Np Programs For Non Nurses

What Does A Nurse Practitioner Do

Like other types of nurses, nurse practitioners provide fundamental patient care. However, nurse practitioners also have the abilities and license to offer more advanced care measures to their patients. A nurse practitioner’s responsibilities vary depending on their medical specialization, but they typically include:

• Performing medical evaluations, such as physical examinations that assess a patient’s heart, lungs and other major organs

• Diagnosing medical conditions, illnesses or injuries

• Creating individualized treatment plans for patients based on their medical needs and circumstances

• Prescribing medications to patients

• Evaluating the results of healthcare tests, such as blood samples

• Maintaining and updating thorough medical records for each patient

• Offering patients personalized guidance, support and resources to support their health and wellness

• Providing basic patient care measures, such as helping patients transfer into wheelchairs, bringing patients their meals or changing hospital bedding

• Conferring with physicians, nurses and other medical professionals as needed

Related:52 Types of Nurses

Gain Experience Working As A Nurse

Though you aspire to earn a higher-level nursing degree, its important to stop along the way and work as a registered nurse for a while. Gaining valuable experience in the hospital or clinic ensures you are a competent nurse. Also, nursing schools require professional nursing experience for their masters and doctorate applicants.

Expect to spend a year or two gaining real-world experience, which will help you decide what area of practice you ultimately want to pursue. Are you fascinated by primary care, or do you prefer urgent care? Do you enjoy delivering babies or being involved in surgeries? Depending on your interests, youll be able to pursue an APRN career that suits you best.

The Best Online Direct

Earning an MSN through an online direct-entry program is a great way to launch your nursing career if you have a bachelors degree in different area, but finding the right school isnt always easy. To help get you started, weve researched direct-entry MSN programs for non-nursing majors offered online by schools throughout the U.S. and evaluated them based on a variety of factors, including accreditation, affordability, and curriculum comprehensiveness. The result is our list for the top online direct-entry MSN programs for 2022. Heres a closer look at three of the very best:

Marquette Universitys full-time, five-semester direct-entry MSN program prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination and jumpstart their advanced professional nursing careers. The programs curriculum is offered in a blended study format that combines fully-online nursing theory courses with in-person nursing skills and simulation lab work on Marquettes Nursing School campus located in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Students additionally complete a minimum of 700 clinical practicum hours at healthcare facilities located throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Because of the in-person requirements, all students must currently reside in or relocate to the Pleasant Prairie/Kenosha, Wisconsin area for the programs duration.

University of South Alabama

Ohio State University

Read Also: Bachelor’s To Nurse Practitioner

How Long Do Nurse Practitioner Programs For Non

It typically takes a minimum of six years to become a nurse practitioner, which includes a four-year bachelor’s degree. Without a bachelor’s degree in nursing, obtaining a master’s to pursue a position as a nurse practitioner may take two to four years, depending on the program and whether it requires you to take prerequisites related to the fields of science and nursing.

Many MSN programs are available online or in person and typically include one or more clinical internships. DNP programs also usually offer both in-class or online courses and take an average of four years to complete, although a part-time student is likely to complete their DNP program in six years. As with an MSN, DNP programs are also a combination of coursework and clinical internships.

Which Nurse Practitioner Is Most In Demand

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, psychiatric mental health NPs are among the specialties in highest demand. Gerontology NPs, with the growing elderly population, and preventative medicine NPs, with the movement to improve health and wellness, are also ranked at the top of the list.

Page last reviewed March 18, 2022

Also Check: Test To Take Before Nursing School

Whats The Difference Between A Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner And A Psychiatrist

The American Psychiatric Nurse Association provides helpful details about what exactly a PMHNP does, and how the role may differ from a traditional physician role as a psychiatric or psychologist. Although many of the duties of a PMHNP and psychiatrists may be very similar , the primary differences will be in the educational pathway and some of the state limitations that a PMHNP may have.

Do Nps Need A Doctorate

As weve discussed, a DNP program generally builds on an MSN program. A DNP prepares you to hold different leadership positions at the top of the nursing profession, but does a nurse practitioner need a doctorate?

Some programs set it up so that the pathway for NPs to earn their doctorate is smooth. Some will allow you to transfer some of your MSN credits toward your DNP, and other programs even offer a BSN-to-DNP option that offers a dual MSN and DNP upon graduation of the program.

Accredited DNP programs require a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours, including those in post-masters programs. Your institution determines how many graduate clinical hours are applied to the DNP and the number of additional clinical hours required for you to reach the 1,000-hour minimum. Any graduate credits and clinical hours applied toward the DNP must be completed at accredited institutions.

However, nurse practitioners do not currently need a doctorate degree to practice. While a DNP is a great way to advance your position, salary and status, its not required of nurse practitioners.

While its not currently required of nurse practitioners to hold a doctorate, this has been a topic of some debate.

Don’t Miss: Is Gcu Accredited For Nursing

What Is An Aprn Nurse Midwife And Nurse Anesthetist

An advanced practice registered nurse is a licensed healthcare clinician who may work independently or together with a medical doctor/physician. All APRNs hold at least a masters degree. A doctoral degree in nursing practice, also called a DNP, is becoming more preferred and may eventually be required for APRN professions. There are multiple areas or degree types of advanced practice nursing. Of those areas, three of the main types we will discuss include nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and nurse anesthetist.

According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners , specialities in advanced nursing include: acute care, adult health, family health, gerontology health, neonatal health, oncology, pediatric/child health, psychiatric/mental health, and womens health. Sub-specialty areas include: allergy and immunology, cardiovascular, dermatology, emergency, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, oncology, neurology, occupational health, orthopedics, pulmonology/respiratory, sports medicine, and urology.

Typical patient care duties that advanced nurses perform depends on the type of APRN practice and the state where the healthcare is being given. Below is a list of general duties for each type.

A Nurse Practitioner provides primary and specialty care, gathers information about the patient, performs exams, orders tests, diagnoses health problems, prescribes medicine, determines needed healthcare solutions and counsels the patient on managing and improving health.

Pass Your Cnp/crna/cnm Certification Exam

After earning your graduate degree, youll need to take a national certification exam for your area of practice. This exam will depend on whether you become an NP, CRNA, or CNM. For CNPs, nurses choose a population specialty, so the board exams cover general knowledge as well as population-specific information.

You May Like: Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Schools

What Types Of Nurse Practitioner Programs Are Available

There are different programs available if you’re pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner without a bachelor’s degree in nursing. While the requirements to become a nurse practitioner may vary by state, there are two main programs available to become a nurse practitioner without a bachelor’s degree in nursing:

Secure Your Aprn Licensure

After completing your post-masters certificate specialty program, you will sit for your APRN licensure exam. After obtaining licensure, nurse practitioners will work with individual state boards of nursing to complete the necessary steps to practice and prescriptive authority.

Its worth noting that while many states participate in licensure compacts, these do not apply to being a nurse practitioner. To learn more about your states APRN licensure requirements, visit NursingLicensure.org.

Read Also: Classes Required For Bsn In Nursing

Start Your Path To Becoming A Nurse Practitioner

If youre interested in becoming a nurse practitioner without a nursing degree, your first step should be to attain a BSN. And the ABSN program at CSP can get you there in as few as 16 months. Reach out to us today, and well have a dedicated admissions counselor contact you right away. Theyll be able to determine your eligibility for our accelerated nursing program. And theyll work with you to develop a personalized academic plan to meet any outstanding prerequisite requirements. Your counselor will also assist you throughout the admissions process, ensuring that you dont miss any important steps.

We look forward to hearing from you!

A Few More Things To Examine When Choosing The Best Online Masters In Nursing Program For You

Many online education experts mention the following things to keep in mind when choosing an online program.

Make sure the program is accredited. One of the first things healthcare employers look for is if you graduated from an accredited program. The following national accreditation organizations are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Research state licensing requirements in the state you plan to practice. Its important to know if the state you plan to reside and practice in will accept the program/degree you work so hard to earn. Its also important to know ahead of time what the state licensing requirements are for you. The National Council of State Board of Nursing has extensive, useful information and a state search tool. This organization also has information on their site about the APRN Consensus Model .

Determine how much it will cost. Research your options. Each school and program varies. Do the math now. You will thank yourself later.

Look into financial aid. Speak to a school representative about financial aid options. Some schools offer government-funded financial aid. Some nursing organizations also offer grants, scholarships and other programs. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners is an example of such organizations.

Also Check: Best Liability Insurance For Nurses

Become Licensed As An Aprn

The hard work is done, and now all you must do is get licensed in your state. This licensing process is similar to your initial state licensing when you earned your BSN. Once again, consult the specific guidelines for your state. You can find information from your states board of nursing through the department of health for your state.

Master’s Entry In Nursing For Non

Our Clinical Nurse Leader program is designed for Generalist Entry Masters students who already have a bachelors degree in another field, and want to pursue a career in nursing. Our program focuses on clinical leadership and prepares students to successfully sit for the NCLEX and Clinical Nurse Leader certification.

Critical elements in the role of a Clinical Nurse Leader are promoting health, reducing risk, and improving point-of-care outcomes. In addition to being prepared to function at a high level as a nurse in an inpatient, outpatient or community setting, you will also be poised to pursue an advanced practice DNP or PhD in nursing degree.

At Rush, a top-tier academic medical center, you will learn from practitioner-teachers who actually practice what they teach. You will have a different clinical experience every term providing a broad overview of all of the major specialties in which nurses work, as well as a variety of settings across the health care continuum and it starts in the first two weeks. Youll also have volunteer opportunities to expand your education beyond Rush University Medical Center.

Recommended Reading: Online Nursing Programs Jacksonville Fl

How Long Does It Take Non

If you have a non-nursing college education, the online Accelerated BSN program for non-nurses at Concordia University, St. Paul, makes it possible for you to earn a quality BSN in 16 months as opposed to four years. After graduating from our accelerated nursing program, the next leg of your journey to becoming a nurse practitioner will take approximately three to four years.

Get A Nursing License

After you receive an MSN, you’re eligible to receive either a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse license. RNs and LPNs both provide fundamental care measures to their patients. However, an RN is a more advanced license that allows nurses to perform additional duties, such as administering medications and treatment plans determined by a physician. Most aspiring nurse practitioners with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees decide to get licensed as an RN. Being an RN allows for greater nursing autonomy that can help you prepare for becoming a nurse practitioner.

To become an RN, you first need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination . Other requirements vary depending on the state you hope to practice nursing in but may include a background check, transcripts from your MSN program or proof of citizenship.

Related:RN to NP: How To Transition from a Registered Nurse To a Nurse Practitioner

Don’t Miss: Nursing Programs Rn To Bsn

Earn Your Msn In Two Or Three Years

After spending time in the field, your next step to becoming a nurse practitioner is going back to school for your Master of Science in Nursing degree. When it comes to our MSN program in Boston, you can choose full-time or part-time study, meaning youll earn your graduate degree in two or three years.

Like registered nurses, nurse practitioners can choose a general path of practice or one that specializes in a certain patient population or a specific area of care. Northeastern offers specialty tracks within our MSN program that allow you to apply for a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in the following areas:

• Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner
• Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner
• Neonatal nurse practitioner

Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner

Adult gerontology NPs care for patients from early teenage years through old age. There are two main adult gerontology pathways: adult gerontology acute care NP, and adult gerontology primary care NP. The acute care NP works in emergency, surgery, and other acute settings, while the primary care NP works mainly in an ambulatory setting. Adult gerontology NPs can prescribe medication, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and evaluate the overall effectiveness of a patient’s treatment plan. Education is another main task, as this type of NP communicates with patients and their families regarding self-management of conditions and preventative health techniques.

Find out more about adult gerontology nurse practitioner programs.

Read Also: Nyu Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program

Career Options: What You Can Do With Your Msn Degree

Once youve received your license, youre ready to move right into a challenging and rewarding job as a registered nurse. And having earned an MSN degree, youll likely find higher-paying positions with better career growth potential than RNs without an MSN degree. While the great majority of direct-entry MSN grads will enter careers as RNs, others will find additional job opportunities available as well. Below are three examples of careers you might pursue as an MSN program graduate. All job outlook and salary figures are taken from the U.S. Department of Labors O*NET and Occupational Outlook Handbook websites.

Registered Nurse

The backbone of practically every healthcare services provider is their registered nurses. RNs coordinate and carry out patient care under the direction of physicians as part of a larger team. Specific duties include: assessment of a patients condition recording patient symptoms and medical histories observing and monitoring the patients condition during treatment administering medications and treatments teaching patients how to manage their injuries and illnesses, and much more. RNs are also often called upon to oversee other patient care team members, like nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and home health aides.

Job Outlook

Accelerated Nurse Practitioner Programs

Accelerated NP programsoffer a fast-track option for earning an MSN to individuals with a nursing background without a BSN and those who hold a bachelor’s degree in another industry.

Focus and rigorous commitment are essential due to the amount of content covered in a condensed time frame. Many factors can influence how long the program takes to complete, which can range from 12-36 months.

Requirements for this program include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, transcripts, a resume, an academic essay, and letters of recommendation. An entrance essay, GRE scores, a minimum GPA of 3.0, and completion of prerequisite courses must also be submitted.

Prerequisite courses for an accelerated NP program may include microbiology, chemistry for nurses, nutrition, anatomy, and physiology.

Clinical experience and courses, such as evidence-based practice, child and adolescent health nursing, and leadership in nursing, are part of this curriculum. Coursework can be on campus or online. Students can receive an MSN at the end of this program.

After completion of prerequisites, students are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN to receive their RN licensure. This allows them to complete their MSN degree to become an NP.

Read Also: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs Nyc

Other Nurse Practitioner Specializations

According to the American Nurses Association , NPs have the option of specializing in areas beyond the population foci categories described above. This means that they must gain licensure as an NP in an APRN role or population focus, and can then gain specialized certification. These specialty areas may include oncology, nephrology, and more. The following is a popular and growing NP specialty:

How To Pick The Right Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner School For You

Its hard to know what the perfect school is for what youre looking for. While there are only a handful of institutions that offer a psychiatric nurse practitioner program, narrowing it down further will likely be based on different factors, including:

• Cost: Is the school within an affordable range? Will you have to move to attend school, and how expensive is the new city going to be? Do they offer financial aid?
• Location: Commuting to and from facilities where you get real-world experience is common for psychiatric NPs. This means you might have to move to a new area for school or work with the school to find clinical sites near your home and complete your coursework online.
• Program length: Depending on the program you study toward, you may have to plan to be in school for 2-4 years, and possibly even longer if youre working full-time and studying part-time. If you have to continue to work while youre in school, youll also want to verify that the program can be completed while you work.
• Accreditation: Accreditation is always something important to keep in mind before selecting any school or programnot only does it ensure that your school will properly prepare you for your certifying exams, but if you plan on applying for federal loans, you may get turned down if your school is not accredited.

Also Check: Best Nursing Associations To Join