The obvious very first step towards becoming a registered nurse practitioner is committing yourself to the somewhat lengthy process required to become one.
In the article below we’ll walk you through the entire step by step process to becoming a nurse practitioner. The steps we’ve included start with the registered nurse phase, on to the nursing education plan phase, and all the way towards the state licensing and certification phase. We’ve even listed some useful information about the post-licensing phase of pursuing further specializations, where nurses decide which types of practitioners they want to become.
There are many incentives to becoming a nurse practitioner and following a sound nursing education plan. The job allows you to help people while enjoying a general practitioner salary that can be quite large, even stretching into the 6-figure range. Even the starting general practitioner salary is quite large compared to any other profession that requires a 5-year degree. General practitioner requirements are also much less intensive than specialty-based nursing. General practitioner requirements are also the easiest to graduate from, academically speaking.
Step 1 – Becoming a Registered Nurse Practitioner
Once you have set out on the career path of becoming a nurse, the first step that you will need to take is to become a registered nurse practitioner.
That means you will need to select an education path and nurse practitioner school to achieve this. While you can still become a nurse by attaining a 2-year associates degree or a diploma from a certified vocational program, it should be noted that many prospective employers across the United States will not hire you as a nurse unless you have a 4-year college degree from a certified nurse practitioner school.
Many school programs that offer nursing specific education offer academic paths that include both a college degree and attaining a registered nurse (RN) status. It is, however, recommended that anyone studying to become a nurse aims to become a licensed practical nurse on the journey to achieving registered nurse status.
Step 2 – Graduating With a 4-Year College Degree
This is the most important step towards becoming a nurse.
You will need to earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Once you have selected an appropriate school, you simply select the nursing program which sets you out on the path to attending all of the required educational courses you will need to pass on your way towards a nursing career.
The quickest route to becoming a nurse through a standard 4-year university is to enter into a Bachelor of Science program in nursing, also known as BSN. You can enter this program as soon as you have graduated from high school. Most larger-scale universities offer what is called a bridged degree program that will get you on track to attain a college degree while also becoming a registered nurse. This bridge program is commonly referred to as RN-BSN.
Step 3 – Attain a Lot of Nursing Experience
This is the part of the journey to becoming a nurse that will garner different opinions as to how to gain the best nursing practice experience necessary to work as a nurse.
The main argument revolves around whether or not a nursing student should attain a 4-year college degree and go straight into a graduate level program, or whether or not the student should pursue garnering nursing experience first. Most people believe that the later is the best nursing practice, where the nursing student attains a 4-year degree and then spends some time in an actual medical and health-related environment. On the job experience that nurses can gain not only give them critical insight into the actual profession of nursing, but it better prepares them for graduate-level work that they’ll be doing while pursuing a master’s degree.
Step 4 – Graduate With a Master’s Degree
If you plan to become a nurse practitioner, then you should be aware that it is necessary that you earn a master’s degree. The caveat is, however, that many of the best universities that offer graduate programs for nursing require that prospective students first receive at least a few years worth of nursing experience.
In some minor cases, universities will allow nurses to gain experience and pursue a graduate degree simultaneously. It is thought that the experience gained will help prospective nurses more accurately decide on what nursing specialties they wish to pursue in the future. Some of the popular specialties include becoming a surgical nurse practitioner or an emergency nurse practitioner. A surgical nurse practitioner assists surgeons in the operating room, while an emergency nurse practitioner works in the emergency room of a hospital. There are many types of practitioners for prospective nurses to consider pursuing.
It should be noted that a minority of universities do accept RNs that only possess a 2-year associates degree. Some graduate programs even allow entry by anyone with a degree in a health or science related field. Most universities, however, as a general rule will only allow a student with a bachelor of science specifically in nursing in order to even apply for their graduate level program.
A master’s of science degree in nursing is referred to as an MSN. This degree is the minimal requirement for anyone wishing to become a full-fledged nurse practitioner. This degree is the most common one held by all nurses working within the United States. An increasing number of nurses also decide to pursue a DNP, also known as a doctor of nursing practice. Generally, the more advanced the degree a nurse holds the higher their salary will be throughout their career. A pediatric practitioner salary for any nurse holding a DNP is likely to start in the 6-figure range. That places a pediatric practitioner salary higher than most engineering salaries where a doctorate degree is held. While pediatric np programs are expensive, the huge salaries allow nurses to pay off any college loans quickly. Pediatric np programs are also one of the most popular.
Step 5 – Gaining Your Certification and State License
The final critical stage in becoming a nurse practitioner is gaining the appropriate state license and certification.
Without a license, you cannot practice nursing anywhere in the United States. It should also be noted that each state has its own set of rules and regulations regarding what is required in order to gain a license. Prospective nurses should always closely investigate these requirements that pertain to the specific state that they wish to practice in. Gaining a license and certification generally requires a nurse to pass a series of examinations, some of them nationally standardized.
Rather than receive a state-specific license and certification, many nurses these days are opting to receive a national certification instead, as this allows them to gain the proper state licensing much more quickly. This is particularly useful for any nurse that is uncertain about the state that they plan to practice in.
Step 6 – Pursuing Additional Nursing Specializations
Once a person has become a certified and licensed nurse practitioner and is employed, it is really wise to pursue nursing specialization training.
There are so many specializations to choose from. Some of these include learning how to be an advanced care practitioner. An advanced care practitioner is a nurse that assists patients in a critical state. General practitioner schooling will not teach you any specialties, these must be pursued after the fact. General practitioner schooling will only help you pursue a general practitioner career. While a general practitioner career usually comes with a huge salary, the salary paid to nurses with specialties is much higher.
It is not uncommon for nurse practitioners hospitals to hire based on prospective nurses specializations. Nurse practitioners hospitals, for example, might hire specifically for a nurse practitioner specialist within the pediatric field. Or, they could be looking to hire a nurse practitioner specialist with post-operation education and experience.