Nurse Practitioner Masters In Colorado
Nurse practitioner masters programs help dedicated top nurses take their practice to the next level. A variety of unique nurse practitioner options may be available. Each nurse practitioner program focuses on the best strategies different care settings, patient types, and medical issues.
Some programs could center on helping families in small primary care practices. Others might look closer at critical care or hospital settings. On top of that, different courses might talk about a variety of patient populations. This could range from neonatal through gerontology.
Whatever the focus, masters in nurse practitioner programs each share an essential goal. They aim to combine independence and medical expertise with a care-oriented nursing philosophy.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Admits only in fall
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program provides educational content and clinical experiences that focus on complex psychiatric nursing assessment and interventions for acute and chronic mental health conditions in children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. The curriculum has an emphasis on holistic care, integrated mental health, cultural sensitivity, and substance treatment. Coursework includes psychotherapy, neurobiology, and psychopharmacology content for patients across the lifespan. The PMHNP faculty are experts in the field with a broad range of clinical and research expertise. There is a high demand for PMHNPs in Colorado and across the country. The PMHNP program prepares graduates to provide a full range of psychiatric services and work in variety of practice settings.
Top Colorado Msn Degree Programs
It is incredibly important to find a school that offers high quality education and that offers a degree that follows your personal interests. As Colorado is known for its excellent educational programs, it would be hard to find a school that offers a degree program that is below standard in terms of quality. However, some stand out more than others, so lets review what we feel are the top Colorado MSN degree programs.
The Aspen University School of Nursing was founded in 1987, having previously been part of the International Academy in Denver. All courses at this university are offered in distance learning format. Over a thousands students from all over the country are enrolled here. The online learning experience is totally dynamic and interactive and encourages students to use evidence-based practice to develop their knowledge on caring for patients. The university offers two main degree programs that allow RNs to become true leaders in their field.
Campus: Denver, CO
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Apn Scope Of Practice
Colorados nurse practitioners act as healthcare providers. They manage and treat health conditions this can include writing prescriptions. Colorado is, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, a full practice state. This is the level recommended by the Institute of Medicine. Full practice signifies duties at the level of training without ongoing physician supervision or other regulatory barriers.
Writing prescriptions is an integral part of providing primary care. In 2015, Colorado passed legislation that lessened requirements for prescriptive authority and allowed nurse practitioners to obtain it sooner .
The Colorado Health Institute noted why it was important: access to care for Coloradans. By easing this mandate, the state made it easier for nurse practitioners to serve as primary care providers for the underserved. Other states had been recruiting Colorados nurse practitioners obstacles to practice were thought to be a reason .
While the majority of Colorado nurse practitioners are primary care providers, some do take on specialized nursing roles in other settings. Many nurse practitioner jobs are found more in urban settings.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics current job concentration data suggests a geographic divide. The nonmetropolitan area in the Eastern and Southern parts of the state show relatively high job concentration the Northwestern nonmetropolitan area, a very low one.
Frontier Nursing University Distance Education
The Frontier Nursing University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of College and Schools. They offer online MSN Programs with post masters certificates in the following areas: Certified Nurse Midwifery , Womens Health Care Nurse Practitioner . FSMFN also offers an online DNP program accredited by the AACN.
Programs Offered: Online ADN MSN , Online MSN , DNP
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University Of Northern Colorado
UNCs flexible DNP program is run by the UNC Extended Campus and the UNC School of Nursing. Over the years, the School has earned respectable national rankings and strong NCLEX pass rates. Nursing faculty are experienced and alumni are switched-on. Its also fairly affordable. The Extended Campus flat tuition rate is the same for in-state and out-of-state students and there are no student fees.
UNC may be a good pick if you want a School of Nursing with a small, supportive feel. One reviewer of the BSN program was quick to point out that the School had great clinical sites & internship opportunities and a reputation for thoroughness. To ensure students are ready for the real world, the BSN to DNP pathway contains a minimum of 1,245 clinical/simulation/lab hours and plenty of practical work.
