Utah desperately needs more primary healthcare providers. The state currently ranks 49th of 50 states for the number of primary care physicians per 100,000 residents. The shortage of healthcare providers is projected to get worse in the near future, as the overall average age of the state's residents creeps up.
Nurse practitioners are already at work, providing healthcare services in some of the Utah's most underserved areas. Nurse practitioners are more prevalent than physicians in some of Utah's rural communities.
Most of Utah's 1300 or more nurse practitioners work full-time, and most report that the majority of their work hours are spent in direct patient care. The most common NP specialties in Utah are family care, pediatrics and adult health.
Salaries for Utah's nurse practitioners rose steadily throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. As of 2011, the average annual salary for a nurse practitioner in Utah has been around $86,000, according to Salary.com.
Utah nurses who wish to become nurse practitioners can choose an online program, such as the one offered by Georgetown University, or they can study at an in-state institution. NP programs for Utah nurses include:
- Brigham Young University. BYU is the largest private school in the nation. It offers a master's-level family nurse practitioner program. Most students complete the program in three years.
- University of Utah. The University of Utah offers BSN-to-DNP nurse practitioner programs such as: adult/gerontology, family and pediatrics. By 2015, a DNP degree will be the minimal degree required for entry to practice as a nurse practitioner.
- Westminster College. Westminster, located in Salt Lake City, offers a family nurse practitioner program that's friendly to working nurses. Classes are only scheduled one to two days per week, and typically meet in the afternoon and evening.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Utah:
