Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (GNP) Career
What Do You Do in This Career?
With an increasing population of elderly people, gerontological nursing is in high demand and will continue to grow. Gerontological nurse practitioners (GNPs) will likely be able to find opportunities regardless of their location, and you will find that some companies even offer incentive plans to attract qualified nurses. Some of these include childcare, flexible work schedules, and competitive benefits.
This field can be trying since elderly patients often have multiple health problems that interact and complicate one another. There are no simple illnesses for the elderly, and a good GNP has to be on top of their game when it comes to knowing medication interactions, diet, multiple health problems, predispositions, and mental states of his or her patients. Communicating well with the elderly and their families is also a vital skill, as you need to be able to help families deal with serious illness and death.
Salary and Career Information
- Salary: Average salary for NPs range between $70,957 and $118,359. GNPs tend to earn higher salaries than other specialties in the field.
- GNP Requirements: In order to become an NP, you must be a registered nurse (RN), earn a master’s degree or higher, and pass a certification exam in your specialty. There is a National Board certification exam, and each state also has its own licensing requirements.
- Work Environment: GNPs work in a variety of settings. Some of these include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, physicians’ offices, home care, hospice care, and retirement communities.
What Kind of Coursework Can You Expect in This Program?
Coursework includes advanced practice nurse internships, acute care for older adults, advanced nursing care, assessment and management of health, holistic health assessment, morality and ethics in nursing, pharmacology, statistics, and management of older adult disorders. Learning to analyze patient health history, test results, and symptoms to create a complete picture of the patients’ health is emphasized in almost every class.
Earn an Online Nurse Practitioner Degree
Online nurse practitioner programs have grown in popularity in recent years as more accredited schools have begun offering online alternatives to these degrees. Combining flexibility with the lack of campus visitation required these programs are ideal for working professionals. By clicking on links below, you can request information from each school about its tuition, classes, and programs.
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Georgetown University — Stationed out of Washington DC, Georgetown University is a cultural and social hub and is one of the oldest schools in the nation. The school has two online nursing programs available, an MSN in Family Nursing and an MSN in Midwifery and Women's Health. Georgetown is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. |
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Kaplan University — Kaplan University's online presence is almost unmatched, offering over 170 online degrees and programs, including MSN in Nurse Administration, MSN in Nurse Education, and MSN in Nurse Informatics. However, there are also 70 campuses across the country for those interested in a more traditional education. Kaplan is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. |
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University of Phoenix — While it may not be surprising that the University of Phoenix is based in Phoenix, AZ, the school does have over 200 additional locations around the country. Phoenix has more than 200 online programs available, with nursing degrees in Health Education, Health Informatics, and a general track. Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. |
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American Sentinel University — American Sentinel University is an online college focused on technology, business, and healthcare. The school offers several nursing programs like the RN to MSN bridge programs or the MSN in Nursing Informatics. All of these programs require no campus visitation and can be completed online entirely. ASU has an accreditation by the Distance Education and Training Council. |
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Capella University — Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Capella University is an online school with over 37000 current students across the nation. Its online programs like MSN in Nurse Educator (Bridge option also available) have one-to-one tutoring, accelerated study, and low student to teacher ratios. Capella holds several accreditations, including The Higher Learning Commission and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. |
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