Advanced nurse practitioner

About this occupation

Advanced nurse practitioners are in charge of promoting and restoring patients` health, provide diagnosis and care in advanced settings, coordinating care within areas of chronic disease management, providing integrated care, and supervising assigned team members. Advanced nurse practitioners are general care nurses who have acquired an expert knowledge base, complex decision making skills and clinical competencies for expanded clinical practice on advanced level.

• Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
• Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
• Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
• Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
• Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
• Monitor patients' medication usage and results.

Typical education (US)

Master's Degree

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

Interests

Social, Investigative, Conventional

Top skills: Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking

US median pay: US$97,550 a year (2025), 3,379,720 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Subjects this work relies on

How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).

• PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyExtremely important (5.0)
• English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageExtremely important (4.6)
• BiologyO*NET: BiologyVery important (4.3)
• SociologyO*NET: Sociology and AnthropologyVery important (4.1)
• Government and PoliticsO*NET: Law and GovernmentImportant (3.4)
• ChemistryO*NET: ChemistryImportant (3.3)
• Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.3)
• Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsImportant (3.2)

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Preparation needed

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Most common education (US)

Master's Degree

Education

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Training

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.