Is Becoming a Nurse Practitioner Online Worth It?

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are in high demand and will continue to be for some time. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 46% increase in positions for NPs between 2023 and 2033. This is promising news for registered nurses (RNs) who are considering advancing their careers.

Becoming an NP allows RNs to take on specialized roles such as family nurse practitioner (FNP). More than 70% of NPs are certified as FNPs, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). If you currently have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and are considering enrollment in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) FNP program, or if you currently have an MSN degree and are considering a Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate, online options can help you achieve your goals.

To determine whether an FNP degree is worth it, examine the nurse practitioner (NP) profession, possible educational paths and the advantages associated with the career.

What Does an NP Actually Do?

An NP is an advanced practice RN with the skills and scope of practice to diagnose and treat both common and complex health care problems. NPs provide high-quality care to patients of all ages and their families. NPs are specifically trained to:

• Complete thorough, problem-focused health care assessments
• Interview patients with open-ended questions to obtain subjective information
• Physically assess patients from head to toe for signs of illness and disease
• Order and interpret laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging
• Differentiate health care problems to determine a diagnosis
• Formulate a plan of care including the prescription of pharmacologic therapies
• Evaluate the plan of care with routine follow-up and referrals to specialists as indicated

NP Specialties and Practice Areas

Using the skills outlined above, NPs often have a specialty area of practice. NPs and RNs may work in a variety of practice areas, but the NP role is more autonomous. The RN is responsible for monitoring patient status and implementing orders, and the NP role builds on this foundation with additional responsibility for the overall health care plan of the patient and family.

Career Comparison: RN vs. NP

	RN	NP
Conducting interviews with patients
Conducting physical assessments on patients	Daily, often continuous care and monitoring	Intermittent monitoring and plan/treatment evaluation
Level of patient care in hospital setting	Daily, often continuous care and monitoring	Intermittent monitoring and plan/treatment evaluation
Treatment abilities	Administers treatments on NP or doctor’s orders	Diagnoses and prescribes pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments
Training in advanced practice techniques	X
Autonomy	Less autonomy	More autonomy
Work schedule	Irregular work hours	More regular work hours
Median annual salary*	$86,070	$126,260

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023

The salary difference between RNs and NPs is one consideration in determining if an FNP is worth it. However, looking beyond the financial advantages, a career as an FNP offers other benefits, such as schedule regularity, more autonomy and a greater impact on a patient’s care delivery strategy.

Recent Trends in the Nursing Career Path

The ongoing nursing shortage is just one defining factor to the current nursing career path. Some distinct trends in the career paths of nurses include:

• A greater number of men will enter the nursing field.
• Nurses are working in in-person positions as well as virtual or remote positions.
• A growing number of nurses are choosing to advance their preparation and practice.
• Nurses are retiring later in their careers.
• There is an increased use of online education opportunities.

Becoming an NP is a choice that has helped restore job satisfaction for many nurses. So, should you pursue advanced education in a Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner program? You may be interested in pursuing this degree but have concerns that it will be impossible to fit an in-person educational program into your life while managing your existing responsibilities.

Online education is an alluring option when considering the busyness of life. If online education is your preference but you find yourself wondering whether online programs lead to high-quality care, consider some reasons why online education from an accredited institution can be just as effective as an in-person program.

Characteristics of Online Education for NPs

NP education includes both didactic (classroom) experiences and field (clinical) experiences. It is a common misconception that online programs for NPs do not include in-person clinical experiences when, in fact, they do. It is possible and common for NP programs to offer a hybrid format where content and concepts are learned remotely (online), while an in-person clinical component allows the student NP to apply their learning in the field or practice setting. This is due to clinical hour benchmarks set by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which require 750 clinical hours for both online and on-ground programs.

Accredited online programs can be just as effective as in-person programs for the following reasons:

• Online programs include in-person clinical experiences.
• In-person clinical experiences are accessible for students because they are often conducted in the student’s geographical area (even when the school is located elsewhere).
• Technologies for real-time communication, such as live chat and video conferencing, are increasingly incorporated into online educational experiences.
• Faculty of online programs collaborate with preceptors to facilitate successful clinical education and remediation of student learning when needed.
• Online programs offer a variety of innovative, evidence-based strategies for achieving the desired learning outcomes.
• Both online and in-person programs prepare students for certification exams (such as FNP-B and FNP-C).

With these points in mind, it’s important to make sure you take the time to do your research when comparing programs.

How To Choose a Quality Online Program

A high-quality online program is a program that produces high-quality NPs who are equipped to improve patient outcomes. Qualities of a successful NP include:

• The ability to assess and diagnose health conditions to treat patients across the life span
• The confidence to think independently and apply evidence-based guidelines in practice
• The heart to communicate with empathy, active listening and compassion
• The willingness to strengthen both leadership and entrepreneurial skills
• The decision to stay current with research and best practices

To help you find a program that helps students develop these qualities, we will explore several of the factors you might consider when choosing an online education, — starting with the faculty.

Accreditation

Students should ensure that the program they pursue is accredited by the CCNE. This national accreditation agency certifies the quality of undergraduate, graduate and fellowship programs in nursing. Programs that are not CCNE-accredited may not meet the same requirements to ensure their quality.

Faculty

Quality programs publicly display the qualifications and experiences of their instructors in the form of faculty profiles. It is valuable to review the individual expertise and collective scholarship of the primary educators who would be some of your mentors in an online program. Reviewing faculty profiles can help you gain confidence in the quality of the educators in an online program.

Online Experience

Many quality programs are candid and provide you with information on what to expect in their online experience. You might attend a virtual open house or webinar and have the opportunity for a question and answer session with faculty or staff about the program curriculum and format. You also may receive information about course delivery via their preferred learning management system. Engaging in a review of the online experience can give you insight into a quality program before making your decision to apply.

Residency Experience

Online programs with in-person clinical experiences may also have a short on-site session, sometimes called a residency experience. During residencies, students learn advanced nursing assessment and other nursing skills from faculty prior to entering the clinical setting. This residency experience is often the highlight of the program for students and a chance to network with classmates and faculty while gaining confidence. A short but intensive hands-on training experience with a clinical checkoff is a great way to ensure you are prepared for practice.

Testimonials

Quality NP programs are accredited and often have positive testimonials from current and prior students. What better way to evaluate an online program than to hear from students who have experienced the program for themselves? Accreditation is crucial – it means a program has been evaluated to meet standards for quality education and is committed to maintain these high standards. NPs must graduate from an accredited institution to be allowed to practice.

Benefits of Becoming an NP

Across the United States, NPs continue to be in demand to serve patients’ health care needs in a variety of practice settings and specialty areas. There are resources available to help you calculate the potential salary depending on your specialty choice, practice area and state of residence. Those who engage in the evaluation of the financial aspect of becoming an NP have concluded that it is financially worth it to advance your education and complete an NP program.

There are other benefits of becoming an NP that are not about a monetary perspective at all, but about quality of life and freedom. An NP position may allow you to become more autonomous and open your own practice.

Invest in a Brighter Future in Health Care

There are several reasons why an FNP is worth it, from salary increases to greater autonomy.

Carson-Newman University’s online FNP programs can help you prepare for this rewarding career. We offer both an online Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP) program and a Post-Master’s Certificate in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty. Visit the program page for more information and download the program guide. An admissions advisor is also available and ready to help you decide whether a Carson-Newman online NP program is right for you.