Career Path Of A Nurse Practitioner

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hi!

will someone please offer advice about the career path that one takes to become a nurse practitioner? i am an undergraduate that has been on the premed track. i will be graduating from stanford next year with a b.a. in comparative studies in race and ethnicity and a m.a. in education. i have just recently been studying nursing as a career and i am quite fascinated by it.

after graduation i want to be on the fastest track possible to actually working in the field as a nurse practitioner. i would like to purse a masters in nursing and a masters in public health. with a masters in nursing will i be able to work as a nurse practitioner? how much experience is a person expected to have before they can become a nurse practitioner? will i gain enough experience in nursing school or am i expected to work as an rn prior to becoming a np? are nurse practitoners highly sought in california? also, how much is tuition for nursing school?

ahh!!! so many questions! please please please help!!!

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Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.

To become a NP you must get a masters degree as an NP not just any masters degree will make you a NP. But as an NP you can surely work in Public health if thats what you want to do.

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How much experience are you expected to have before you can work as an NP?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

That's debatable among peers, ginillel.

Please check out this thread:

RN Experience and the NP - Becoming an NP with little to no nursing experience??

Personally, I am of the opinion the RN should have at least 3 and preferably 5 years of experience before undertaking the NP path.

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I'm not a NP but I've heard that Stanford does have an NP- 18 month program from an off site location; I think you could find some info about it online, or you could call the school to find out. It's very competitive and you have to have 3500 hours of work experience last I looked. Hope it helps!

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Hey! Thanks for the help! Just to let you know the Stanford NP program was just cancelled, but they are keeping the PA Program.

http://pcap.stanford.edu/

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