Nurse Practitioner Degree Programs
Nursing practioners provide an overall care and have generally completed a Masters of Science Degree in Nursing (MSN) or a doctoral degree and this online guide shows you what types of nurse practitioner programs are available for general nursing as well as for specialized areas such as neonatal care, acute care, family and pediatric nursing.
What is a Nursing Practioner (NP) ?
The range of care varies by state and the local laws but a nurse practioner is already a registered nurse (RN) that has completed advance qualifications as mentioned in the opening paragraph above. This means they take on additional duties and care similar to those of a doctor and can diagnose health problems and due to this earn more as a salary (see below).
The nurse practioner program began back in 1965 at the University of Colorado and there are now 325 colleges and universities offering programs that so far have seen over 125,000 people qualify and practicing.
NPs offer a high level of patient care including the following:
- Order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x-rays
- Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries
- Prescribe medications and other treatments
- Manage patients' overall care
- Spend time counseling patients
- Help patients learn how their actions affect their health and well-being
Nurse practioners can specialized in many areas of patient care including the following:
- Acute Care
- Adult Health
- Family Health
- Gerontology Health
- Neonatal Health
- Oncology
- Pediatric/Child Health
- Psychiatric/Mental Health
- Women’s Health
Source: American Academy of Nurse Practioners.
Nurse practioners may practice independently (ie: work for themselves rather like a doctor) or work as a team in hospitals.
How do I Become a Nurse Practioner ?
You will need to study towards a Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN) and then pass the American Nurses Association (ANA) exam. Eligibility to take the exam varies by discipline but you need to already hold a current and active RN licence in a state in the US. For example, the criteria for acute care is as follows:
Hold a master's, post-master's, or doctorate from an acute care nurse practitioner program accredited by the Commission on the Collegiate of Nursing Education (CCNE) or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). A minimum of 500 faculty supervised clinical hours must be included in your acute care nurse practitioner program. The ACNP graduate program must include course work in: advanced health assessment, advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology and, content in health promotion and disease prevention, and differential diagnosis and disease management. Source: ANA website.
And on passing the exam you will be awarded the ACNP-BC (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner—Board Certified) - these change by discipline for the nurse practioner exams.
Nurse Practitioner Salary Expectations
The current average salary for a nursing practioner is $88,000 for the whole of the US which is a whopping 38% higher than the average salary and has increased by around 15% over the past 2 years. There are a host of practioner jobs available with varying salary levels and below are an example taken from the indeed salary site.
- Nurse practioner $88,000
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner $81,000
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner $98,000
- Family Nurse Practitioner $80,000
Nurse Practioner Masters Degree Programs - Where to Study
As mentioned earlier there are over 325 colleges and universities that offer masters degree courses and these include many online universities and you need to ensure that any course you are taking is accredited by the ANA or other institution where you get your practioner certification from. So have a browse of our online nurse practioner schools and colleges to choose an online school for your masters degree or the whole list of nursing schools and colleges in the US to find a university near you.