Have you been working as a registered nurse for several years now? Are you interested in advancing your career so that you can work as a nurse practitioner? If you said yes to each of these questions, then keep reading to learn everything you need to know about this exciting, fast-paced career path. As a nurse practitioner you will be responsible for examining and treating patients on an independent basis, with collaboration from other health care professionals. It will be up to you to make sure that each patient receives proper care for their illness or injury, that diseases are prevented properly, and for accurate diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. In order to be a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) you will need to complete a master’s degree program in an area of specialty, complete the certification requirements, and authority from the state for advanced practice.
In order to work as a nurse practitioner you will need to obtain a Master of Science degree in nursing. As previously mentioned, you must be licensed as a registered nurse before you can be admitted into this degree program. In addition, some universities require their prospective students to submit career statements, educational statements, letters of recommendation, and their transcripts. Generally speaking, it will take you about two years to complete the requirements of this master’s degree program. Within this program you will be able to choose an area of specialization such as: family care, pediatrics, primary care, oncology, geriatrics, women’s health, or psychiatry.
You can expect your curriculum to be focused in areas of clinical experience, nursing theory, research, management, and pharmacology. In order to address each of these focus areas you can expect to be required to complete classes such as: health assessment and diagnosis, ethics in nursing, nursing research and methodology, pharmacotherapy, and pathophysiology. It is also possible for you to continue furthering your education by obtaining a doctor of nursing practice degree program. This degree program will require you to complete between 35 and 45 credit hours of work. Take a few minutes and check out the schools that are shown on our site. Feel free to request a complimentary information packet from any of the schools that are of particular interest to you. With your formal training as a nurse practitioner you will be able to work in practically any medical environment. Of course, your specific place of employment will be directly influenced by your area of specialty. For instance, you may be able to work in a hospital setting, in a doctor’s office, or within a long term care facility.