Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Different Categories of Nurse Practitioner Programs

Getting an advanced nursing degree does not only entail hard work, it is also expensive. With that, see to it that you have seen what everything else may offer before you go to a certain degree program. With the programs available for a nurse practitioner in the Internet or in a university, there are also certain parts under it.

When one already has a bachelor’s degree then it can be the right moment to take a master’s degree that would really help to become a nurse practitioner. The program usually takes two years. In here, you will earn your degree even if you failed in the nurse practitioner licensing exam.

Nurse managers, educators and registered nurses can take the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) which is an entry level degree for the first two and an advanced level graduate degree for the latter one. You would need to take an MSN degree before taking a doctorate in nursing. In MSN, one can take up either a single or many specialties like neonatal, acute care, pediatric, nursing and so on.

A great way to be a nurse practitioner without undergoing a bachelor’s diploma in nursing is that one should go into an RN to MSN program. A person working as an LPN or a CNA who wants to be in the nursing field may be the one to pursue this. With the RN to MSN degree program, you will get a master’s degree program from the same school where you got your undergraduate degree, right after completion.

Having two programs would enable the school to remove any overlapping work that nurses always have when they would go to an MSN coming from a BSN. You will also save a year from the degree duration if you take this program. The RN to MSN nurse practitioner programs often take about three years to complete.

Skipping a bachelor’s degree to get an MSN degree is possible if you already posses an associate’s degree or a registered nurse diploma. Some nurse practitioner academies would guarantee a great student both BS and MSN degree but some programs would only guarantee an MSN. What is great here is that you may be able to have the degree in very little time.

A direct entry MSN program is what you can get if you would want a career change to be a nurse practitioner. This program is for bachelor’s degree holders but not nursing. This can be for students with a liberal arts degree but it would take 24 months for it to be completed.

The direct entry MSN program often takes three to four years. Math and communications, and other elective subjects won’t be present in this degree because you already know about them in the past degree. However, you need to return and take up the nursing fundamentals to qualify for the RN certification.

An Accelerated BSN program is what the arrangement is like. You will get credit for the classes you have already served and then, embark into a rigid program of theory and clinical practice. The basic classes you will have will depend on the degree you already have.

Take note that in order to group nurse practitioner programs, there are a lot of things to consider. We must know what we really want, like if we want to take it online or in a university. There are various programs available and to spot the one for you, ensure that you see them all.

When you are looking for relevant information about nurse practitioner schools and also about online nurse practitioner programs, do fail to hit the links and you shall be helped.