The vast majority of Minnesota's 2500 nurse practitioners practice in urban areas, particularly in Minneapolis-St. Paul region, where most of the state's residents reside. One-third of Minnesota's residents, though, live in rural areas, and these residents typically lack access to quality healthcare. According to a recent report by Minnesota's Office of Rural Health & Primary Care, "rural Minnesota in particular continues to experience an ongoing need for high quality primary care... especially in those areas of the state with growing numbers of elderly residents."
That means there is an on-going need for nurse practitioners who are willing to live and work in the less-populated western and northern parts of the state.
Minnesota nurse practitioners must have a collaborative agreement with a state physician; a collaborative agreement is also required if a nurse practitioner wishes to prescribe medication in Minnesota.
Currently, about half (48 percent) of Minnesota's nurse practitioners work in clinic settings; 27 percent work in hospitals. The average annual salary for a nurse practitioner in Minnesota ranges from almost $86,000 in Duluth to $90,000 in the Twin Cities, according to Salary.com.
NP programs for Minnesota nurses include:
- Metropolitan State University. Metropolitan State is in the process of converting its family and adult/gerontology nurse practitioner programs to DNP-level programs. An MSN program is available to Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioners (WHCNPs) who are certified through Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/South Dakota.
- St. Catherine University. St. Catherine's, casually referred to as St. Kate's, offers NP programs in adult-gerontology, neonatal and pediatrics. Adult-gerontology NP grads choose to become certified as both an adult and a gerontology nurse practitioner.
- Winona State University. Winona State offers a family nurse practitioner program and an adult nurse practitioner program. Clinical experiences include a strong focus on rural and underserved populations.
Rural Minnesota nurses may appreciate the convenience of Georgetown University's online NP program.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Minnesota:
