Education for a NP

[fiveofpeep]

Becoming an FNP is my lifelong career goal and I was just confused. How many more years of school is it if you have to go into a program after your masters? I am just very confused.

I was planning on getting my bsn then taking a 1-3 years off to get experience then starting up my msn part time for four years, while working full time as an rn (So you dont flame me for wishing to bypass experience) and then be done.

Is there any other schooling that comes after that? Or do I just take a board test? What do I get my masters in? Is it in nursing or something totally different?

Do you know where I can find more information?

Thanks for listening and answering. Its just hard to make sense of all the info out there.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Hi there and welcome. Usually, obtaining an NP license involves going to a master's degrees program resulting in an MSN (masters in the science of nursing). Depending on how fast or slow you do it, 2-4 years should be ample time to complete an MSN program. At the end of that degree, yes, you do take a board exam. Which exam you take, depends on what your program involves: acute care NP, pediatric NP, etc..

There are other routes to an NP too. For instance, say you obtain a pediatric NP during your MSN and then you realize that you might need to see adults too, so you do a post-MSN certificate for adult care NP.

Hope this helps. As to schools, check our your nursing schools in your area and see if they have programs or if you are going to school for your BSN now, ask your instructors what schools they recommend. It is also a good idea to check the job market in your area/state, especially if moving isn't an option.