Nurses are some of the health care workers with the most direct patient interactions, and it’s no exaggeration to say many care journeys would stall without them. If it weren’t for nurses, a huge portion of the health care system, from hospital admissions to recovery at home, simply wouldn’t function the same way — perhaps even at all. Nurses play an essential role across the health care continuum. From hospital admissions to recovery at home and the preventive journey in between, their direct interactions with patients, registered nurses are often known as the backbone of the health care system – and for good reason. Nurse practitioners (NPs), in particular, play a vital role in making care more accessible. Their ability to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications allows them to manage a wide range of conditions, often serving as a primary point of care for individuals and families. The career paths available to NPs are incredibly varied as well, mirroring the diverse communities and settings they serve.
In this article, we explore the variety of nurse practitioner jobs available and how each one plays a part in improving care across the country.
What are the different types of nurse practitioners?
A nurse practitioner holds advanced clinical training and a national certification, allowing them to diagnose conditions, prescribe medications and manage treatment plans. NPs can work independently or as part of a care team, depending on state regulations, and often serve as a patient’s primary point of care.
The scope of work of an NP is broad and includes everything from routine checkups to chronic disease management and preventive care. Many NPs specialize in a specific population or area of focus, like family medicine, pediatrics, mental health or women’s health, while others take on roles in more specialized fields or home-based care.
Below are some of the most common types of nurse practitioner jobs and the settings in which they are typically performed.
Six jobs for nurse practitioners: Core specialties
Nurse practitioners complete advanced training, typically through a master’s degree or a doctorate program, allowing them to write prescriptions, order diagnostic tests, perform certain procedures and manage long-term treatment plans. Their training prepares them for both clinical decision-making and patient-centered care..
Some nurse practitioners practice general medicine and see patients across a broad age range. Others specialize in a particular population or area of focus, tailoring their care to the unique needs of that group. Here are six of the most common career paths for NPs, their scope, setting and opportunity for meaningful change.
1. Family nurse practitioners
Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) provide care to patients from infancy through older adulthood. Their training allows them to address both acute needs, like infections or minor injuries, as well as chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or asthma. Many serve as a patient’s ongoing primary care provider, helping to coordinate treatment, manage medications and stay on top of preventive screenings.
Because they work with patients at every stage of life, FNPs often become long-term sources of support for individuals and families alike. This makes FNPs especially valuable in community clinics, rural areas and home-based care, where continuity and trust can make a real difference in outcomes.
2. Adult-gerontology nurse practitioners
Adult-gerontology NPs specialize in the care of adults across a wide age span, from young adults to elderly patients. They train in both primary and acute care, which means they’re equipped to handle everything from preventive checkups to medication management and advanced disease progression.
As more patients age at home rather than in facilities, adult-gerontology NPs become increasingly important in supporting independence and safety. For example, they’re often involved in aging-in-place programs that help patients manage chronic illnesses, reduce fall risk and identify early warning signs of decline. In-home evaluations give AGNPs the chance to assess symptoms, lifestyle and the environmental and social factors that directly affect long-term health.
3. Pediatric nurse practitioners
Pediatric NPs focus on the health and development of infants, children and adolescents. They provide both preventive and acute care, including well-child visits, immunizations, developmental screenings and treatment for common pediatric conditions. Pediatric NPs are also trained to support families through health education, behavior guidance and early intervention for long-term conditions.
Because children’s needs can change quickly, continuity of care is important in pediatric NP outpatient jobs. That’s why part of their role involves developing long-term relationships with families, which helps them notice subtle shifts in their patients’ behavior, development or mood that may signal a deeper issue.
4. Psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioners
Mental health plays a central role in a person’s overall well-being, yet it’s often overlooked or harder to access, especially for people already managing other medical conditions. When emotional health is overlooked, symptoms can worsen, treatment plans fall apart and the entire care experience becomes more disconnected. Psychiatric-mental health NPs help close that gap by offering support that connects mental and physical health in ways that are practical and personal.
Mental health and psychiatric NPs can diagnose and treat conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder and others. They provide therapy, prescribe medication and help patients navigate long-term care with a focus on what’s actually happening in day-to-day life. At-home and virtual visits create space for conversations that might not happen in traditional settings to make mental health care more accessible for those who need it.
5. Women’s health nurse practitioners
Women’s health NPs care for women of all ages, from adolescence through menopause and into older adulthood, providing preventive services such as pelvic exams, cancer screenings, birth control counseling, and support for conditions like PCOS, endometriosis and hormonal changes. Many also guide women through fertility planning, sexual health concerns and more.
Seeing their patients at home allows women’s health NPs to reduce common barriers like transportation or lack of time. These visits create a space where women feel more at ease, especially when discussing personal or sensitive concerns. Without the pressure of a rushed clinic setting, these NPs have time to listen, explain options and tailor care based on the patient’s lifestyle and preferences.
