The number of licensed nurse practitioners has grown by 9% since May, according to data released Thursday from the Austin, TX-based American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
“Nurse practitioners are answering the call to provide vital healthcare services to all Americans,” AANP President April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, said in a statement. “With the challenges of the pandemic and the demand for more accessible and equitable care, NPs continue to enhance healthcare delivery across all settings. Today’s nurse practitioner count indicates that demand for these highly-qualified clinicians continues to be on the rise — and for good reason.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed just how critical NPs are to long-term care, according to a JAMDA article published in February. During the pandemic, changes to NPs’ scope of practice helped highlight their value, McKnight’s previously reported.
U.S. News and World Report ranked the NP role first on its 2022 Best Health Care Jobs list, and the role ranked second on the U.S. News 2022 100 Best Jobs list overall. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks the LNP role as the sixth fastest-growing profession in the United States and estimates that the field will have grown by 36% by 2026.
