs available to nurse practitioners that help ease the financial burden of an NP degree.

Dear NP Student, From a New Grad NP: Study Tips

You may discover that NP school will be one of the most difficult academic endeavors you experience. At the end of the day, any NP role requires a great deal of studying and the ability to put complex material into practice. Here are some study tips for NP students.

What Is the Role of the Nurse Practitioner Student in Clinical Rotations?

The NP student should have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities to maximize their time during clinical rotations.

Securing Nurse Practitioner Preceptors: Why Are Some Schools and Students Paying for the Privilege?

Securing preceptors for clinical rotations is a challenging task for NPs, and there's a growing trend of nursing schools and even students paying for preceptorships.

Is a Nurse Practitioner Residency Program for You? Weighing the Odds and the Need for Programs in Every State

Nurse Practitioners can gain valuable experience shadowing experienced NPs through post-graduate residency programs. Learn the pros and cons of nurse residency programs.

New Graduate Nurse Practitioners: Keep Learning to Build Confidence

Learn how to build and maintain confidence as a new-graduate nurse practitioner to foster success and lifelong learning.

Working Nurse Practitioners

6 Steps NPs Can Take to Create High-Level Patient Care Teams

Nurse practitioners are able to create and lead patient care teams, and creating a "work family" should be a key priority for NPs.

Breaking Down the Differential Diagnosis for the New NP

Developing a differential diagnosis is an incredibly important skill for an NP to master, as it is a foundation for providing excellent patient care.

Acing the Virtual Job Interview: 6 Tips for Nurse Practitioners

As a nurse practitioner, you may be more used to communicating in person. However, virtual job interviews for NPs are becoming common. Here are 6 tips to ace the video interview.

Make the Right Decision: Managing Decision Fatigue as a Nurse Practitioner

Understanding what decision fatigue is, how it presents itself, and effective ways to prevent it will significantly impact the health and job performance of nurse practitioners and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes.

Is A ‘Locum Tenens’ Job For You? The Pros and Cons for Nurse Practitioners

Now is the ideal time for NPs to consider temporary clinical assignments—better known as ‘locum tenens’ jobs. These assignments cover all medical specialties and practice settings, with durations ranging from days to months.

4 Essential Projects to Improve Primary Care Office Flow for Nurse Practitioners

Continual monitoring of primary care workflow for NPs leads to efficient patient appointments and potentially better patient outcomes.

5 Unexpected Perks of Joining a Professional Nurse Practitioner Organization

Joining a professional nurse practitioner organization offers an opportunity to develop relationships, share ideas, and expand your network.

Tips and Tricks For Nurse Practitioner Networking

Networking as a nurse practitioner may land you in a top working environment, or provide you with connections that can continue to benefit you as you transform your professional identity.

Keeping Your Sanity: How to Prevent Nurse Practitioner Burnout

It has become increasingly crucial for nurse practitioners to recognize what burnout looks like, the different causes, and how it can be prevented and treated.

How NPs Can Tackle Difficult Conversations with Patients and Families

Difficult patient interactions will inevitably occur in a nurse practitioner’s career. However, it is the NP’s responsibility to serve as a trusted resource in their patient’s care.

A 7 Step Health Policy Toolkit to Flex Your Political Muscle as a Nurse Practitioner

Busy NPs are often unfamiliar with and intimidated by the political process. However, as patient care champions, NPs also offer a unique view of community and health care needs.

7 Resources for Nurse Practitioners to Decode Primary Care Billing and Coding

Insurance reimbursements, billing, and coding basics for nurse practitioners and other providers who work in or own their own primary care practice

Are You Stressed About Negotiating Your NP Contract? Follow These Four Steps to Success

Find out the steps to make negotiating your Nurse Practitioner contract a breeze

5 Must-Have Apps & Tools for Nurse Practitioners in the Clinical Setting

While technology makes looking things up much faster and easier than ever before, keep in mind that these tools are for reference only.

Conquer Uniqueness: 5 Novel Ways to Educate Yourself and Expand Your Advanced Practice Nursing Career

Explore the following opportunities to strengthen leadership and find additional value in your Nurse Practitioner role.

New Graduate Nurse Practitioners: Keep Learning to Build Confidence

Learn how to build and maintain confidence as a new-graduate nurse practitioner to foster success and lifelong learning.