Career Options
As a nurse, you’re already making a difference in your patients’ lives. Now, it’s time to expand your role and impact. Explore this page to get familiar with the family nurse practitioner (FNP) career path, what it takes to become one and what your future could look like in this advanced practice role.
We’ve also put together examples of different practice settings and sample schedules for FNP roles, which represent just a few possibilities available to these in-demand nurse practitioners.
With the growing need for skilled primary care providers, now is the time to make the next move in your nursing practice career. Keep reading to see how becoming an FNP can open up new opportunities for your career and support your ability to provide more personalized patient care.
What Is a Family Nurse Practitioner?
A family nurse practitioner, or FNP, is a registered nurse with advanced education and training who provides advanced primary healthcare to patients of all ages.
Unlike specialty nurse practitioners, who focus on specific populations or conditions, FNPs are trained to be generalists.
U.S. News & World Report named nurse practitioner as the #1 job for 2025.
How Do You Become a Family Nurse Practitioner?
To become an FNP, registered nurses must complete a graduate-level family nurse practitioner program. This could be a
- Doctor of Nursing Practice with an FNP focus (DNP-FNP),
- or a Master of Science in Nursing with an FNP focus (MSN-FNP)
- or an FNP certificate program (for nurses who already have a nursing master’s, DNP or PhD).
After completing their education, prospective FNPs must pass a national certification exam from either the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCP).
The demand for nurse practitioners is expected to grow by 40% over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What Does a Family Nurse Practitioner Do?
Family nurse practitioners can serve as primary care providers for patients across their entire lifespan. The “family” in their title reflects their ability to care for entire families across all life stages, from newborns and children to adults and elderly patients.
While registered nurses implement care plans created by others, FNPs have the credentials, authority and skills to:
- Assess symptoms
- Order diagnostic tests
- Make diagnoses
- Prescribe medications
- Develop comprehensive treatment plans
They can also provide preventive care, manage chronic conditions and serve as patient advocates and educators.
A national healthcare staffing shortage means there is a high demand for FNPs
By 2034, the United States could have a shortage of as many as 48,000 primary care practitioners, with rural counties facing the worst shortages. To fill this shortage, nurse practitioners who can provide primary care are in high demand. When you’re essential to keeping clinics running, your compensation reflects that value.
Request Information
To download a program brochure and learn more about the Texas Wesleyan online graduate programs in nursing practice, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 817-785-9307.
Where Can Family Nurse Practitioners Work?
Despite the name, FNPs don’t only work in traditional family medicine clinics. They can be found in urgent care centers, hospitals, specialty clinics, rural health centers and independent practices.
One of the appealing aspects of becoming a family nurse practitioner is the sheer variety of practice settings available to you. Since FNPs have comprehensive, end-to-end knowledge of patient management, they can work just about anywhere communities need primary care and family-focused services.
The profiles below can give you a glimpse into some of the different FNP practice settings and associated responsibilities.
Nurse profile: FNP in a family medicine practice serving multi-generational patients
Facility: Private group practice with 3 physicians and 2 FNPs in a suburban medical plazaSample schedule:
Facility: Private group practice with 3 physicians and 2 FNPs in a suburban medical plazaSample schedule:
- 0730: Review lab results, respond to patient portal messages
- 0800: Annual wellness exam – 65-year-old with diabetes/hypertension
- 0830: 6-month-old well-child visit with immunizations
- 0900: Type 2 diabetes follow-up
- 0930: Acute visit – sinusitis
- 1000: Medicare wellness visit with cognitive screening
- 1100: Anxiety/depression medication management
- 1230: Lunch/administrative time
- 1330: High school sports physical
- 1400: Complex care – 78-year-old with multiple chronic conditions
- 1430: Women’s health exam
- 1500: ADHD follow-up for adolescent
- 1530: Acute visit – strep throat
- 1630: Chart completion, referral coordination
- 1700: End of clinic day
Weekly schedule: Monday through Friday with one half-day for administrative duties, rotating Saturday morning clinic once monthly, on-call rotation for after-hours patient questions one week per month.
How advanced education helps: This FNP manages complex chronic conditions across all age groups thanks to comprehensive training in family systems and population health. Her evidence-based practice allows her to implement quality improvement initiatives while her nurse coaching certification helps motivate patients toward lifestyle changes that prevent disease progression.
Nurse profile: Urgent care FNP in a suburban clinic
Facility: Suburban urgent care center, part of a 6-location healthcare groupSample schedule:
Facility: Suburban urgent care center, part of a 6-location healthcare groupSample schedule:
- 0800: Shift start, review overnight faxes and standing orders
- 0815: Ankle sprain
- 0845: Upper respiratory infection
- 0915: Laceration repair
- 0945: Urinary tract infection
- 1015: Allergic reaction
- 1200: Lunch break (often interrupted by emergent cases)
- 1300: Back pain
- 1330: Pediatric fever
- 1400: Hypertensive urgency
- 1600: Minor burn
- 1730: Chart completion and handoff to evening shift
Weekly schedule: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday shifts handling acute minor illnesses and injuries, with alternating weekend coverage among the clinic’s FNP team
How advanced education helps: This FNP can handle the variety because of advanced practice from the in-person skills intensives. She’s confident in IUD insertion, abscess drainage, complex suturing — all procedures that might bring a patient into urgent care rather than an ER.
Nurse profile: Rural FNP serving serving three counties
Facility: Community health centerSample schedule:
Facility: Community health centerSample schedule:
- 0800: Arrive, review overnight calls and lab results
- 0830: First patient — 6-year-old with suspected strep throat
- 0900: Annual physical for 45-year-old farmer
- 1000: Elderly woman with chest pain
- 1200: Lunch break while reviewing X-rays from morning patients
- 1300: Suture repair on construction worker’s laceration
- 1500: Telehealth consultation with specialist for complex case
- 1630: Last patient — pregnancy confirmation and prenatal counseling
Weekly schedule: Mix of acute care, chronic disease management, minor procedures and preventive care. Sometimes the only healthcare provider for miles, so sees a wide variety of cases.
How advanced education helps: When the FNP has to drain an abscess and do orthopedic splinting in the same day, he’s ready. RNs without advanced skills would have had to refer both cases out, but this FNP can serve patients on the spot and keep these billable procedures in the clinic, which allows them to remain open and further serve the population.
Nurse profile: Solo owner of a family medicine clinic
Facility: Private clinic with medical assistants, an office manager and a part-time NPSample schedule:
Facility: Private clinic with medical assistants, an office manager and a part-time NPSample schedule:
- 0700: Review previous day’s lab results before staff arrives
- 0800: Staff huddle
- 0830: Annual physical for 35-year-old teacher
- 0900: Follow-up visit for hypertensive patient
- 0930: New patient intake for new family in area
- 1030: Business call with accountant about practice finances
- 1200: Working lunch while reviewing insurance authorizations
- 1300: Pediatric well-child visits
- 1500: Complex patient with multiple chronic conditions
- 1630: Administrative time — staff issues, billing questions, marketing decisions
- 1800: Final notes and tomorrow’s prep
Weekly schedule: Patient care Monday-Friday with evening and weekend time dedicated to practice management, staff oversight, financial planning and business development
How advanced education helps: Practice management courses taught them to read financial statements, negotiate with insurance companies and create efficient systems. This owner-FNP can handle both patient care and business operations with confidence and strong credentials.
These examples are just a sample of where FNPs practice. The diversity of roles available means you can find opportunities that match what type of care you want to provide and what communities you want to serve.
If you want to explore specific settings or discuss your own goals, your Texas Wesleyan professors will help you create a plan to get there.
“
In our very first cohort, we had a new grad who was up against two experienced NPs for a job — and our student got the job. It was the advanced clinical skills she gained in our program that set her apart from other applicants and made the difference.”
Denise De La Rosa, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Director of Graduate Programs in Advanced Nursing Practice, Associate Professor of Advanced Nursing Practice
Family Nurse Practitioner Salaries: What Is Your Earning Potential?
FNPs who can diagnose conditions, prescribe medications and manage their own patient panels can earn significantly more than staff nurses. Their compensation reflects this expanded scope of practice and responsibility.
Keep in mind as you’re reviewing these ranges that FNP salaries vary based on several factors. Geographic location plays a major role. Experience level, additional certifications and whether you’re willing to take on-call or weekend shifts can also significantly impact your earning potential.
Your practice setting matters too. Hospital systems, urgent care centers, private practices and community health centers all have different compensation structures.
National, Regional and Texas FNP Salary Snapshot
Family nurse practitioners earn competitive salaries, with median annual earnings of $127,900 for FNPs across all degree levels and $126,500 for those with DNP-FNP credentials. In Texas, FNP salaries have hit a median of $120,200 for all degrees.
The FNP job market has shown strong growth, with a nearly 10% increase from 2022 to 2025. DNP-prepared FNPs experienced even higher growth at more than 20%.
| Credential | National Median Advertised Salary | Southern Region Median Salary | Texas Median Salary | Growth (June 2022 – May 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNP-FNP salary | $126,800 | $126,800 | $126,500 | +20.3% |
| FNP salary (all degree levels) | $127,900 | $113,500 | $120,200 | +9.6% |
(Source: Lightcast. Data reflects median advertised salaries from June 2022 to May 2025.)
What about a Doctor of Nursing Practice without an FNP certification?
Who it’s for: This program is built for nurses who already hold APRN credentials and are interested in both earning their doctorate and moving into more management-oriented roles.
Salary potential: DNP holders earn a median of $127,900 nationally, with salaries growing 42.6% over the past three years — the fastest growth rate among all the degrees we’ve discussed here.
The median salaries in Texas ($99,100) and the American South ($104,300) show room for growth compared to national figures, but the exceptional national growth rate suggests these regions will be moving quickly to keep up with national levels.
Possible roles: Graduates might move into jobs with titles such as director of nursing, quality improvement coordinator or healthcare consultant.
Career Support Is Part of Texas Wesleyan’s Personal Approach
As a Texas Wesleyan student, you can discuss your career plans with faculty who understand the FNP job market. They’ll help you think through different career options and connect you with clinical experiences and networking opportunities that match your goals. It’s all part of our personal approach:
- Each student works with their own personal faculty advisor every semester.
- Faculty can help arrange clinical placements as needed and connect students with preceptors who can provide the right kind of experience for each student’s career goals.
- We also provide personal interview coaching and career guidance for students looking to transition into advanced practice or leadership positions.
Even after you graduate, you remain part of the Texas Wesleyan community. Faculty stay in touch with alumni, providing ongoing mentorship and support as your career evolves.
We love talking to nurses about their career plans and ambitions. Call us at 817-785-9307 to talk with an enrollment specialist about what degree will fit your goals.
Not sure which program fits your goals?
Download a brochure to compare the programs. You can also reach out for a one-on-one consultation: call us at 817-785-9307 or email us to set up a time to talk.