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Articles for Advanced Practitioners Job Search Tips & Advice

Becoming a Nurse Anesthetist: A Journey Through the Years

Becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is a rewarding career choice for individuals interested in combining advanced nursing skills with the specialization of anesthesia care. This guide provides an in-depth look into the journey of becoming a CRNA, including the educational requirements, necessary experience, and the potential career opportunities that await those who choose this path.

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The Path to Becoming a Nurse Practitioner: What You Need to Know

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) play a pivotal role in the healthcare sector, offering a blend of nursing and healthcare services that often parallel the capabilities of physicians. With advanced training and education, NPs deliver a range of healthcare services—from diagnosing and treating various health conditions to prescribing medications. This guide provides an in-depth look at the journey to becoming a Nurse Practitioner, highlighting the educational requirements, time commitment, and the rewarding career that awaits.

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The Highest Paying Physician Assistant Specialties in 2024

There are many factors to consider when looking for an employment opportunity as a Physician Assistant. One of the biggest factors is compensation and this can vary considerably based on which medical specialty you choose to work in. With average PA salaries coming in at a median $126,010 annually, choosing a lucrative specialty opportunity can bump up your pay by over $20,000 annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a growth of nearly 40k jobs by 2032. To help you capitalize on a lucrative career move, consider these top-paying PA specialties.

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2024 CRNA Career and Compensation Outlook

As we step into 2024, the career landscape for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) continues to evolve, reflecting broader healthcare industry trends, technological advancements, and shifts in patient care models. CRNAs stand at the forefront of anesthesia care, providing critical services in surgical, obstetrical, and trauma care settings. This article delves into the myriad career paths available to CRNAs and offers a comprehensive outlook on salary and compensation trends, setting a benchmark for professionals seeking to navigate this dynamic field.

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Top-Paying Advanced Practitioner Specialties for 2024: Career and Salary Projections

The demand for advanced practice providers like nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) continues to grow as the healthcare system experiences shortages of primary care providers. With an aging population and increased access to insurance, there is a greater need for providers who can deliver high-quality, cost-effective care. This has led to increased employment opportunities across a variety of specialties.

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The Importance of Patient-Centered Care for NPs and PAs

The delivery of healthcare has evolved over time, with patient-centered care (PCC) emerging as a critical component of quality healthcare. PCC is an approach that focuses on the patient as a whole person, recognizes the importance of the patient's values and preferences, and seeks to engage the patient in the decision-making process. Advanced practitioners, such as nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs), play a significant role in delivering PCC. This article will explore the importance of PCC, the role of advanced practitioners in PCC, and the key strategies advanced practitioners use to enhance PCC through patient engagement and shared decision-making.

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5 Reasons Why Being an NP is Fulfilling

Filling healthcare positions is becoming increasingly more difficult as the pandemic continues. COVD-19 case numbers continue to spike and then fall, and healthcare workers are becoming few and far between. Some are experiencing burnout, while others are simply not happy in the role that they set themselves up for years ago when they began medical school. With that, below you will find a list of reasons that Nurse Practitioners find their jobs fulfilling, and some benefits of being a Nurse Practitioner.

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Top 10 Places for a Physician Assistant to Live

Are you considering a position in a different state but aren’t sure how the salary compares to the salary in your current position? In an effort to help you make a decision about where to relocate to so you can further your career, we’ve compiled a list of the best states for a Physician Assistant to live. The list will include average salary in that state, the difference  between the average state and national salaries, and the concentration, or location quotient, of the profession in each state. In this article, you can also find a breakdown of degrees held by Physician Assistants in the United States.

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Top 10 Places For a Clinical Nurse Specialist to Live

Deciding where to settle down when starting a new job can be tough, but we hope that it becomes easier for you after you read this article. We’ve scoured the internet to gather a list of the top places for a Clinical Nurse Specialist to practice. In the list, you can find the national average salary, the difference between the national average and the state average salaries, and the concentration, or location quotient, of the profession in each state. You can also find a breakdown of degrees held by Clinical Nurse Specialists across the United States.

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Top 10 Places for a CRNA to Live

No matter whether you’re just getting started in your career or you’re looking to move on to a new opportunity, there are a lot of different places you could choose to live. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the best places for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) to live. The list includes average salary in each of the top states, the concentration, or location quotient, of the profession in each state, and the difference between the national average salary and the average salary per state. We’ve also included a breakdown of degrees held by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists across the United States.

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Top 5 Allied Health Professions by Salary

If you find yourself wanting to pursue medicine but you want a non-physician career, you can always consider Allied Health as an option. Allied Health includes jobs such as dental hygienist, dietitian, speech language pathologist, and more! In this article, we’ve outlined for you the 5 most popular Allied Health careers, in terms of salary, in hopes that you find it easier to decide which career path to go with! We’ve also included some information about what each profession entails.

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Top 5 Places for a Certified Nurse Midwife to Live

One of the benefits of working in healthcare is that you can travel pretty much wherever you want to practice medicine. With that being said, it can sometimes be difficult to choose where to relocate to while doing so. If you’re pursuing a career in medicine and you’re looking to become a Certified Nurse Midwife, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of 5 states that pay Certified Nurse Midwives the most. In this article, we’ve included the average Certified Nurse Midwife salary in each state and the concentration, or location quotient, of Certified Nurse Midwives in each state.

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Top 10 Places for a Nurse Practitioner to Live

Whether you’re looking to transition from one opportunity to the next or you’re just starting out, we’re here to help. We’ve put together some information about being a Nurse Practitioner. We’ve included a list of the top 10 states to practice in, the differences between national and state salaries, and the concentration, or location quotient, of that profession per state. We have also included a breakdown of degrees held by Nurse Practitioners.

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Career Paths Available for Advanced Practitioners

Advanced Practitioners, sometimes called Advanced Practice Providers, can have a multitude of different job titles within many different specialties. In this article, we’ll go a little more in depth about those different titles and discuss what it means to work in each of the different positions. Advanced Practitioners are healthcare providers who aren’t physicians but perform medical activities typically performed by a physician. It is also important to note that Advanced Practitioners hold Master’s degrees, at a minimum. Advanced Practitioner roles include Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse Midwives, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Allied Health.

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The Best Podcasts for Nurse Practitioners

Life as a Nurse Practitioner can be challenging, so we’ve compiled this list of top podcasts for Nurse Practitioners, in hopes that it will help provide entertainment information and perhaps some encouragement. The podcasts on the list discuss topics ranging from everyday life experiences as a Nurse Practitioner to information about modern medicine and diagnoses.

Name: NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner
About: NP Pulse brings discussions around the most important topics related to life as a Nurse Practitioner, including stories and in-depth conversations with NPs and healthcare leaders.
Frequency: 1 episode/week
Length: 25-30 minutes
Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, Stitcher
Website: https://www.aanp.org/podcast

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Networking at Virtual Career Fairs and Events

Within the last year, our world has witnessed a huge transition from traditionally in-person or live events, to virtual. Candidates are worried about not being able to put a face to their name or have that face-to-face conversation where they receive social cues. A majority of virtual events, like career fairs or conferences, only allow instant message conversations, removing that personable interaction.

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3 Red Flags To Watch For In AP Recruitment

As you begin your advanced practitioner job search, you will start to determine which organization is the best fit for you personally and professionally. During this time, you should be asking questions to learn more about the organization, position, and any other decisive items. It is crucial to utilize time to not be dazzled by the possibility of a job that you ignore red flags.

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3 Interview Types Advanced Practitioners May Face

The goal for advanced practitioners is to find a great job that matches their professional and personal goals, but before you can start you must interview for that position. Interviewing can provoke anxious thoughts for many, but that anxiety often comes from the fear of not knowing what to expect with interviews. With social distancing restrictions slowly being phased out, it is best to prepare for any type of interview that you may face.

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5 Ways to Prepare for Your Nurse Practitioner Job Search!

As nurse practitioners (NPs) get closer to graduating, the next step for many NPs is to find a job. Job searching can seem overwhelming if no preparation is put into the search beforehand. So, what can NPs do to prepare for their search?

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Tips to Help You Transition into a New Specialty Job

Starting a new job can be an exciting and anxiety provoking time for even the most seasoned clinician. This can be especially true when your new job involves changing specialties where you must adapt to new procedures, policies, and practice styles. To increase your chances for a smooth transition into your new job, consider using some of these strategies.

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The Top 5 Paying States for Nurse Practitioners

Compensation plays a big role when making decisions about new employment opportunities as a Nurse Practitioner. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median pay for NP’s nationwide is $109,820 with some locations offering even higher pay to offset cost of living differentials and Practitioner demand levels. To maximize your potential earnings for the services you provide, consider relocating to the states that offer the best Nurse Practitioner pay.

