The number of nurse practitioners in Louisiana increased 50 percent between 2006 and 2010; currently, just over 2000 NPs are in practice in Louisiana. Louisiana NPs have also seen their scope of practice increase in recent years. While the state still requires NPs to have a collaborative agreement in place with a physician, the number of Louisiana advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, with prescriptive power increased by almost 78 percent between 2006 and 2010.
Like most southern states, Louisiana has a strong need for primary healthcare providers. Nurse practitioners often function as primary care providers in rural, medically underserved areas.
The average annual salary for a NP in Louisiana varies by geographic location. Nurse practitioners in Shreveport earn, on average, $81,000 annually, while NPs in New Orleans make closer to $91,000 per year.
Some of the top NP programs in Louisiana include:
- Grambling State University. Grambling offers a 21-month long master's-level Family Nurse Practitioner program that requires on-campus attendance just one day a week.
- Louisiana State University. Based in New Orleans, Louisiana State offers masters's-level NP programs: Family Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. There is no waiting list for admission.
- Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Located in Shreveport, Northwestern State offers master's-level NP tracks such as Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Louisiana:
