Between 2008 and 2018, hospital and ambulatory health services are predicted to be the second and third hottest industries in Idaho. That means that demand for nurse practitioners - and other healthcare professionals - will remain strong. Idaho already has a shortage of advanced practice nurses, and population shifts are expected to increase the demand for primary care professionals. By 2018, 30 percent of Idaho's residents will be age 50 or older, so demand may be particularly strong for gerontological nurse practitioners.
NPs in Idaho enjoy a high degree of autonomy. A collaborative agreement with a physician is not required to diagnose and treat patients, or to prescribe medications. Idaho's 600 plus nurse practitioners typically earn a mean annual salary between $75,000 and $85,000, with NPs in rural areas typically earning less than their urban counterparts.
While Idaho remains, in many ways, a frontier state with large swaths of untamed land, the state also currently leads the nation in renewable energy and technology and innovation. If you like the cutting edge, love the outdoors and appreciate a high level of professional autonomy, Idaho may be the place for you.
NP programs for Idaho nurses include:
- Idaho State University. Idaho State is home to Idaho's only in-state nurse practitioner program. The school includes an "emphasis on health care policy and rural issues," and offers a Master's level Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) programs. Students can select either the full-time or part-time option. Full-time students complete the course in two years; part-time students take three. The FNP program is offered online and boasts a 100 percent pass rate on the national certification exam.
- Georgetown University. Though located in Washington, D.C., Georgetown University offers two online NP programs that are accessible to nurses in Idaho. Students can select either a Family Nurse Practitioner program or the Nurse Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program. Classes are web-based, and Georgetown faculty work with students to arrange clinical experiences close to home.
- Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. The Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing is physically located in Kentucky, but the school, a leader in distance education, has long helped graduates become nursing leaders within their home communities. Frontier offers a Master-level Community-based Family Nurse Practitioner program that provides a strong emphasis on the business of primary care. The school also offers a DNP-level Family Nurse Practitioner and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner programs.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Idaho:
