91¶ÌÊÓƵAPP

Career opportunities have opened for nurse practitioners in Central Connecticut with the opening of walk-in clinics at local drugstores, according to a published report.

The MinuteClinic that opened earlier this month at the CVS/pharmacy in East Hampton marks the fifth location in the central region of Connecticut and the 16th in the entire state, The Middletown Press reports.

"Since opening our first store-based clinic in Connecticut in 2006, we have helped to expand access to high-quality, convenient and affordable care to thousands of residents who have visited us at convenient CVS/pharmacy locations near where they live and work," president Andrew Sussman with MinuteClinic told the news source.

The clinic stands the likelihood of helping drive toward solutions in Connecticut, said Sussman, who also is senior vice president/associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark Corporation.

"We believe MinuteClinic can be part of the solution to Connecticut's efforts to broaden access to quality health services," he said.

Nurse practitioners staff the clinics and they specialize in providing family healthcare. They can capitalize on their training to diagnose and treat patients, and write prescriptions for some low-level sicknesses, like strep throat and infections, according to the clinic. They also can treat minor wounds and administer vaccinations.

Nurses are set to see career opportunities develop at a pace of 28 percent during the decade leading up to 2020, according to ONet.

MinuteClinics are open on a daily basis, according to the news source. They operate on a walk-in basis and no appointments are necessary.

The median wages for nurses last year was an hourly rate of more than $31, according to ONet. That converts to an annual salary of more than $65,000.

91¶ÌÊÓƵAPPnical Institute operates post-secondary educational training courses in Connecticut to equip aspiring nurses with skills and credentials they need to launch medical careers.