Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Salary, Job Description and Training

By Patmos Zen •  Updated: 07/20/16 •  3 min read

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Salary in the US is between $68,498 – $137,633, with an average of  an average of $77,772 annually. The national hourly rate data is between $38.69 – $65.89, with more education and experience you can earn more money. However your geographical location is the biggest reason that affect how much you earn.

Who is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner?

Medical professionals skilled in acute care are responsible for treating brief, but severe, episodes of illness, injury, or trauma, such as heart attacks or respiratory distress.

Acute care nurse practitioners cover the branch of nursing that offers care and attention to patients who have particularly advanced or chronic conditions, such as shock, heart attack, or any condition that may need surgery.

They work closely with patients by helping with prep for surgery and post surgery recovery.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Salary

Acute care nurse practitioner salary for fresher with a year or less experience is mostly at the lower range, while an acute care nurse practitioner practicing for 1 to 5 years of experience receives an average salary from  $48,874 to $117,446 per annum. The average salary of acute care nurse practitioner is $77.772.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Salary in the US is between $68,498 – $137,633, the national hourly rate data is between $38.69 – $65.89. The salary differs by states in the United States, while in countries like Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand have varying salary rate.

Average Acute care nurse practitioner salary for UK is £37,500, Canada C$102,000 and Australia AU$75,000. The year of experience, level of education and the skills of the acute care nurse also determines the salary of the practitioner.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Job Description

The duties of the acute care nurse practitioner involves taking care of patient in critical need. This is not limited to pre and post surgery care, it involves all other acute care patient need.

The following below are some of the duties of an acute care practitioner nurse:

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Training and Education

Acute care nurse practitioners are nurse practitioners(NPs) with a specialty in acute care nursing. They must first complete a two associate degree in nursing. The other option is a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing and be licensed as registered nurses (RNs).

Experience is necessary to earn advanced degree and certification to become an advanced degree and become Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs). To be an acute care nurse practitioner you need to have a master degree in nursing.

Then prepare for ACNP certification with a one-year post-master’s program.

The next is to be certified by your State Board of Nursing or receive a national certification from an agency such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.