Education Required for Nurse Practitioners in Georgia
Prospective nurse practitioners in the state of Georgia must meet requirements established by the Georgia Board of Nursing prior to practicing. A Georgia registered nursing license is among these requirements. In addition to the education needed for RN licensing, prospective Georgia nurse practitioners must obtain a graduate-level degree to gain approval from the nursing board.
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RN Licensure Education
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To qualify for a registered nursing license in Georgia, applicants must possess a minimum of an associate degree in nursing. These programs typically last two years and are offered primarily at public community and technical colleges in Georgia. As of 2010, the state served as home to 21 Georgia Board of Nursing-approved associate programs. Prospective nurses also have the option to pursue a four-year baccalaureate degree from a traditional college or university. Twenty-one bachelor's levels programs carried GBON approval as of 2010. Associate and baccalaureate nursing education degree programs include both clinical training and classroom coursework in science, nursing fundamentals anatomy, mathematics, humanities and social sciences.
Transition Programs
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Most graduate nurse practitioning programs prefer applicants who have a baccalaureate degree rather than an associate degree. Those who already have a two-year degree and a valid nursing license can complete special accelerated baccalaureate programs. Students in these accelerated or transition programs usually complete necessary degree requirements with just two years of study. Four Georgia colleges featured state-approved accelerated programs as of 2010; these schools were Gordon College, Macon State College, North Georgia College & State University and Thomas University.
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Graduate Education
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Georgia's advanced practice nursing requirements mandate that nurse practitioners have a minimum of a master's degree in a program. Certification in their specialty field is also required; because most nurse practitioning certification boards require nurses to have a degree in their specific specialty, prospective nurse practitioners benefit from choosing a graduate program specifically in their field. Master of Science degrees for nurse practitioners typically last 18 to 24 months and require clinical training. Some colleges also offer Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees, which last for four years and may require the completion of a thesis paper in addition to clinical experience.
Approved Graduate Schools and Programs
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As of 2010, the Georgia Board of Nursing had approved 11 schools with Master of Science programs for nurse practitioners. These institutions featured family practitioning specialty programs: Albany State University, Brenau University, Emory University, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, Medical College of Georgia and North Georgia College & State University. Armstrong State University, Emory, Georgia State and Valdosta State University had adult nurse practitioner specialty programs, while Emory, Georgia State and the Medical College of Georgia featured pediatric programs. Both Emory and Georgia State served as home to women's health practitioner programs. Georgia State also offered a psychiatric nurse practitioner program, while Emory featured additional programs in acute, emergency and gerontological practitioning.
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