How to Become a Nurse Practitioner AND What to Expect When You Get There!

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner, and What to Expect When You Get There
Did you know that nurse practitioner ranked number two in U.S. News' list of the Best Healthcare Jobs of 2017? Well, not only did nurse practitioner do that, but it ranked number two in U.S. News' list of the 100 Best Jobs of 2017. That’s number two out of all careers in the U.S.! These rankings are based on things like greatest hiring demand, highest salary, best future outlook and growth, stress level, and work-life balance.
Considering all of these benefits and the current state of healthcare, there has never been a more exciting time to become a nurse practitioner and use your talents to change lives!
If you’ve decided that you’re ready to take your rewarding career as a nurse to the next stage, and you would like to become a nurse practitioner so that you can enjoy benefits like:

· More fulfillment and purpose through greater autonomy and responsibility with your patients (Nurse practitioners can even have their own practices in 21 states and in D.C., and that number is expected to grow)

· A higher salary ($107,000 per year is the 2016 median pay according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

· Being in such high demand that you can choose what healthcare setting you want to work in and what kinds of hours you want to work

· A greater intellectual challenge in your career requiring you to use your advanced knowledge in your specialty of choice to solve people’s health problems

· A greater level of respect from your peers, family, and friends

Then let’s take a dive into how you go about becoming a nurse practitioner and what you can expect once you get there.
Education Pathways to Become a Nursing Practitioner
To become a nurse practitioner, it is required that you earn a graduate degree in the field of nursing from an accredited program. You can do this by earning either a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

The major differences are that an MSN degree is shorter in length (typically about 2 years full-time) and focuses on the advanced study of core nursing subjects like pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment. The DNP is longer in length (typically 3-4 years full-time) and focuses on deeper understanding of the core subjects in the MSN, and can also include coursework in things like evidence-based practice, leadership, diagnostics, and disease treatment. The additional schooling in the DNP tends to be more clinically focused and less research focused. There is some movement towards nurse practitioners being required to have the DNP to become an NP, but that hasn’t really taken off yet. At this point, most states still just require the MSN degree for you to become an NP.
There are a few different options available to earn your MSN or DNP, all depending on where you live, what your current education level is, and your experience as a nurse. Some graduate nursing programs are entirely in-person, some are entirely online, and there are also “hybrid” programs that are gaining popularity and are a mix of in-person and online.
If you already hold your Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), and have even just a year or two of experience as an RN, then you have several options available for MSN and DNP programs. There are several in-person, bsn to msn program online entirely online, and hybrid programs that are BSN to MSN, and many are flexible and offer part-time enrollment so you can still work while attending.
If you don’t have a BSN, but are an RN with experience, then there are programs out there called “bridge programs” to take you from your RN to your MSN (some of them also have you earn your BSN before the MSN). These programs include everything you need to go from your RN to all the way to an NP. The other alternative is to earn your BSN first and then apply to a BSN to MSN program that was described earlier. The right choice for you will ultimately depend on your personal circumstances and preferences.
Education Requirements for NP and Prerequisites
So how do you get accepted to one of these programs? There are a few general NP program prerequisites that you need to satisfy in order to apply and get accepted.
The prerequisites to enter an NP program are:

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