A couple of questions from a nursing student.

[Ragana]

First and foremost, I would like to say hello to the community. My name is Tomas and I will be turning 20 in March. I am currently attending a junior college where I am hoping to get my associates in nursing degree.

My overall goal is to become an NP and I got a few questions related to it.

1. Was it a mistake to start at a junior college? I read that a masters degree is required to become a Nurse Practitioner; should I have went straight to a University?

2. I am under the impression that a NP is similar to a family doctor? Would I be able to open my open practice freely or would I need constant supervision from a licensed doctor?

3. After I do get my associates degree, what then? What are some of the recommended steps I should take to become a NP?

4. What are the daily duties of an NP (both hospital setting and private practice)? How similar are they to a family doctor?

Thanks again for all the help, it's very appreciated!

Tomas

[elkpark]

That is exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

One more question though. Is it true that some states don't allow NP's to be addressed as Dr.?

That would not be an issue to begin with unless an NP had an earned doctoral degree, which most don't -- that is expected to change somewhat with the increasing number of DNP programs available to prepare NPs (and there are some current Master's-prepared NPs who have gone on to complete doctorates, of course). Whether or not other doctorally-prepared professionals (besides physicians) "should" be called "Dr. X" in the clinical setting is v. controversial. There are several threads here discussing that to death, if you're interested in opinions on the controversy.

I have some vague idea that there may be a few states that have written title protection for the use of "Dr." in the medical/clinical setting into their state law, but I don't know anything definite about that.

[core0]

That is exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

One more question though. Is it true that some states don't allow NP's to be addressed as Dr.?

From the Pearson report:

"3. NPs must continue to strive to remove statutory restrictions that

prohibit NPs with earned doctorates from being addressed as "doctor."

Many states have no requirement that doctorally-prepared NPs declare

or clarify that they are NPs, and I also commend those states that have

legislatively allowed qualified NPs to be addressed as "doctor" in the

clinical setting as long as these doctorally-prepared NPs clarify that

they are NPs. My concern centers on the eight states--Arkansas,

Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and

Oregon--that have statutory restrictions against doctorally-educated

NPs being addressed appropriately as "Doctor NP." Kudos to Iowa's NPs

and legislature, who removed this legislative restraint in 2008."

David Carpenter, PA-C