Considering a career as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)? If so, there are many places you could find yourself practicing--including your own private practice in certain states. You might work in a specialty clinic, a physician's private practice, a long-term care facility, or perhaps even in the homes of your patients. Let’s look at three of these options for AGPCNPs now.
Home Healthcare
Some Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners own or work in a practice in which they treat patients who have difficulty leaving their homes. This work can allow for flexibility and variety in your schedule, as every day you’ll be travelling to different locations. Your patients may include elderly, as well as those with chronic conditions or who are recuperating from surgery or a serious illness.
This role will allow you to treat patients in an environment where they’re more relaxed, social, and receptive to receiving care. You may also meet your patient's family and other caregivers as well as gain a clearer picture of their daily life, including social interactions and living conditions. This can help you in developing a treatment plan and giving your patient relevant educational counseling and guidance.
Your day will include a set number of visits as well as occasional unscheduled urgent visits. Nurse practitioners in home health are usually compensated per patient visit plus mileage. If you run your own practice, in addition to examining, diagnosing, treating, educating, and following up with patients, you’ll be in charge of scheduling, billing, and other administrative duties, unless you hire someone to assist with such duties.
Walk-in and Community Healthcare Clinics
Depending on the size and type of clinic, your experience as an AGPCNP could vary greatly. In small community and nurse-managed clinics, you may have set hours and see repeat patients on a regular basis for healthcare planning and treatment.
At walk-in clinics, however, your hours may be longer or more varied. While you might see patients with more diversity in healthcare needs, the increase in patient load coupled with fewer repeat patients could make it challenging to give each patient the attention or education you wish to provide. However, clinics that are part of large chains may offer opportunities for advancement, better benefits and even allow for relocation if that becomes needed.
At many clinics, you’ll be working alongside other nurse practitioners and collaborating with healthcare providers outside the clinic as needed.
Long-term Care Facilities
As an AGPCNP, you may have the opportunity to work as a nurse practitioner in a long-term care facility, such as an assisted living community or a nursing home.
In this role, you’ll primarily work with the elderly or those with debilitating chronic conditions, providing treatment, preventive care and education. Overall, you’ll likely spend less time on diagnosing problems than on managing, prescribing and adjusting care and treatment, and many of your patients will have multiple conditions you’ll need to consider. While providing long-term care for patients in need can be very rewarding, you should be prepared to work with patients near the end of their lives as well as the families of these patients--something that can take an emotional toll over time.
In some cases, you may be associated with one particular facility and have a set schedule, while in other instances you may travel between various facilities to care for more patients.
Want to know more about becoming a nurse practitioner and your career options? Explore our nurse practitioner articles on the blog, or contact us to talk about our graduate degree programs that can prepare you for a career in this field.
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