Nurse Practitioners and Students please help!!

Adenium · Mar 5, 2013

When you enter a program you will generally choose a track - Pysch NP, FNP, Acute Care NP etc. Education tends to diverge once you're past the initial classes. My program has Adult, Family and Acute together, but as we're in our first term of clinicals this is our last term together. In the fall we'll split, but we were together for pharmacology, policy, patho, genetics, etc.

You will take the exam for your track when you graduate, from one of the two certifying organizations - AANP or ANCC. Your state will then grant you a license once you've applied.

As you'll see if you peruse the boards, it is highly recommended that you work as an RN for a while to gain knowledge and to determine which area you'd like to pursue. You don't want to spend money getting a second post-master's certificate and taking another board exam if you decide you like another track better.

swtcaligurl · Mar 5, 2013

Thank you very much for your response Adenium! I shall look more into it.

canchaser, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2013

Things you will need to consider will be an MSN or DNPA MSN will take you about two years to get the DNP will take you three years . If you get a DNP you'll be finalized with school. You do not need to get msn to get a DnP. So look into the schools. Look into the cost. And decide Which degree you want. Do you want to do it online or brick-and-mortar. Most will tell you that the

family nurse practitioner has the most openings for them.

swtcaligurl · Mar 6, 2013

Hi Guide,

Thank you for the info!!! I shall look into it as well!