How to Become a Specialized Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners can diagnose, prescribe treatment and counsel patients about their therapies or other factors that impact their health in much the same way as doctors can. Most nurse practitioners work in offices with doctors, but some may run their own offices and provide services as self-employed individuals. Nurse practitioners can specialize in certain areas, and becoming a specialist nurse practitioner is a difficult process.
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Instructions
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Earn your Bachelor's degree in nursing and become a registered nurse. After 2 years' experience as an RN, you can enroll for your Master's degree in nursing to become a nurse practitioner.
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Research available specialties in the nurse practitioner field and decide which one fits best with your interests and abilities. Possibilities include nurse practitioner midwife, nurse practitioner anesthetist, geriatric or pediatric specialties or neonatal care, among others.
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Take the appropriate coursework required by your specialty, as you earn your Master's degree. Anesthetists will need to take anesthesiology courses, whereas nurse midwives and neonatal nurse practitioners will need coursework in infant and pregnancy care.
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Take the appropriate certification tests for your chosen specialty once you have earned your Master's degree and gained the requisite experience for your specialty. Specialized nurse practitioners are certified in their fields, and the courses taken while you worked toward your Master's degree in nursing will help prepare you for these tests.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask your adviser to help you choose and prepare for a specialty when you register for your Master's degree in nursing. She can help you plan your coursework to the best advantage and prepare you for the certification examination process.
References
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