6. Certified registered nurse anesthetists
Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice nurses who specialize in administering anesthesia and pain management during surgical, obstetric and trauma procedures. This is one of the most specialized types of nurse practitioner jobs, requiring intense training to safely manage a patient’s airway, monitor vital signs and adjust anesthesia doses before, during and after an operation.
CRNAs practice in a wide variety of settings, including hospital operating rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, pain clinics and trauma units. In many rural areas, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia providers, playing a critical role in maintaining access to surgical and emergency care.
What other jobs can you do as a nurse practitioner?
Aside from the more traditional types of NP jobs, there are also unique jobs for NPs in non-clinical or emerging roles that make a big impact behind the scenes — or outside the clinic entirely.
These positions still draw on the clinical training and patient-centered mindset of an NP, but they focus more on systems, access and education. Many of these roles are growing quickly, especially as health care shifts toward prevention, equity and care outside the four walls of a facility.
1. In-home visits
In-home visits allow NPs to visit their patients in their homes to gain a more complete view of their health needs, risks and daily routines. These visits typically include reviewing medications, checking vitals, discussing health goals and identifying any gaps in care or safety concerns.
At Signify Health, NPs perform In-Home Health Evaluations to support better care planning, help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and bring clinical support to people who may have limited access otherwise. For NPs, this role gives them both autonomy and flexibility, while making a direct impact in the lives of individuals and families.
2. Telehealth
For NPs who want the flexibility of working remotely while continuing to deliver high-quality care, telehealth can be a great option to stay connected with patients. NPs use virtual visits for follow-ups, medication reviews, symptom checks and mental health support, helping people manage their health without the added stress of travel or wait times. Telehealth services are especially useful for those with mobility challenges, demanding schedules or limited local access to care.
Signify Health uses Video Visits as an additional tool to reach health plan members and keep them engaged in their health care journeys.
3. Public health and population health management
Some NPs choose to step beyond one-on-one clinical care to focus on broader community health. In these roles, the goal is to improve outcomes across entire populations, especially groups facing higher risks due to age, location, income or access. That might involve designing health education programs, identifying trends in chronic disease or collaborating with local organizations to close gaps in care.
NPs working in public or population health often take on responsibilities that combine clinical knowledge with strategy and leadership. They might help design outreach programs, guide screening initiatives or support care navigation for high-risk groups. This means that for NPs who want to make a long-term impact across communities, this kind of role features both purpose and reach.
4. Policy, advocacy and education
Since they experience the realities of the health care system firsthand, NPs bring valuable insight into what’s working and what needs to change. That perspective makes them strong candidates for roles in public policy, clinical education and health advocacy. Some help shape legislation while others lead academic programs or train future clinicians, and many use their voice to push for more equitable, patient-centered care at the system level.
In education, NPs train the next generation of nurses, teaching both the science and the human side of health care. In policy, they help advance legislation that impacts everything from access to care to scope-of-practice laws. And in advocacy, they elevate patient needs in conversations that affect funding, service delivery and community priorities.
Where can you work as a nurse practitioner?
NPs have the flexibility to work in many different settings, depending on their specialty, interests and the type of care they want to deliver. Some choose fast-paced clinical environments, while others prefer roles that allow for deeper, more focused patient relationships.
Here are some of the most common practice settings for NPs:
- Outpatient clinics
- Hospitals and inpatient units
- Community health centers and mobile clinics
- Schools, public health departments and workplace clinics
- In-Home Health Evaluations
Signify Health helps NPs deliver personalized in-home visits while creating an opportunity that feels meaningful, sustainable and deeply connected to why a clinician chose nursing in the first place.
The value of nurse practitioners in closing care gaps
NPs help close gaps in access and quality, especially in underserved areas. This also extends to people who may not have the time, transportation or flexibility to make it to traditional appointments. They do so by delivering many of the same services as primary care physicians, like diagnosis, treatment and preventive care but often with shorter wait times and lower overall costs.
Studies of NP-led home visits show fewer emergency department visits and hospital readmissions in some cases. Other research links NP care to better chronic disease control, higher patient satisfaction and greater value in primary and specialty settings.
At Signify Health, we strive to support NPs with the tools and flexibility to deliver meaningful moments through in-home visits, Video Visits (when appropriate) and a nationwide footprint designed to reach people where they are. Our technology helps streamline care coordination, enabling clinicians to focus on health plan members and stay connected to the broader support team at every step.
Choosing the right nurse practitioner role
NPs are an invaluable part of the health care system, which is thanks to their clinical expertise, compassion and adaptability to every setting in which they work.
If you’re thinking of becoming an NP, or are an NP considering which direction to take your career, choosing the right role depends on your strengths, your interests and the kinds of visits you want to deliver.
Some NPs thrive in busy clinics while others prefer the space and connection that comes with in-home visits or virtual care. Career paths evolve as you do, with the flexibility to move between specialties, explore new models of care and keep learning along the way.
At Signify Health, we support that evolution. Our nationwide network, in-home model and intuitive technology make it easier for NPs to focus on what matters most: showing up for people in ways that make a difference.
Let’s make a difference together. Partner with Signify Health to start improving outcomes and closing care gaps today.