How to get an NP?

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Im a little confused on the Nurse Practitioner degree. Is it a masters?

I thought once you get your bachelors you go on to your masters which allows you to take the test for Nurse Practitioner. But now Im guessing its a post masters. What is the point of a masters if you arent a NP afterward?

So is NP a masters plus an additional year of post masters?

Im confused...Thanks

-Jasmine

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Im a little confused on the Nurse Practitioner degree. Is it a masters?

I thought once you get your bachelors you go on to your masters which allows you to take the test for Nurse Practitioner. But now Im guessing its a post masters. What is the point of a masters if you arent a NP afterward?

So is NP a masters plus an additional year of post masters?

Im confused...Thanks

-Jasmine

There are different tracks available for MSNs. Some are CNS (clinical nurse specialist) and the other is NP (nurse practitioner.) There is also a track for someone that wants an MSN but not involved in direct patient care......

Depending on what you are getting your MSN in, it will usually take about two years to complete to get all of your hours and classes in , if you are also working.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/MICU/SICU/CTICU.

When I interviewed for my MSN admission I was told this "I am required to tell you that the MSN program doesnt make you an FNP, it prepares you to sit for national certification to become an FNP".

The program itself is an FNP program. When I grad my degree will say "Masters of Science in Nursing, with area of concentration in Advanced Practice Family Nursing". I will then have to sit for my national certification to actually practice as an FNP.

Make sense? or did I confuse you more?

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There is a suggestion floating around that NPs be at the doctoral level. But that has not happened yet, may not happen at all, and they are not even aiming for anything sooner than 2015 to get that in place. If this comes to pass, I believe the plan is to replace MSN-granting NP programs with DNP-granting NP programs so that the MSN would no longer be an option for new NPs. The way things are now, though, you graduate from the MSN program and then sit for the NP certification exam appropriate for your specialty.

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But only if you go for the NP track to begin with. If you don't, then you can't sit for the exam.

If you do the CNS track, then you are not eligible to sit for the NP exam, or be considered as such.

So be very careful with the program that you will pick..............not all MSN programs are created equal or offer the same specialties.

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