Transitioning from RN to Nurse Practitioner: What to Expect

by Carson-Newman … on September 16, 2020

This article has been updated on September 30, 2024
Learn more about Carson-Newman's online BSN to family nurse practitioner program.

The decision to transition from a registered nurse (RN) to a nurse practitioner (NP) is an exciting one. NPs have the potential to take on senior positions and can specialize in a field like family nurse practitioner (FNP) to offer primary care. However, you may wonder what to expect during your first year in your new role.

Students in Carson-Newman University’s online MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner program are prepared to thrive as holistic nurse leaders. At Carson-Newman, we value knowledge and equip nurses to become advanced practitioners, which is why we’ve written this article on transitioning from RN to nurse practitioner — so you can be prepared and confident in your new FNP role.

What Is the Role of Nurse Practitioners?

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has attained either a master’s or doctorate in nursing and has passed a national licensure exam. Most degree programs offer a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on clinical work that helps ease the transition from RN to nurse practitioner.

Nurse practitioners can work in a variety of specialized fields, including the following:

Family practice
Adult or gerontology primary care
Acute care
Pediatrics
Women’s health
Psychiatric and mental health
Hospice and palliative care

Differences Between an RN and an NP

Before making the transition from RN to nurse practitioner, it’s important to understand the differences between the two.

RNs gather information from patients for diagnosis by physicians and specialists. RNs manage patient intake, take medical histories and make initial evaluations before further assessment by physicians. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the following responsibilities for RNs:

Record observations of patients during visits and appointments.
Perform tests and evaluations authorized by doctors and specialists.
Educate patients on healthy behaviors and treatments.
Administer patients’ medicines and treatments.
Operate and monitor medical equipment.

NPs often handle the responsibilities of RNs while acting as primary care providers. In states with full practice and prescriptive authority, they’re permitted to prescribe medications, order tests and authorize treatments without physician supervision. NPs also work with patients on long-term health and wellness plans during regular visits.

RN vs. NP: Education and Specialization

RNs can gain licensure with diplomas, associate degrees or bachelor’s degrees. All educational options provide sufficient preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Nurses can specialize in a single area of care or accrue multiple certifications as their careers develop.

NPs start as RNs to gain the requisite experience for advanced practice. State-by-state requirements vary for practitioners, but they typically require graduate degrees and certification by national boards. Specializations in areas like family practice, mental health and acute care are common for practitioners.

A Closer Look at Family Nurse Practitioners

An FNP is a nurse practitioner who specializes in family health care. An FNP works with patients of all ages, providing care to adults, children, adolescents, women and older adult patients.

Many FNPs share similar responsibilities as family physicians, diagnosing and treating illnesses and conditions, prescribing medications and providing medical care over a patient’s lifespan. This specialization is by far the most popular option: The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) states that 70.3% of nurse practitioners are a type of FNP.

How to Start Strong During Your First Year From RN to Nurse Practitioner

Change is difficult, and growing from your familiarity and identity as an RN to a nurse practitioner won’t be an exception. The goal, of course, is to find healthy and productive ways to adjust so that you can enjoy the benefits and see your hard work pay off. Below are some key areas of focus to ensure your first year is as successful as possible.

Maximize Your Prior Training and Experience

One of the most abrupt challenges in making the move from RN to nurse practitioner is starting over with a lower level of expertise. You’ve likely grown comfortable in your role as an RN, mastering the daily tasks and developing well-earned instincts. Your first year as a nurse practitioner will require you to master new tasks and develop fresh instincts.

However, your years of work as an RN are crucial and will continue to serve you well as you grow into your new role. For instance, much of your time will be spent navigating the core elements of health care you already know well, including:

Patient interaction and care
Mental focus and endurance
Working relationships with other health care providers and staff
Foundational medical and health care knowledge
Effective communication skills

Your first year will be spent building new expertise in your transition from RN to nurse practitioner. Still, you’ll be well prepared to adapt by leveraging the foundation of knowledge, experience and intuition you’ve already developed as a nurse.

Own Your Learning Process and Ongoing Professional Development

New nurse practitioners need to be mindful of the adjustment phase that occurs from leaving academia to learning on the job. An orientation program can help ease this transition; however, a formal orientation isn’t always available in every health system.

While standardized orientations and training would be preferable, knowing ahead of time that you may not receive structured guidance is key. You can start preparing before you even begin your new role by taking charge of your own professional development and focusing on what you can do for yourself.

You can talk to teachers and mentors about specific ways to prepare for your first year. Locate experienced nurse practitioners who are willing to offer counsel about how to best prepare and adjust.

You also can make educated inquiries before accepting a job offer. Search for programs and opportunities that aim to equip new FNPs as they learn their new role.

One strategy may be to search for residency and fellowship programs designed for new graduate NPs. The Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers assists health care organizations in establishing these kinds of training programs, so make a point of identifying how you might take advantage of a growing number of such opportunities.

