Illinois, known for the Chicago Bears, the Sears tower and Abraham Lincoln, is also an attractive place for nurse practitioners. The number of advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, increased 26.3 percent between July 2007 and July 2011. And unlike other states, Illinois' nurse practitioner population is relatively young. In fact, Illinois' nurse practitioners, on the whole, are younger than the state's RN and LPN populations. Increasingly, young, motivated Illinois nurses are seeking advanced education early in their careers so that they can provide high-quality primary care to needy patient populations.
The need for primary healthcare providers is greatest in Illinois' rural communities. Chicago, Illinois' largest city, boasts multiple medical schools and academic medical centers. The state's rural areas, on the other hand, currently face a physician shortage. Nurse practitioners can help fill in the primary care gap. Physician collaboration is required to practice as a NP in Illinois.
Statewide, the average annual salary for a nurse practitioner ranges from $84,000 in rural areas to $95,000 in Chicago. Neonatal nurse practitioners tend to earn the most, with average annual salaries ranging from $95,000 to $107,000, according to Salary.com.
NP programs for Illinois nurses include:
- Loyola University. Loyola offers a variety of interesting NP options, including combined clinical nurse specialist/nurse practitioner programs. Combined programs include oncology nurse specialist/adult nurse practitioner, acute care nurse practitioner with emergency nurse practitioner sub-specialty and family nurse practitioner with emergency nurse practitioner or with cardiovascular sub-specialty. Loyola also offers a Doctoral-level family nurse practitioner program for BSN nurses who wish to purse a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP).
- University of Illinois at Chicago. The University of Illinois- Chicago offers a family nurse practitioner program through the Department of Health Systems Science. According to the school, graduates of the program have "a strong background in population-focused assessment and health program planning development in addition to thorough preparation as a provider of evidence-based primary care."
- DePaul University. DePaul, located in Chicago, offers two master's-level NP programs: family nurse practitioner and adult nurse practitioner.
Online NP programs, such as the one offered by Georgetown University in Washington, DC, are also an option for Illinois nurses.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Illinois:
DePaul University (Chicago, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Illinois State University (Normal, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) (online), Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (online)
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Lewis University (Romeoville, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Adult Nurse Practitioner
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Acute Care NP (ACNP), Acute Care-Emergency Care NP (ENP), Adult Health NP (ANP), Family Nurse Practitioner, Oncology CNS/ANP
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Northern Illinois University (Dekalb, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Olivet Nazarene University (Bourbonnais, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Rush University (Chicago, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Acute Care NP (ACNP), Acute/Chronic Care Pediatric NP (ACCNP), Adult NP (ANP), Family NP (FNP) (online), Gerontological NP (GNP), Neonatal NP (NNP), Pediatric NP (PNP), Psychiatric-Mental Health NP (PMHNP)
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Saint Anthony College of Nursing (Rockford, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing (Peoria, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
Accreditation: NLNAC accredited
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Saint Xavier University (Chicago, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (Edwardsville, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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University of Illinois at Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing, Direct Entry MSN
Matching Program Tracks: Acute Care (CNS or NP), Adult NP, Adult/Geriatric NP, Family NP, Geriatric (CNS or NP), Mental Health (CNS or NP), Occupational Health/Family NP, Pediatric (CNS or NP), Women’s Health NP
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL)
Program Types: Masters in Nursing
Matching Program Tracks: Adult Nurse Practitioner (online), Family Nurse Practitioner
Accreditation: CCNE accredited
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