What Education is Needed to Be a Nurse Practitioner?
Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide primary care to patients with nursing and health care services. Nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat illnesses under physician supervision. Prospective nurse practitioners must earn a graduate degree as a prerequisite to employment in primary care and specialty practice areas.
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Education
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The master's degree is the entry level requirement for a nurse practitioner. Prospective NPs can select from programs offered at 325 colleges and universities in the United States. RNs with bachelor's degrees can apply directly to an MSN program; RNs with an associate degree can apply to accelerated master's programs that award a bachelor's and master's in nursing after three or four years of study. MSN programs are also available for aspiring NPs who have bachelor's degrees in fields other than nursing.
Curriculum Information
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Graduate education should provide the theoretical and clinical knowledge the nurse practitioner needs to deliver patient care, says the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in its position statement on the nurse practitioner curriculum. Nurse practitioner graduate programs expand on the skills that undergraduate nurses learn. Nurse practitioner students can select from a number of specialty areas such as pediatrics, mental health nursing or women's health. Master's programs take about two years to complete.
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Certification
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Certification for nurse practitioners is available through organizations such as the AANP and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Certification is granted upon passing a computer-based examination. Once certified, NPs must meet continuing education requirements to maintain certification. Around 80,000 advanced practice nurses have been certified by the AANP. The AANP and AANC provide online resources for certification candidates such as reference lists, sample tests and answers.
Job Outlook
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The employment outlook for all registered nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent through the year 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is largely spurred by factors such as the increased focus on preventive care and an aging population needing more nursing care. Nurse practitioners will be in particularly high demand in understaffed rural and inner city community health care facilities where advanced practice nurses may perform many duties traditionally handled by physicians, according to the BLS.
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References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners: FAQs About Nurse Practitioners
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners: Position Statement on Nurse Practitioner Curriculum
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners: Certification Program
- American Nurses Credentialing Center: Certification
- Photo Credit nurse image by astoria from Fotolia.com