Such training programs reflect a growing trend of recognizing the need for minimizing stress for new nurse practitioners, which is good news for those making the change from RN to nurse practitioner in years to come.

Develop Strong Professional Relationships

While taking ownership of your learning and development is essential, you will still need the support of others. In fact, one of the most effective ways to stimulate your success is to cultivate peer and mentor relationships — this will improve your job satisfaction early on, as well as your effectiveness as you transition from RN to nurse practitioner.

Collaboration and team building among medical professionals has a number of positive outcomes. Fewer medical errors are made and patients experience better results and greater satisfaction with care.

Strategies to foster a collaborative environment between nurse practitioners and other health care professionals include the following: :

Having mutual respect for decision-making authority and accountability
Cultivating strong, professional communication
Devising plans that are best for the patient, not for professional egos
Learning to understand and appreciate the perspectives of others
Retaining a mutual focus on the patient and positive patient outcomes
Managing conflict wisely
Learning to negotiate respectfully

Another strategy to help you transition from RN to nurse practitioner is partnering with a mentor who can shepherd you through some of the challenges during your first year. Some mentorships may already be built into orientation or residency training for new NPs, though you can always network and find your own mentor if these options aren’t available. As you begin your first year on the job, consider looking in these places for one or more mentors who can help you transition effectively from RN to nurse practitioner:

Your nursing school or clinical practicum sites
Your workplace or local area
Professional nursing organizations

Students in Carson-Newman’s online MSN-FNP program enjoy support from a close community of faculty and staff who care.

Why Should I Transition from RN to Nurse Practitioner

The nurse practitioner role is growing exponentially, as is the need for dedicated professionals who want to advance from RN to nurse practitioner.

Those interested in transitioning from RN to nurse practitioner enjoy a wide range of benefits including high job satisfaction, more career autonomy and a bright career outlook. In fact, the U.S. News & World Report recently ranked nurse practitioner as the No. 1 overall job and the No. 1 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) job on its overall 100 Best Jobs of 2024 list.

Career Growth and Opportunities

As you move from RN to nurse practitioner, you’ll find that there is no shortage of job opportunities in your NP role.

That’s because job growth for nurse practitioners is projected to increase by 45% between 2022 and 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is substantially more than the 3% growth rate the BLS projects for all professions.

With an anticipated shortage of up to 86,000 primary care physicians in the United States by 2036, NPs focused on primary care will continue to be in high demand.

FNPs are uniquely poised to help alleviate the physician shortage due to their ability to treat across the lifespan and serve a wide range of patients. The need for skilled FNPs is even greater in areas designated as health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). An estimated 75 million Americans living in these areas are underserved by medical caregivers.

Read our blog on how FNPs fill the gap in primary care.

More Flexibility and Autonomy

As you move from RN to nurse practitioner, you’ll enjoy more career autonomy and a wider range of clinical duties, including the ability to:

Evaluate and diagnose patients
Order and interpret diagnostic tests
Initiate and manage treatments
Prescribe medications

In many states, NPs have full practice authority, meaning they can operate independently and even run their own clinical practice.

Due to high demand, FNPs in particular have a wide range of work environments. These can include private practice, urgent care facilities, hospitals and schools.

Substantial Growth in Income

Those who transition from RN to nurse practitioner will also see a significant boost in salary potential. The BLS reports that NPs made a median annual salary of $126,260 in 2023; by comparison, RNs made a median of $86,070. As your experience and practice grow as an NP, you’ll likely see increases in your salary over time.

Higher income, along with a bright outlook, more autonomy and the ability to provide holistic care for patients throughout their lifespan all contribute to a rewarding career as you make the shift from RN to nurse practitioner.

doctor and nurse join hands with a patient

How Carson-Newman Supports Students Transitioning from RN to Nurse Practitioner

While there are challenges to the transition from RN to nurse practitioner, Carson-Newman’s online MSN-FNP program is uniquely designed to empower working nurses to succeed in taking that career step and to thrive in their new role.

Those enrolled in Carson-Newman’s online graduate nursing programs benefit from a flexible, student-focused approach designed for working nurses, including:

Expert faculty who prioritize student success
An intimate learning environment marked by smaller class size
Individualized support throughout the program from a dedicated Student Success Advisor
Clinical placement support, which saves many hours of time and enables students to stay focused on the program
Hands-on residency training to provide a broader clinical experience and competence

Your best strategy for facing challenges in your first year is to choose a path where you’re prepared from day one, and that is the focus of Carson-Newman’s online MSN-FNP program and online Post-Master’s FNP Certificate program.

Learn more about the benefits of becoming a nurse practitioner.

Watch the video below to hear from an FNP student, Zenab Mahmoud, on how Carson-Newman’s close community is helping her reach her goals in nursing.

“The supportive staff [is] very attentive, they’re willing to lend a hand whenever you’re in need... You won’t feel alone at all.”

Become a holistic nurse leader with Carson-Newman's online MSN-FNP program or online Post-Master's FNP Certificate program.