Employers

Advanced practice nurses are employed by hospitals, managed-care facilities, long-term care facilities, clinics, mental health facilities, nursing homes, home health care agencies, veterans affairs facilities, industrial organizations, nursing schools, other educational institutions, physicians offices, and the military.

Starting Out

The advanced practice nurse position is not entry-level. Most APNs enter the field after working as registered nurses, accruing several years of experience, completing advanced education, and becoming certified.

The only way to become a registered nurse is to complete one of the three educational programs and pass the licensing examination. Registered nurses may apply for employment directly to hospitals, nursing homes, companies, and government agencies that hire nurses. Jobs can also be obtained through school career services offices, by signing up with employment agencies specializing in the placement of nursing personnel, or through the state employment office. Other sources of jobs include advanced practice nurses associations, professional journals, newspaper ads, and the Internet.

Administrative and supervisory positions in nursing are filled by nurses who have earned at least a Bachelors of Science in nursing. Since advanced practice nurses must have masters degrees to enter the field, they often have a good chance of advancing to supervisory or managerial positions. Some advanced practice nurses continue their education and become physicians or health care executives. Others work as nursing professors.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings:

• https://careerconnection.napnap.org
• https://careers.npwh.org
• https://www.gapna.org/career
• https://www.healthecareers.com/awhonn/
• https://www.nurse.com/blog/category/nursing-career-and-jobs/

Join professional nursing associations to access training and networking resources, industry publications, and employment opportunities.

Conduct information interviews with advanced practice nurses and ask for advice on landing a job.

Those interested in positions with the federal government should visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Managements Web site, https://www.usajobs.gov.