Career Trends: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners

Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare. The scope of practice varies from state to state.

Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners work in a wide variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, physicians' offices, schools, and clinics. Most APRNs work full time.

Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners must earn at least a master’s degree in one of the APRN roles. They must also be licensed in their state and pass a national certification exam.

Employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners is projected to grow 31 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur primarily because of the effects of healthcare legislation, an increased emphasis on preventive care, and demand for healthcare services from the large, aging baby-boom population as they live longer and more active lives than previous generations.

This occupation supported 151,400 jobs in 2012 and 170,400 jobs in 2014, reflecting an increase of 12.5%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 31.4% in 2022 to 198,900 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 160,900, compared with an observed value of 170,400, 5.9% higher than expected. This indicates current employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 35.3% in 2024 to 223,899 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 208,400 jobs for 2024, 6.9% lower than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation.