Whether you’re a nursing student just starting out, a registered nurse that’s curious about becoming a nurse practitioner, or a nurse practitioner already, you may be wondering about the salary of nurse practitioners.
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced training and education in clinical practice. This training enables nurse practitioners to provide comprehensive health assessments and diagnose and treat illnesses. They are also able to order and perform tests and procedures and prescribe medications.
Several factors affect the salary of nurse practitioners. The location in which a nurse practitioner practices is one of the biggest influences. In this article, we will look at the salaries of nurse practitioners in Ottawa.
We will also discuss how much schooling is required, what is involved in becoming a nurse practitioner in Ottawa, and what nurse practitioners in Ottawa can do in terms of their duties and responsibilities.
How Much Do Nurse Practitioners Make in Ottawa?
Nurse practitioners in Ottawa receive salaries that vary according to their specialization and years of experience. Listed below are average hourly and annual salaries for nurse practitioners in Ottawa, along with entry-level and experienced salaries.
What is the Average Amount Nurse Practitioners Make in Ottawa?
Salary levels for nurse practitioners may vary greatly depending on their specialization, level of experience, and location. In Ottawa, nurse practitioners earn an average of:
- $61.08 per hour
- $127,056 per year
How Much Do Entry-Level Nurse Practitioners Make in Ottawa?
Nurse practitioners at the beginning of their careers earn less than their more experienced counterparts. The salary amount for new nurse practitioners also varies depending on their specialization. Entry-level statistics here are for nurse practitioners with 1-3 years of experience. The average pay for entry-level nurse practitioners in Ottawa is:
- $42.63 per hour
- $88,670 per year
How Much Do Experienced-Level Nurse Practitioners Make in Ottawa?
In general, the longer a nurse practitioner has been in practice, the more money they can expect to make. Over the course of their careers, nurse practitioners’ pay will increase. The statistics here pertain to nurse practitioners who have been in practice for at least 8 years.
Similar to the average salary and entry-level salaries, experienced-level salaries also vary according to the nurse practitioners’ specializations. Accordingly, the following is the average pay for experienced nurse practitioners in Ottawa:
- $75.94 per hour
- $157,952 per year
What is the Salary Potential for Nurse Practitioners in Ottawa?
The estimated average salary for nurse practitioners in Ottawa in 2027 is $148,010. That’s a 16% increase over the course of 5 years. This shows that nurse practitioners in Ottawa have excellent potential for salary growth and plenty enough to live comfortably, invest, and buy bitcoin cash.
How Does Ottawa Compare with the Rest of Canada for Nurse Practitioner Salary?
Overall, the average salary for nurse practitioners in Canada is $120,626 per year. With the average salary for nurse practitioners in Ottawa being $127,056, or an equivalent hourly rate of $61, the average Ottawa salary is $6,430 or 5% higher than in Canada overall.
A number of factors determine salaries by province, including cost of living. Salaries also vary within each province, from city to city.
The cost of living in Ottawa is 25% higher than the average cost of living in Canada. The cost of rent, food, transportation, health services, utilities, taxes, and a variety of other factors are considered when calculating the cost of living for a particular location.
Is There a Demand for Nurse Practitioners in Ottawa?
Nurse practitioners are in high demand in Ottawa. As nurse practitioners retire, their positions need to be filled. A longer lifespan and advances in healthcare have also led to people needing more medical care as they age.
Currently, there are over 2,300 nurse practitioners in Ontario. This represents 67% of all nurse practitioners in Canada. The government is planning to expand the nurse practitioner workforce by creating new positions. The new positions will lead to more nurse practitioners in communities throughout the province and in cities like Ottawa. These positions will be critical as the healthcare system shifts toward a team-based approach.
How To Become a Nurse Practitioner in Ottawa?
In order to become a nurse practitioner, you must be a registered nurse and complete an advanced degree program.
Before admission to a master’s program, you will need to have experience working as a registered nurse for a certain number of years (usually two or three) in the desired specialty. Getting accepted onto a master’s in nursing is the next step in the process of becoming a nurse practitioner.
How to get on to a Master’s Program in Nursing
- 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 Ottawa?
In Ottawa, 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
Many of the tasks normally reserved for doctors can be performed by nurse practitioners. As professionals with advanced training and degrees, nurse practitioners can perform procedures and maintain responsibilities in addition to those of a registered nurse. These responsibilities and duties 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 Ottawa?
The amount of time it takes to become a nurse practitioner in Ottawa varies. The time it takes to become a nurse practitioner depends on your program of study and whether you are a full-time or part-time student. This includes all coursework, internships, and clinical experiences required by the program.
Nurse practitioners must first earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) and 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 qualify them to take the nurse practitioner licensing exam in the specialty in which they have chosen to practice.
Nurse practitioner programs are also varying in length, depending on the type of program a student chooses—traditional or accelerated. How one obtained their registered nurse license is also an important consideration.
The entire educational process typically takes six to seven years. This includes approximately four years of undergraduate study to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, and then about two years to obtain a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. By going through an accelerated program, this process can be speed up. It can be slowed down by studying part-time rather than full-time or going through a traditional program.
Where Can Nurse Practitioners Work?
Nurse practitioners are able to choose from many different settings to practice in, depending on their specialty. There will be more variety in certain specialties, as they can work in clinics as well as hospitals. Alternatively, other specialties will primarily 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
As we can see, there is a high demand for nurse practitioners in Ottawa. Over the next five years, the government plans on increasing the number of nurse practitioners. The salary for nurse practitioners in Ottawa is higher and more competitive compared to those in other cities across Canada.
It’s not uncommon for registered nurses to get bored after a few years of working at the bedside. They may find themselves looking for new challenges and experiences. Should this be the case for you, look into nurse practitioner programs available and see if there is one that might be a good fit. More autonomy and better pay are appealing benefits of becoming a nurse practitioner.
Considering that nurse practitioners have more autonomy than registered nurses, along with the increase in pay, it’s a career choice that many people find appealing.
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.
Sources:
SalaryExpert. February 2022
BC Gov News
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