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The Benefits of Working as a Rural Nurse Practitioner

The Pandemic has created a wave of city-dwellers heading to suburbia to start life anew. This rural shift can also be beneficial for Nurse Practitioners looking to make a career change. If this sounds like a change that interests you, consider the incentives that make rural practice a great employment choice.

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Looking for an NP Job? Head to the States with the Highest Nurse Practitioner Demand

Nurse Practitioner demand is projected to increase by 28% over the next 6 years as healthcare provider shortages continue to rise. This means that an estimated 16,900 vacancies a year will become available as NP’s are called upon to provide care to an ever-aging American population. While employment opportunities may abound for interested Nurse Practitioners, some locations are projected to be more fruitful for NP’s on the job hunt.

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Top Paying Physician Assistant Specialties

If you are a Physician Assistant on the hunt for new employment opportunities, it is important to know what to expect when it comes to competitive compensation for the services you provide. Physician Assistants that choose to work outside of primary care medicine report higher earnings on average than do their general medicine colleagues. These pay differences can really add up over time making it worthwhile to know where you can make the most take-home pay. To help you navigate which specialties boast the top salaries, consider these results of the NCCPA’s 2018 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants Specialty survey.

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Tips to Help You Start Telemedicine Practice During the COVID Crisis

The COVID crisis has pushed Telemedicine practice into the spotlight thanks to its convenience, accessibility, and safety during these uncertain times. While this practice modality has many advantages, it can present new challenges for Advanced Practitioners who are new to its use. If you are an AP preparing to start practicing telemedicine, consider these tips to help you start off on the right foot.

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Job Hunting Tips for New Graduate Nurse Practitioners

Congratulations! You survived a grueling Nurse Practitioner training program and are now a proud new graduate. Now comes the hard part, getting your first job.

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The Top 7 Reasons Why APs Should Work in Academic Medicine

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants provide critical services in America's healthcare system. While these Advanced Practitioners can work in virtually any setting in medicine, there is one workplace that stands head and shoulders above the others when it comes to AP professional opportunities.

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The Benefits of a New Clinical Job

Are you a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant who is thinking about starting a new job search but need a little nudge to get you going? If so, consider the benefits of starting a new job and how they can positively impact how you feel about your career.

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Stress-Busting Tips for the Busy Holiday and Flu Season

Working in medicine comes with a lot of stress. This stress often ramps up to a fever pitch during the busy flu and holiday seasons. While this stress is often unavoidable, there are some stress-busting techniques you can use to help survive the season.

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Tips For Dealing With a Difficult Supervising Physician

If you are an Advanced Practitioner, odds are high that a Supervising Physicians plays an important role in your professional life.

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Advanced Practitioner Employment Contracts

While a majority of Physicians work under an employment contract, the same cannot be said for many Advanced Practitioners. Some APs find themselves being classified as a "non-physician" by employers, being told that only Physicians require contracts within their organizations.

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7 Strategies to Ensure a Smooth Transition Into Your New Job

Starting a new job can be a challenging and exciting time for an Advanced Practitioner. Working with new colleagues, procedures, and work dynamics can make transitioning into a new job difficult unless you have strategies ready to help you make a smooth transition.

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Popular Physician Assistant Practice Specialties

Physician Assistants are a unique breed of Medical Practitioner. Unlike many Providers, PA's can choose and change their specialty of practice at will, without specialized training. This allows them to freely move between medical specialties throughout their careers with ease. While there are many areas to choose from, the results of the NCCPA's 2022 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants, provides insight into which medical specialties are attracting the most PA's to practice.

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Top Paying Places for Nurse Practitioner Practice

Are you a Nurse Practitioner looking for a new job opportunity or just wanting top-level pay for your hard work? If so, take a look at this list of places across the US where Nurse Practitioners are getting top pay for the services they provide.

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Specialty versus Primary Care Practice for Your First PA Job

New Physician Assistant graduates face a unique career dilemma when it comes to choosing what area of medicine they will work in. While the lure of specialty care may be tempting, this may not be the best option for a new graduate.

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Interviewing for Your First Nurse Practitioner Job

Years of hard work to become a Nurse Practitioner has paid off and now you have one last challenge: landing your first job.

