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Nurse Practitioner
what are the steps to become a nurse practitioner after nursing school?
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Leanne’s Answer
Hi Mia,
I am a Family Nurse Practitioner and here are steps needed to become a Nurse Practitioner.
1. Obtain a Bachelor's in Nursing Science.
2. Decide what type of Nurse Practitioner you want to be (i.e. Family, Acute Care, Midwifery, Mental Health, Pediatric)
3. Research Nurse Practitioner programs and evaluate them based on your desires and needs (i.e. cost, time, acceptance rates, graduation rates, examination rates, location, on-campus, online, etc.)
4. Evaluate application requirements (i.e. essays, references, fees, G.P.A., etc.)
5. Apply to a program
I hope this helped. Good luck in your journey.
Leanne DNP, MSN-L, APRN, FNP-C
I am a Family Nurse Practitioner and here are steps needed to become a Nurse Practitioner.
1. Obtain a Bachelor's in Nursing Science.
2. Decide what type of Nurse Practitioner you want to be (i.e. Family, Acute Care, Midwifery, Mental Health, Pediatric)
3. Research Nurse Practitioner programs and evaluate them based on your desires and needs (i.e. cost, time, acceptance rates, graduation rates, examination rates, location, on-campus, online, etc.)
4. Evaluate application requirements (i.e. essays, references, fees, G.P.A., etc.)
5. Apply to a program
I hope this helped. Good luck in your journey.
Leanne DNP, MSN-L, APRN, FNP-C
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello Mia!
While I’m not a nurse, I work in healthcare, and I have friends that became nurse practitioners. I will let you know what steps these women and men took.
1. After obtaining their RN credential, they earned their BSN.
2. The people I knew went on to gain the hands-on experience they needed. I believe graduate schools require 2 years of practical experience.
3. Research, research and research the school you want to apply. Some school do not have certain certifications that are required to practice. I forget the specified certification, but hopefully someone can tell you this.
4. Apply, and gain acceptance. When applying, don’t be shy about writing about awards, or your work ethics, and what you lab to do with your education when you graduate.
5. After completing, there are MANY certifications that you can test for. These certifications allow you to practice in a certain fields. You can become a Family Nurse practitioner, or many many other fields. You will definitely open more doors of opportunity with a MSN.
I wish you the best of luck. You can do it.
While I’m not a nurse, I work in healthcare, and I have friends that became nurse practitioners. I will let you know what steps these women and men took.
1. After obtaining their RN credential, they earned their BSN.
2. The people I knew went on to gain the hands-on experience they needed. I believe graduate schools require 2 years of practical experience.
3. Research, research and research the school you want to apply. Some school do not have certain certifications that are required to practice. I forget the specified certification, but hopefully someone can tell you this.
4. Apply, and gain acceptance. When applying, don’t be shy about writing about awards, or your work ethics, and what you lab to do with your education when you graduate.
5. After completing, there are MANY certifications that you can test for. These certifications allow you to practice in a certain fields. You can become a Family Nurse practitioner, or many many other fields. You will definitely open more doors of opportunity with a MSN.
I wish you the best of luck. You can do it.
Updated
Nicole’s Answer
I love that you have an interest in becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I am not sure of where you are in your educational journey, but you must complete high school first, with a sound grade point average. No later than your sophomore year of high school, start researching nursing schools in your state (tuition is cheaper when you attend school in-state) and find out their requirements for entrance into their programs. You must first complete a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program before applying to an NP (Nurse Practitioner) school and you have to have a B average to apply. Some people, like myself, may take a different route. I went to LVN school, then acquired my Associate's degree in Nursing (RN) followed by a BSN (Bachelor of Nursing Science - RN with a Bachelor's degree), AND THEN I applied to NP school - whew!! But you do not have to take the route I did, in fact, I pray you take a completely different route.
1.) Research BSN programs in your state and find out requirements for entrance and apply in your junior/senior year of high school
2.) Graduate from High School with a B average
3.) Complete a BSN program and either work as a nurse for 1-2 years (preferable) or apply to NP school. Getting nursing experience prior to studying to be an NP is required for some programs.
4.) Start studying to pass the ANCC or AANP exam from the start of your NP program (Marine Leik - get her book!)
5.) Complete NP school and sit for the certification exam
6.) Pass the exam!!! There are more detailed steps the closer you get to completing your NP program that your instructors will discuss with you - this is the short and skinny version - Hope this helps!!!
1.) Research BSN programs in your state and find out requirements for entrance and apply in your junior/senior year of high school
2.) Graduate from High School with a B average
3.) Complete a BSN program and either work as a nurse for 1-2 years (preferable) or apply to NP school. Getting nursing experience prior to studying to be an NP is required for some programs.
4.) Start studying to pass the ANCC or AANP exam from the start of your NP program (Marine Leik - get her book!)
5.) Complete NP school and sit for the certification exam
6.) Pass the exam!!! There are more detailed steps the closer you get to completing your NP program that your instructors will discuss with you - this is the short and skinny version - Hope this helps!!!
Updated
Trinea’s Answer
Hi Mia!
Nurses take several routes. Some go directly into an NP program after their BSN. Others work on the floor for a couple of years to help connect the dots once you enter graduate school. I chose to work on the floor first and build up my competency and confidence as an experienced RN. While doing so I searched for several online graduate programs, compared them, narrowed my list, and then applied once ready to the school that fit my long-term goals the most. Keep in mind most graduate schools take your undergraduate GPA into account. My school didn't require the GRE which was a plus. I hope this helps and good luck on your journey!
Nurses take several routes. Some go directly into an NP program after their BSN. Others work on the floor for a couple of years to help connect the dots once you enter graduate school. I chose to work on the floor first and build up my competency and confidence as an experienced RN. While doing so I searched for several online graduate programs, compared them, narrowed my list, and then applied once ready to the school that fit my long-term goals the most. Keep in mind most graduate schools take your undergraduate GPA into account. My school didn't require the GRE which was a plus. I hope this helps and good luck on your journey!