Many nurse practitioners entered school with an idea of what they wanted to do when they completed their education. While some of us have very specific goals, many of us have just an inkling of what we want to do. And that's OK. The beauty of our profession is that it offers us a diverse range of professional opportunities. There is little limit to the direction you can take. Just open your mind, and imagine the potential that awaits you.

Traditional Clinical Practice
This is where many nurse practitioners begin their careers. Typically, depending on your practice focus, you will work for a hospital, a nursing home, a private office or a community clinic. Of course, there are various renditions of this.

In the hospital, you may work as a hospitalist, in the emergency department or other urgent care department, in the operating room or in a hospital-owned clinic.

In a private or community practice, NPs may be employed by a solo or group practice or various types of community clinics. Many NPs in these settings will be doing primary care (family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, women's health care), but others are in a specialty such as neurology, endocrinology, orthopedics or psychiatric-mental health care.

Community clinics include those that are federally funded (federally qualified health centers or FQHCs), state and county health departments, locally funded community clinics, or community clinics that address a special need, such as Planned Parenthood, migrant worker clinics and the like.

Chances are you've been hearing a lot about nurse practitioners practicing in retail health clinics. These clinical settings take on a variety of quickly treated ailments, and some of these settings are beginning to transition into convenient care primary care offices.

Less Traditional Practices
The diverse nature of our education allows us to practice in locations and disciplines that are out of the ordinary when compared with our more traditional practices.

Some NPs, particularly those who have more experience and expertise, may opt to work as locum tenens nurse practitioners (travel or temporary nurse practitioners). Locum tenens NPs may find themselves working in any agreed upon location filling in for a regular staff member who may be on extended leave.

Others may opt to work for international organizations that take them to foreign countries. You can find these positions in places such as the state department or military, where you may be assigned anywhere in the world. Others work for relief organizations providing care in remote locations. Or you may opt to participate in missions in which you donate your time and services to care for people throughout the world.

Plenty of nurse practitioners make a comfortable living as pharmaceutical representatives. These NPs bring to the table their extensive knowledge of pathology and pharmaceuticals. They are often successful because they're viewed by other health care providers more as colleagues than as salespeople. NPs can work as medical equipment sales representatives for the same reason.

Other nontraditional areas of clinical practice available to NPs are cosmetic dermatology, continence care, holistic and alternative health care and house calls, to name just a few. Some primary care providers further niche down to provide a specific type of care to a specific population, for example, specializing in bioidentical hormone therapy for menopausal women.

Educational Practice
NPs are often employed by academic institutions to educate the next generation of nurses and NPs. Other NPs educate patients, such as in diabetes education programs or employee wellness programs. Of course, NPs offer a variety of continuing education programs for other nurse practitioners.

NP Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship is an area near and dear to my heart. Being a nurse practitioner entrepreneur is not a new idea. Plenty of NPs have paved the way for us. However, today there is a new movement for NPs to be business owners.

And why not? As the barriers to practice are removed, the opportunities for NPs to build businesses continue to grow. While being a business owner is not for everyone, keep it in mind.

What do entrepreneurs do? Many, like me, own and operate their own private primary care office. Some of us own specialty practices, such as continence centers or cosmetic dermatology practices. Many own house calls practices, educational services, psychiatric practices, urgent care centers, retail health centers, nursing home practices, weight loss centers and more. Some primary care practice designs include a "boutique" medicine component.

Other NP business owners provide alternative health services, develop or sell health-related products or have Internet businesses selling their expertise to nonmedical folks. They are authors, designers of medical clothing, attorneys and educators. Some function as consultants, coaches, authors, speakers, personal and professional development experts, entertainers, and owners of fitness facilities and retail facilities specializing in health and wellness. In other words, a wide variety of enterprises is open to NPs with vision.

As you can see, nurse practitioners can design their work to suit their individual passions, strengths and lifestyles. Keep your eyes and thought open to all possibilities. You can create your ideal NP practice.

Barbara Phillips is a family and gerontologic nurse practitioner who owns Aberdeen Primary Care in Aberdeen, Wash. She also works with NPs who wish to fulfill their own dreams of business ownership. Reach her through her Web site, www.NPBusiness.org.