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Nurse Practitioner Autonomy Levels

The Nurse Practitioner profession is guided by a myriad of licensing and practice guidelines. Many of these dictates are established by state legislation and range from full to restricted practice limits. This legislation varies considerably depending on your chosen state of practice and can greatly impact your clinical autonomy levels.

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Specialty Spotlight: Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

Do you have a passion for medicine and enjoy working with children? If so, then becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) may be the perfect career choice for you. So what does it take to work in this exciting field? Take a look to see what a career as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner is all about.

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How Advanced Practitioners Improve Rural Health Care in America

During the last 30 years, Advanced Practitioners have become a growing, critical force behind health services in rural areas throughout America. These Practitioners are now found in every specialty and healthcare setting, providing care to a diverse patient population. Their efforts are especially appreciated in the underserved areas of rural America where a quarter of rural health care providers are Nurse Practitioners. Along with Physician Assistants, these providers are making a real difference for many rural health care patients by improving their access to services.

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Top Benefits All Advanced Practitioners Should Ask For

Negotiating a top–notch compensation package can be challenging for any Advanced Practitioner. The common mistake of asking for or accepting too little can set you up for battles down the road to regain the equitable physician assistant benefits you deserve. With the average Physician Assistant making $107,718* a year and Nurse Practitioners averaging $107,480*, it is essential that you know the added benefits you should receive as part of a competitive compensation package.

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Building Rapport with Patients: Top Questions for Advanced Practitioners to Ask

A typical advanced practitioner has 15 minutes to identify and address complex medical issues, establish patient rapport, and meet all the administrative requirements associated with a visit… no pressure, right?

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Top Nurse Practitioner Salaries by City

When seeking nurse practitioner employment opportunities, job location and pay are top considerations. Therefore, it is essential to know where to find the top nurse practitioner salaries when applying for new positions. If you are considering new job opportunities and want top level pay, consider these 10 cities in the United States for the best employment opportunities:

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Specialty Spotlight: Neonatal Nurse Practitioners

Nurse Practitioners interested in challenging and rewarding work with newborns should consider a career in Neonatal Medicine. Due to advancements in newborn care and an increasing population, there are more jobs than ever for Neonatal Nurse Practitioners to pursue in this field.

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Are Your Nurse Practitioner Benefits Competitive?

Competitive compensation packages can make or break your relationship with prospective Nurse Practitioner hires. While many employers provide industry-standard incentive packages, some are offering more to entice NPs to their organizations. To stay competitive in your hiring game, it is essential to know what Nurse Practitioner benefits are expected.

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Most Popular Physician Assistant Practice Locations

Over the last few decades Physician Assistants have become an integral part of medical communities across America. Their essential skillsets, practice flexibility and increasing numbers are making them a force to be reckoned in many specialties and practice sites. While many PAs can choose from a variety of practice sites, some Physician Assistant practice locations are more popular than others. Here's a look at the top Physician Assistant practice locations and a quick profile of what many of these PAs are earning while working there.

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Physician Assistant Educational Debt: A Look at Medical School Debt by State

The medical profession is well known for creating a heavy student loan burden. While many factors can influence physician assistant student loan debt, geography plays a big role. State to state variances in educational debt can be quite remarkable and often impact a Physician Assistant's bottom line. So, how does your state stack up in the student loan debt rankings? Take a look at medical school debt by state to find out where the highest and lowest PA educational debts are for new grads.

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Advanced Practitioner Specialty Spotlight: Working in Psychiatry

Becoming a psychiatrist's assistant is a great opportunity for Advanced Practitioners seeking a challenging and rewarding medical specialty. Gone are the days of Freud and the Psychiatrist's couch. Working in psychiatry today is dynamic and ever expanding as our knowledge of the human mind grows.

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What do Patients Want from Their Healthcare Providers?

Patient satisfaction is an important component of the Healthcare Provider-Patient relationship. Patient expectations of APs greatly affect satisfaction levels and can make or break strong healthcare providers relationships. Understanding patient expectations of APs can help enhance your practice and your patients experience. So, what do patients want from their APs? Read on to learn more.

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Exploring the Highest Paying Physician Assistant Specialties

There are more than 115,000 Physician Assistants (PA) practicing in America today, making it one of the most in-demand medical professions.

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Specialty Spotlight: Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN)

Are you an Advanced Practitioner looking for a rewarding and challenging career change? If so, working in Obstetrics and Gynecology Medicine or OBGYN might be the right choice for you. This article covers everything you need to know about OBGYN as a career, from their provided services, specialties to job locations and compensation.

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Tips For Following Up After Your Nurse Practitioner Interview

You nailed the job interview and now sit waiting by the phone for a call. What can you do to check back in with your prospective employer without seeming intrusive? Here are a few tips to help you follow up after the interview and set yourself apart from the pack.

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Specialty Spotlight: Surgical Nurse Practitioners

If you enjoy exciting, fast-paced and rewarding work, you should consider working as a Surgical Nurse Practitioner. This emerging area of Nurse Practitioner practice has increased in popularity over the last decade and is an in-demand specialty. Surgical NP's provide care both in and out of the OR to patients in need of surgical assistance. Their work provides crucial support to surgical teams working in a variety of clinical settings.

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Advanced Practitioner Specialty Spotlight: Orthopedics

Are you an Advanced Practitioner considering a change of clinical specialty? Consider taking a look at Orthopedics. As part of an ongoing Specialty Spotlight series we will show you the ins and outs, stats and advantages associated with a variety of specialties. It may just make you want to consider changing up your specialty status.

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Look Who's 50!: Physician Assistants Today

October of this year will mark the 50th birthday of the Physician Assistant profession. This profession has undergone a lot of changes since its inception and has grown in popularity and scope. Today there are 115,500 certified PA's in America with continued expansion of the profession occurring worldwide. In honor of this momentous birthday we will take a quick look at its origins and what the future looks like for the profession.

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Nurse Practitioner Salary Factors: Are You Making as Much as Your Colleagues?

Compensation is a sensitive topic that is often not discussed amongst colleagues. This silence can perpetuate inequalities in pay and feelings of resentment if not addressed. To avoid finding yourself in a situation where you aren't being fairly compensated, it is essential to know what you should be making for the services you provide. Whether you are an Nurse Practitioner renegotiating your annual compensation or signing a new contract, keep these factors in mind when agreeing to your next salary.

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Tune Up Your Resume For A Medical Specialty Change

Having a great resume is critical if you want to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by a prospective employer. Creating a blockbuster resume can be especially challenging if you are a medical professional looking to change your clinical specialty. Each specialty requires a specific set of skills and experience pertaining to that area of medicine. For this reason, it is essential to fine tune your resume before you submit it to ensure that you are presenting yourself in the best possible light. It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned professional or a newbie to the specialty, by following a few of these simple tips you can make yourself a top tier candidate.

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How Advanced Practitioners Should Prep New Job

Starting a new job can be an exciting and anxiety provoking time for any medical professional. Each job is different and requires that you adapt to new people, policies and practice styles. It is important to set yourself up for success in your new job by correctly preparing for the position. Next time you transition to a new job consider following these helpful tips to ensure a smooth transition:

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Leaving Your Job: Exit Strategies for a Smooth Transition

Job transitions are a fact of life. It doesn't matter if you are leaving for a new dream job or because of a layoff, a job transition can become awkward if not handled correctly. There are many important factors to consider when planning your exit, some of which should started as soon as you begin your job search. To help ensure a smoother transition you may want to consider employing some of these strategies in your exit plans.

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Personal Electronic Devices in the Exam Room: Tips to Stop the Distraction

You know the story, you are sitting with a patient in the exam room and a phone rings. There is an awkward silence as the patient grabs their phone and proceeds to talk on it as if you are not there. In an age of instant social media access it can be a challenge to get patients to refrain from device use in the clinic. There are some strategies that can help you diplomatically deal with patients who use devices in the clinic while also decreasing the likelihood of future use.

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Top 5 Paying States for Physician Assistants

Whether you are a recent graduate looking for your first job or a seasoned Physician Assistant, salary can play a big role in where you end up practicing. So before you start your job search, take a look at the top 5 paying states for Physician Assistant's. You may be surprised to know that some of these states employ the lowest number of certified Physician Assistants in practice.

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Top 5 Paying Nurse Practitioner Specialties

According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, there are more than 220,000 Nurse Practitioners in the United States today. This profession shares one of the highest job satisfaction ratings in healthcare and according to U.S. News and World Report, Nurse Practitioners are ranked #6 on the Best Jobs of 2016 list. While the profession enjoys a generous level of compensation some specialties pay better than others.

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You can access more information and useful resources to advance your career by following these paths: