Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education and training in clinical practice. With this advanced training and education, they can make diagnoses, manage and treat illnesses, and perform comprehensive health assessments. In addition, they can order tests and procedures, prescribe medications, as well as perform procedures.
If you’re considering becoming a nurse practitioner or if you are already a nurse practitioner, you may wonder how much money a nurse practitioner makes. Nurse practitioner salaries are affected by a number of factors, one of which is location. The purpose of this article is to examine the salaries of nurse practitioners in Alberta.
Additionally, we will look at the schooling requirements, how to become a nurse practitioner in Alberta, and what nurse practitioners in Alberta can do in terms of duties and responsibilities.
How Much Do Nurse Practitioners Make in Alberta?
The salaries of nurse practitioners in Alberta vary depending on their specialization and experience. An overview of average hourly and annual salaries for nurse practitioners in Alberta is provided below, along with entry-level and experienced salaries.
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What is the Average Amount Nurse Practitioners Make in Alberta?
Nurse practitioner salaries can vary greatly, depending on speciality, years of experience, and location. The average amount nurse practitioners make is:
- $59.89 per hour
- $124,573 per year
How Much Do Entry-Level Nurse Practitioners Make in Alberta?
Just starting out, nurse practitioners may earn differing amounts depending on their specialization and type of nursing. Entry-level statistics here refer to nurse practitioners with 1-3 years of experience. The average pay for entry-level nurse practitioner positions in Alberta is:
- $41.80 per hour
- $86,937 per year
How Much Do Experienced-Level Nurse Practitioners Make in Alberta?
In general, the more experience a person has, the more money they’ll earn. Throughout their career, nurse practitioners can expect to earn more money. Statistics here represent those with more than 8 years of experience as a nurse practitioner. The following shows the average pay for experienced-level nurse practitioners in Alberta:
- $74.45 per hour
- $154,864 per year
What is the Salary Potential for Nurse Practitioners in Alberta?
The estimated average salary for nurse practitioners in Alberta in 2027 is $144,414. That’s a 16% increase over the course of 5 years. Nurse practitioners or individuals considering becoming nurse practitioners in Alberta have a great deal of salary growth and potential.
How Does Alberta Compare with the Rest of Canada for Nurse Practitioner Salary?
Overall, the average salary for nurse practitioners in Canada is $120,566 per year. With the average salary for nurse practitioners in Alberta being $124,573, the average Alberta salary is almost $4,000, or 3%, higher than in Canada as a whole.
Salaries by province are influenced by many factors, including the cost of living in each province. Furthermore, remember that salaries within each province can differ from city to city.
Alberta’s cost of living is 8% higher than the average cost of living in Canada. The cost of living is calculated based on accumulating the cost of rent, utilities, food, transportation, health services, taxes, and various other factors. These are things to take into consideration when looking at salary. It’s imperative to look at salary along with the cost of living to get a more accurate picture of what you’ll be spending and earning as a nurse practitioner.
Is There a Demand for Nurse Practitioners in Alberta?
Nurse practitioners are in high demand in Alberta. As nurse practitioners retire, there is a need to fill those positions. As the lifespan increases and healthcare advances, people need more healthcare services as they age.
There are currently about 600 nurse practitioners in Alberta. Over 75% of these nurse practitioners work in acute care facilities or hospitals. Only 25% of them work in primary care. The Alberta government is planning on hiring dozens of new nurse practitioners to work in under-served areas of the community, primarily focusing on primary care.
How To Become a Nurse Practitioner in Alberta?
To become a nurse practitioner in Alberta, you must be a registered nurse and complete a master’s degree program at a minimum.
Admission to a nursing master’s program is the first step. In order to be admitted into a master’s program, an applicant must have worked as a registered nurse in their desired specialty for a certain amount of time (usually 2 or 3 years).
How to get into a Master’s in Nursing Program
- Degree: Applicants need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or have completed an RN to BSN bridge program.
- Nursing License: Applicants must provide a copy of their current nursing license.
- Prerequisites: Depending on the program, certain prerequisite courses may be required before admittance.
- Performance: Testing performance may be required, depending on the program.
What Can Nurse Practitioners Do in Alberta?
In Alberta, there are five recognized specialties for nurse practitioners:
– Primary Care
- Treat patients ranging from infants to adults
- Wide range of family-focused care from health promotion to chronic illnesses
- Acute care centers, physician offices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospice centers, private care with patient’s home, urgent cares, correctional facilities, private practice
– Neonatology
- Treat high risk-infants, usually in a neonatal intensive care unit within a hospital
- Provide support and education to families for the infants they’re treating and work closely with the neonatologist
- Hospitals, clinics, home health care services, patient transport, research
– Pediatrics
- Treat children of all ages, from birth up to the age of 21
- Health promotion, along with diagnosis and treatment while working in collaboration with a pediatrician
- Hospitals, urgent cares, specialty clinics, physician offices, schools, private clinics
– Adult Care
- Treat patients from early adulthood to older adults
- Primary care or acute care
- Hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, hospice facilities, private practices, specialty clinics
– Mental Health
- Treat and care for those with mental illness, and their families
- Practice in offices, outpatient centers, residential facilities, and inpatient hospitals
Nurse practitioners are capable of performing a large number of tasks that are typically reserved for physicians. Nurse practitioners are capable of performing procedures and maintaining responsibilities in addition to those of a registered nurse since they have advanced degrees and training. These duties and responsibilities include:
- Diagnosing conditions, illnesses, and diseases
- Prescribing medications
- Applying medical treatments or using techniques that are invasive
- Prescribing diagnostic examinations
- Providing pregnancy care
- Identify, prescribe, and monitor medical treatment
- Using invasive diagnostic techniques
- Education and leadership
- Consultations
- Research
How Long Does it Take to Become a Nurse Practitioner in Alberta?
The amount of time it takes to become a nurse practitioner in Alberta varies and depends on a number of factors. To become a nurse practitioner, you will need to complete a few years of training, depending on the program. The time required also depends on whether you are studying full-time or part-time. This includes all coursework, as well as any clinicals and internships required by the program.
Nurse practitioners must first obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). After obtaining their BSN, they must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to obtain their registered nurse licensure. After completion of their undergraduate degree, they must then obtain a graduate degree in nursing—MSN or DNP—which will prepare them to sit for the nurse practitioner licensing exams in the specialty in which they have chosen to practice.
The time it takes to become a nurse practitioner can also vary depending on the degree program—traditional or accelerated. Also, how one obtained a registered nurse license can make a difference. The whole process usually takes between six and seven years.
This includes approximately four years of undergraduate study to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. It then takes about two years to obtain a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. This process can be sped up by going through an accelerated program. It can be slowed down by studying part-time rather than full-time.
Where Can Nurse Practitioners Work?
There are a variety of settings in which nurse practitioners can practice, depending on their specialization. Different specialities will have more variety, as far as working in both hospitals and clinics. Other specialities will predominantly function in hospitals.
– Primary and Adult Care
- Hospitals
- Clinics
– Neonatology
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in hospitals
– Pediatrics
- Hospitals
- Clinics
– Mental Health
- Community
- Hospitals
- Clinics
Conclusion
We can see that nurse practitioners are very much in demand in Alberta. Within the next five years, the government aims to increase the number of nurse practitioner positions. As compared to Canada as a whole, the salary for nurse practitioners in Alberta is a little higher among the other provinces. A nurse practitioner has more autonomy than a registered nurse, so keeping that in mind, along with the increase in pay, it’s a career choice that appeals to many.
Some registered nurses find themselves getting bored after a few years of working at the bedside. They search for more opportunities and experiences. Consider looking into the nurse practitioner programs in Alberta to find one that may be right for you if you find yourself feeling that way. There are many options. More autonomy and better pay are appealing benefits.
Written by Joanne Potter
Joanne Potter, BSN, RN, is a writer that specializes in health and wellness. She has fifteen years of experience as a Registered Nurse in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Her years working at the bedside and extensive neonatal knowledge enable her to write with a deep understanding of what patients and families want from their communities.
Source:
SalaryExpert. February 2022
BC Gov News
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