NPSchools.com Nursing Features

The nurse practitioner profession is growing at a rapid pace. And with growth comes change. Today’s nurse practitioners are dealing with staff shortages in rural areas, changes in educational standards, and battles for wider practice authority in select states. What will tomorrow’s nurse practitioners be concerned with? Our interview-based features and in-depth resource guides uncover the stories behind the big issues by talking to nurse practitioners who know the subject best.

Day in the Life of a Surgical Nurse Practitioner (NP)

July 21, 2025 – Matt Zbrog

Surgical NPs specialize in one or more aspects of surgical care. Often beginning their career with training as acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs), their work environment typically exists within a hospital, but they can work anywhere there’s an operating room or clinic.

Ask a Professor: The NP Practice Environment in Kentucky

July 18, 2025 – Matt Zbrog

Medical schools aren’t graduating enough primary care physicians fast enough to match the growing demand for their services. But they also shouldn’t have to: Kentucky’s nurse practitioners (NPs) are a valuable resource in fighting back against the primary care crunch and increasing healthcare access to those who need it.

Guide to Nurse Practitioner Continuing Education Resources (2025-26) – Contact Hours & Units

July 17, 2025 – Becca Brewer, MEd

While much of an NP’s continuing education happens in a way that is hands-on, practical, and in response to what they encounter as they practice, maintaining licensure and professional certification requires practicing NPs to adequately complete formal continuing education as well.

Which U.S. States Have the Highest Demand for Nurse Practitioners?

July 3, 2025 – Becca Brewer, MEd

With NPs equipped with the skills needed for the current and impending needs in healthcare, the Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS 2025) predicted that between 2023 and 2033, the demand for NPs will swell by 46 percent, making it the third fastest-growing occupation in the country. An incredible 135,500 new NP jobs are predicted during this time period.

Expert Analysis: A Guide to NP Insurance Reimbursements

June 12, 2025 – Kimmy Gustafson

Nurse practitioners are educated and trained to perform many of the same job duties as physicians, including physical examinations, ordering and interpreting tests, prescribing medications, managing a patient’s overall health, and acting as primary care providers. However, despite the quality of care and level of expertise being equal, nurse practitioners are not reimbursed by insurance at the same rate as physicians.

A Guide to Malpractice Insurance for NPs

May 27, 2025 – Matt Zbrog

Malpractice insurance, also known as professional liability insurance, does just that: it protects NPs from the costs associated with claims of negligence or incompetence, including costs related to liability and legal defense. As the role and responsibility of NPs continue to increase, it’s essential that NPs be adequately covered.

An Expert’s Bona Fide Guide: Life as a Pain Management Nurse Practitioner (NP)

May 23, 2025 – Matt Zbrog

The ways in which we understand, treat, and manage pain are continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, applying increasingly nuanced and individual approaches to what was once seen as a uniform symptom. Pain management NPs are at the forefront of that evolution, helping to pioneer the biopsychosocial model of pain management and push the field forward through research into multimodal methods of treating pain.

Taxes for Nurse Practitioners: W2 Employee vs 1099 Contractor

May 14, 2025 – Sophia Khawly, MSN

There are pros and cons of being paid as a W2 employee and being a 1099 contractor or self-employed. Some may prefer having benefits being a W2 employee, such as health insurance, whereas some prefer being a 1099 contractor, where the hourly pay tends to be higher.

How to Make Your Nurse Practitioner (NP) Resume Stand Out

May 13, 2025 – Sophia Khawly, MSN

Creating a unique resume as a nurse practitioner is lucrative to stand out from a sea of applicants. A resume communicates the brand of the NP and their qualifications. The job of a resume is to get you to the interview and then facilitate the relationship between you and the possible new employer.

Choosing an NP Specialization or Subspecialty: Your Options & The Selection Process

May 12, 2025 – Sophia Khawly, MSN

When choosing an NP specialty or sub-specialty, the NP should consider their past experiences as a nurse, and if they want to continue working in a similar specialty or try something different. They should contemplate if they would like to prioritize pay, work-life balance, or job satisfaction. They should also examine if they are looking for a field to be comfortable in or one that will challenge them.