The number of new nurse practitioners has been rising steadily in Alaska over the past 20 years, but demand remains strong. Experts predict that healthcare and social assistance will be the largest industries in Alaska by 2014. If you like wide open spaces and impressive natural scenery - and can stand dark days and cold temperatures - Alaska might be just the place for you. The money isn't bad either. According to salary.com, the median annual salary for a nurse practitioner in Alaska is $102,000.
Nurse practitioners in Alaska have a large degree of professional autonomy. A collaborative practice agreement with a physician is not required to diagnose and treat illnesses; NPs in Alaska also have prescriptive privileges. Sixty percent of Alaska's mid-level healthcare providers (including NPs) live and work in the Anchorage region.
Top NP programs in Alaska include:
- University of Alaska at Anchorage. The School of Nursing at the University of Alaska at Anchorage is the only school in Alaska to offer an on-campus nurse practitioner program. Students can choose from two NP tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Post-masters certificate programs are also available to RNs who have a Masters in nursing but wish to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner.
- Georgetown University. Though located in Washington, D.C., Georgetown University offers two online NP programs that are accessible to nurses in Alaska. Students can select either a Family Nurse Practitioner program or the Nurse Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program. Classes are web-based, while Georgetown faculty work with students to arrange clinical experiences close to home.
- Drexel University. Based in Philadelphia, Drexel University offers a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program online. Adult Acute Care and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs are also available online, but both of those programs require visits to the Philadelphia campus.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Alaska:
