Registered Nurse (RN) Vs. Nurse Practitioner (NP)

The main differences between registered nurses and nurse practitioners are that:

• Nurse practitioners have more authority than registered nurses

• Nurse practitioners must have higher levels of education than registered nurses

• Nurse practitioners are paid more than registered nurses

The healthcare industry relies on its nurses. Nurses provide some of the most important care for patients. They also provide support and education for many members of their communities. Without nurses and their caring personalities and frontline responsibilities, the healthcare industry would suffer. Imagine for a moment, who would you talk to if you had to visit the hospital and there were no nurses?

Nurses are found everywhere in healthcare. From hospitals to primary care offices, urgent health clinics, and home practices, nurses are the stewards who look after their patients and make sure they get the care they need. Not surprisingly, there are many types of nursing professions, such as registered nurses and nurse practitioners, who have similar but also significantly distinct roles.

What Is a Registered Nurse?

A registered nurse (RN) is one of the most well-known types of nurse in healthcare. You have probably interacted with many registered nurses in your life. Registered nurses are responsible for administering direct patient care. This means registered nurses focus on making sure the patient gets what they need and is usually the one to provide that care.

Registered nurses can work in all kinds of settings, and the setting will determine the exact type of responsibilities they will perform. Some examples of specialized roles for registered nurses include:

• Emergency room nurses. ER nurses provide care to patients in the emergency room of a hospital.

• Primary care nurses. Primary care nurses work in primary care physician offices.

• Critical care nurses. Critical care nurses take care of patients who need immediate medical attention, such as those found in a trauma ward.

• Urgent care nurses. Urgent care nurses work in urgent care facilities.

• Medical-surgical nurses. Medical-surgical nurses assist patients before and after their surgeries.

• Home care nurses. Home care nurses come to patients’ homes to provide care.

• School nurses. School nurses work in a school or university setting.

• Labor and delivery nurses. Labor and delivery nurses assist in the birthing process.

• Pediatric nurses. Pediatric nurses help babies, infants, and young children.

• Psych nurses. Psych nurses help patients with mental health issues.

Registered nurses do not necessarily need to specialize in any particular role. Instead, it is possible for a registered nurse to bounce around, especially if the environment calls for it, such as in a small hospital.

All registered nurses share general responsibilities. They provide direct patient care and usually work under a physician or another type of doctor. This is because registered nurses are not authorized to make the decisions that the doctor makes. Instead, the nurse needs to assess the situation, assist the doctor when necessary, and ensure that the patient gets the appropriate treatment.

General responsibilities of a registered nurse include:

• Managing patient’s vitals.

• Observing and analyzing patients, including symptoms and behavior.

• Administering medications, IVs, and other treatments.

• Create nursing care plans.

• Counseling and educating patients and their friends or family.

• Supervising nursing assistants and student nurses.

What Are the Certifications And Requirements to Become a Nurse Practitioner?

Becoming a registered nurse is a challenging but very accessible process to most people. To be a registered nurse, you must meet three requirements:

• Earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN).

  Most registered nursing licenses require at least an ADN or BSN degree from an accredited institution. Accreditation is approved by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

• Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

  The NCLEX-RN is a nationwide standard that tests the competency of the nursing candidate. Most states use these results when approving nursing licenses.

• Apply for licensure in your state.

  Whatever state you work in has to authorize the nursing license before you can practice. Some states have very particular registration requirements and approve licenses only for their state. Other states are part of the compact nursing license agreement, which allows you to transfer your license from one compact state to another.

There are also additional certifications that registered nurses can receive. Certifications help registered nurses specialize in particular fields as well as career advancement opportunities.

What Is a Nurse Practitioner?

Nurse practitioners (NP) perform a more advanced type of nursing with a wider range of roles and responsibilities that vary depending on the state, setting, and specialty of the nurse practitioner. In general, a nurse practitioner is a nurse who can provide primary care to patients. This means they can assess, diagnose, and order treatments on their own authority, much like a physician.

Nurse practitioners are found in all types of environments. Unlike registered nurses, nurse practitioners have to have a specialty before they can receive their license. This means that nurse practitioners choose their environment based on their specialty. Some types of nurse practitioners include:

• Family nurse practitioners. Family NPs provide primary care to patients of all ages.

• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Practitioner. Adult primary care NPs focus on adults and can specialize in certain adult age ranges if they wish.

