[mom_3cuties]

Sorry to interrupt. I was wondering, what steps do I need to take after I receive my LPN to become a nurse practitioner? Is there a lot more school involved? How hard is it?

[SteveRN21]

You would need to do a LPN-RN bridge program, then a RN-MSN bridge program if you wanted to do it in the shortest amount of time. Each step demands a different level of work/difficulty. So far my undergraduate BSN degree was more rigorous than graduate school is currently.....

[mom_3cuties]

So, approximately how much time would all of that take? Another 4 yrs or so?

Thank you so much!!!

[dhigbee]

Here are rough estimates. Others here may have a clearer picture of this:

1 year for prerequisites for RN ADN program. (Unless you already have the required college general ed and science courses).
1 year in LPN-RN
1 year for prerequisites for RN-MSN program (more college general ed and science courses)
1 year bridge to BSN (You could possibly do this while completing the RN-MSN, but it would be busy)
3 years part-time for MSN/NP (most do this part-time)
Total: around 6-7 years.

Hope this helps some,

Dana

[mom_3cuties]

Any idea how much of this can be done online?

[dhigbee]

I would think that the LPN-RN would have to be onsite. Some (but not all) of the science and general ed courses could be done online, or at least at a nearby local college. The other programs could be done online, except for the clinical component of each program. If you chose an online format, you would have to work together with the universities to identify clinical sites and preceptors.

Dana

[Itshamrtym]

Hi!!
ADN RN here.... silly question?? Do you have to take the GRE for NP?
Thanks

[dhigbee]

It depends on the school. I didn't have to for mine (University of Southern Indiana).

Dana

[2bnursesteph2010]

Can someone please break it down for me....can I go from an RN straight to MSN if the end goal is a NP? Or do I need to collect a BSN before the MSN, and is a MSN what a NP has, or is there further studies after earning a MSN to be a practicing NP?
geez that's a lot of questions equaling one long run-on sentence!
Oh and one more, what's the difference btwn the degree for a CRNA and a NP?

[sirI]

Yes, you can go from RN to MSN. Some entites will confer the BSN and some do not. Depends upon the program.

Yes, NP must have (as of today) an MSN. You will enter into an NP grad program, receive MSN, and then sit for certification in your NP specialty (such as peds, OB, psych, family practice, etc.). DNP (doctorate of nursing practice) may be the requirement in a few years (vision is 2015).

CRNA and NP are Advanced Practice Nurses (APN). There are four levels of APN:

CRNA
NP
CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist)
CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife)

CRNA must be educated (as of today) as MSN and graduate from a nurse anesthesia program then sit for their anesthesia certification boards. DNP may be required as of 2025.