BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The demand for nurse practitioners continues to increase. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said nearly 113,000 jobs are expected to be added to the economy by 2031.
Enrollment in the DNP Program, the nurse practitioner program, at the University at Buffalo's School of Nursing has doubled since 2018.
"It takes them to a new level not just knowledge wise but fulfillment wise. They know this stuff. It's just formalizing it," Pamela Paplham, the Associate Dean of Clinical Programs at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing, said.
Some students have come back to school after working in the medical field.
"I worked on the floor for about seven years. Then I worked in management for the past 10 years. I've done a lot of different things. I've been in every area of the hospital at one point or another," Emily Vezina, a first year student in the nurse practitioner program, said.
Other students got their undergraduate nursing degree, passed their exams to become a registered nurse, and went straight into the nurse practitioner program.
"I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to take a break and then feel comfortable or complacent. I was just like I want to keep going. This was my goal," Jasmine Silvagnoli, a third year student in the nurse practitioner program, said.
Annette Wysocki, the Dean of the University of Buffalo School of Nursing, said the number of newly licensed nurse practitioners in New York has grown from just over 2,000 in 2017 to more than 3,500 in 2021.
There are 27,000 nurse practitioners licensed in New York as of January 1, 2022.
"I think the perspective of the nurse, especially because all of us have worked at the bedside, we know what it's like to take care of patients twelve hours at a time," Vezina said.
Wysocki said nurse practitioners are expected to fill the primary care gap going forward. She said they already provide about 30% of primary care in the United States.
Nurse practitioners can specialize in any field of medicine. New York State does not require nurse practitioners to work under a physician, so they can open their own practice. Silvagnoli plans to do just that by opening her own med-spa when she graduates.
"I can do that as a nurse practitioner and not get the MD, be in school for four years, then do residency. God knows how much debt I would be in after that just to do the same exact thing," Silvagnoli said.
