In-Demand Nurse Practitioner Specialties for 2022
With the healthcare industry booming, nurse practitioners (NPs) are in an excellent position to not only further their careers but fine-tune them to meet their own talents, interests, skills, and schedules. Six of the most popular specialties for NPs to pursue reflect the changing tide of the healthcare industry, which is focused on consumer-like experiences, value-based efficient care, an aging population, and preventive medicine. Take a look at the flexible, interesting options for today’s NP professionals in 2022.
What are some popular Nurse Practitioner Specialties for next year?
Telemedicine Experts
Finally coming into its own during the global COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has been around for years but only recently took off during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. As a result, hospitals, providers, healthcare systems, and even retail-focused organizations entering the healthcare space are looking for NPs to provide telemedicine services.
As a telehealth NP, you may be able to select not only your own hours but also your own location. Some organizations may allow you to simply log into a healthcare platform and serve patients in the current queue. This may involve reviewing basic patient information and symptom profiles, followed by a brief in-person interview with the patient. For minor ailments, you may be able to direct the patient to self-care or over-the-counter solutions. For those who require more immediate care, you may be referring them to the ER, an urgent care center, or their primary care doctor at their earliest convenience.
For other organizations, a telemedicine NP may work at a clinic and be part of a team providing multi-disciplinary services; a key player at a community-based physician’s office offering telehealth appointments; or a partner to a surgeon who is responsible for pre-op or post-op patient care on a virtual platform.
Traveling Professionals
Although many may be familiar with the various traveling nurse programs available, the same sort of service is available for nurse practitioners. This opportunity would be an excellent fit if you are interested in exploring not only new locations but new specialties.
Depending on your training and background, an agency will match you with available opportunities that could range from a week to a year or longer in different areas around the country that require NP services. The level of benefits may vary depending on assignments, but typically the hourly wage is higher than a typical NP full-time position. Many employers are also offering signing bonuses if they are short-staffed.
These individuals help fill the labor gap that nearly all healthcare systems are experiencing and can provide the added value that may be desperately needed in the short run.
Preventive Care Advocates
As healthcare systems around the country struggle to meet the growing demand with a tight labor pool, many are refocusing on preventive care and wellness programs. As an NP working in this area, you would have the opportunity to advocate and participate in health screenings, community wellness programs, and public education.
While you may participate in some hands-on care, you may be charged with more program development and coordination-related tasks to implement broader prevention programs for a specific organization or healthcare system. Preventive care can be especially important in caring for an increasingly aging population.
Long-Term Care Facilities
A steadily aging population and longer life span often mean more patients in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Nurse practitioners who enjoy working with this population have opportunities to provide caring, empathetic service to the seniors of our communities.
NPs may provide daily care and monitoring, offer an immediate diagnosis or treatment when patients experience a sudden change in health, or serve as an immediate medical consult on-site, potentially avoiding an unneeded hospital transport.
Mental Health Services
Although the demand for behavioral health services has been increasing in recent years, it truly exploded during the global pandemic when every aspect of life seemed to change, and uncertainty was everywhere.
Behavioral health services were also a telehealth success story during COVID, providing access and privacy in unprecedented ways. NPs specializing in mental health issues, therefore, have a great deal of flexibility in work environments. Psychiatric NPs are needed in private practices, schools and colleges, community health settings, hospitals, and telehealth-based services.
Emergency Room Assistance
Emergency rooms are fast-paced environments that can benefit from the expertise of NPs. These front-line workers certainly played an important role during the recent pandemic but are always needed to manage a myriad of patients and situations.
Whether you have training in geriatrics, family, or pediatrics, you may be able to find a position to serve at a hospital ER in your community.
Insurance for All Nurse Practitioners
As we come closer to the end of 2021, there is no doubt that the demand for experienced and available NPs will continue into the new year. Those trained as nurse practitioners have the unique opportunity to create a career and work situation customized to their own interests, skills and schedules, especially in these fast-growing areas. And for nurses who have been considering going back to school, now may be the time.
No matter the specialty or geographic location, every nurse practitioner wants a solid professional liability policy standing by in case the unthinkable happens and they find themselves the target of a malpractice lawsuit.
At NOW insurance, we worry about the risk so you don’t have to. Our polices are simple, fast and affordable. We have over 20 years of experience in medical professional liability and malpractice lawsuits. Get an online quote today in under 3 minutes to see just how competitive our rates are.
Learn more about insurance for nurses and nurse practitioners.
Learn more about policies for all allied healthcare professionals.