• Geriatric nurse practitioners. Geriatric NPs work with the elderly population.

• Pediatric nurse practitioners. Pediatric nurse practitioners work with infants, children, and young adults.

• Neonatal nurse practitioners. Neonatal NPs provide care for newborn babies.

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Acute Care NPs work with adults who are in need of immediate care, such as those found in an emergency room or trauma ward.

• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Psychiatric Mental Health NPs work with mental health patients.

• Women’s health nurse practitioners. Women’s health NPs focus on women, particularly reproductive and gynecological health.

Although nurse practitioners must choose a specialty, they all share some common traits. A main distinguishing factor is that nurse practitioners are given more authority than regular nurses.

Nurse practitioners are allowed to practice primary care on patients by making choices regarding their treatments. The state and environment a nurse practitioner works in determines the details of these responsibilities.

Some general responsibilities for nurse practitioners include:

• Diagnose patients.

• Order tests for diagnosis.

• Perform treatments for immediate care needs.

• Prescribe medication.

• Supervise healthcare staff members.

• Design treatment plans.

• Reviewing patient’s historical data.

• Work with other healthcare professionals to further treatments.

What Are the Certifications and Requirements to Become a Nurse Practitioner?

Becoming a nurse practitioner takes more time than becoming a registered nurse. First off, a nurse practitioner is required to have graduate-level education. They also must have prior nursing experience, either professionally or through their graduate-level education. The following is required to become a nurse practitioner:

• Earn a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor’s of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

  All nurse practitioners must receive a graduate-level education in their field.

• Have nursing experience.

  Nursing experience is usually required to enter a graduate-level program. However, there are some bridge programs that allow nurses with ADN or BSN degrees to enter graduate programs.

• Take a certification exam in your specialty.

  Nurse practitioner licenses will not be issued until the candidate has shown they have chosen a specific field to enter.

• Apply for licensure in your state.

  Once all other requirements are met, the candidate must apply to their state’s nursing board to receive their nurse practitioner license.

Registered Nurse Vs. Nurse Practitioner

As you can see, there are several key differences between registered nurses and nurse practitioners. Some of their biggest differences are:

• Nurse practitioners have more authority.

  Nurse practitioners can do a lot more than registered nurses. A nurse practitioner can prescribe medication, perform primary care, request lab tests, and in some states, they can even run their own practice.

• Nurse practitioners must have higher levels of education.

  To get to their positions of authority, nurse practitioners need a graduate-level education. This comes in the form of either a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Nurse practitioners use their high level of education to learn the necessary skills for their profession.

  Nurse practitioners must specialize in a field. Nurse practitioners use their authority to be experts in certain areas of healthcare. Due to this, before they become a nurse practitioner, they must choose what their area of expertise will be.

• Nurse practitioners are paid more.

  Since nurse practitioners have more responsibility, and require higher levels of education and specialization, they are paid more than registered nurses. This makes sense because there will be greater demand for their positions and a smaller supply of candidates.

However, though the roles of a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner are different, neither is better than the other. They both play very important roles in society.

Registered Nurse Vs. Nurse Practitioner FAQ

1. Is a nurse practitioner higher than a registered nurse?

   Yes, nurse practitioners have more authority than registered nurses. Nurse practitioners are given more responsibility, which sometimes includes overseeing registered nurses. This also means they are in higher positions that pay more. However, this does not mean nurse practitioners are inherently better than registered nurses.

2. Do nurse practitioners make more money than registered nurses?

   Yes, nurse practitioners make more money than registered nurses. This is because their job comes with more authority and responsibility. However, an experienced registered nurse may make more than an entry-level nurse practitioner depending on the different levels of experience.

3. Should I be a registered nurse or a nurse practitioner?

   If you are interested in becoming either a nurse or a nurse practitioner, deciding between the two really just depends on what you want out of your job.

   Do you want more flexibility? Then a registered nurse position is better for you. Are you willing to study at a graduate level to get paid more? Then go ahead and start your career as a nurse practitioner.

Author

Conor McMahon

Conor McMahon is a writer for Zippia, with previous experience in the nonprofit, customer service and technical support industries. He has a degree in Music Industry from Northeastern University and in his free time he plays guitar with his friends. Conor enjoys creative writing between his work doing professional content creation and technical documentation.