Advancing to nurse practitioner allows you to expand your skillset and potentially earn greater autonomy in your work. While both types of nurses work with the pediatric patient population, most of the differences relate to the general difference between the RN and NP roles.
A few of the biggest differences between RN and NPs include:
- Nurse practitioners can act as a primary care provider, and can potentially spend more time with patients and build longer-term relationships
- Nurse practitioners can prescribe medications
- Nurse practitioners can diagnose patients and write treatment plans
- Nurse practitioners may enjoy a greater work/life balance, as they may have more control over their working schedule
Learn more about becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.