Licensing And Practice Requirements For Nps In Colorado
To work as a nurse practitioner in Colorado, you need an advanced practice license from the Colorado Board of Nursing. With your application and application documents, you must pay a fee of $75. Colorado, like most states, requires you to earn national certification in your specialty before becoming a licensed nurse practitioner. Once you have your license, you must renew it by September 30 every two years to continue working. You must renew your registered nursing license at the same time.
Colorado may be an excellent place to use your nurse practitioner degree. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners notes that Colorado extends full practice rights to nurse practitioners, a freedom that permits you to fully use your education and work within your entire scope of practice.
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Nurse Practitioner Programs In Colorado
Nurse practitioners have long been a part of the Colorado landscape. In fact, the University of Colorado graduated the nations very first class of nurse practitioners. That was back in 1965. The goal was to turn out practitioners who could provide health services to children and to other people who were disadvantaged and would otherwise lack access to necessary services. Healthcare access remains a goal the profession has grown immensely, but the state is still struggling to put nurse practitioners in every community that needs one.
A Colorado nurse practitioner must be licensed as a registered nurse and included on a registry for advanced practice nurses. Nurse practitioner is one of several types of advanced practice registered nurse, or APN it is the most common one. A nurse practitioner will have a population foci such as family, womens health, pediatric, neonatal, or mental health.
Msn To Np Certificate
If you already have your MSN but are not an NP you can complete a certificate program to train you to be an NP. This may be the right path for you if you have your MSN in something like nursing education, nursing administration, or if you are a clinical nurse specialist. In general MSN to NP certificate programs take about one year and to enter and to complete your NP to Certificate program requires the following:
- You must be an RN in Colorado to be eligible to apply for these programs
- Typically you are not required to take the GRE again for these programs
- You will have to submit an application with your resume, references, past transcripts and more
- Complete 500 to 700 clinical hours depending on the school and your population focus
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Online Dnp Programs In Colorado
Our listings are stuffed with online options, but not all distance learning degrees are created alike. To help you avoid surprises, we took a closer look at the fine print on program websites.
- Hybrid BSN to DNP Programs in CO: Even if they have online in their name, BSN to DNP offerings in Colorado are technically hybrid, with mandatory on-campus components. For example, CMUs program includes focused sessions at selected points during each semester CU Anschutzs NP tracks have a number of classes with campus intensives and courses in the first two years of Regis and UNCs programs are taught face-to-face .
- Hybrid Post-Masters DNP Programs in CO: Many Colorado universities like to see their MSN students at least once during doctoral studies. For instance, although all of the coursework in UNCs Post-Masters DNP is online, the program includes three required campus visits. Youll see a similar set-up with CTU and CU Anschutz .
- 100% Online Post-Masters DNP Programs in CO: If you really cant make it to Colorado, have a look at ASU, Regis, and possibly UCCS. ASU is a nationally accredited, for-profit university, but it does promise that all of its DNP tracks can be completed with virtual residencies. And Regis states plainly that no campus visits are required for online students.
A note of cautiondue to state authorization and distance learning restrictions, you may not be able to apply for certain DNP programs in Colorado. As of 2020:
Becoming A Nurse Practitioner In Colorado
A prospective nurse practitioner will need to earn a graduate degree and then seek certification by a recognized national organization. These steps are related. Colorado code mandates that the program meet standards of a national certifying agency. In some ways, standards of the varying certification agencies are similar. Certification is dependent on completing a qualifying graduate program. Different certifications, though, are available for different population foci. Students who select some common foci will have more than one option. Programs often note qualifying certifications on their website. Completing education and training requirement alone will not result in certification, though. The process entails examination.
Colorado boasts a number of masters and doctoral level programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education . Colorado State University-Pueblo holds accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing . The CCNE and ACEN are both noted as acceptable accrediting agencies in state code.
While programs often make use of distance technologies some are classified as online the student can expect to put in at least 500 clinical hours at the advanced level. Students who live outside the immediate vicinity may need to exercise more independence in finding clinical placements. Prospective students may want to inquire about the process at the different schools they are considering.
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Welcome To The University Of Colorado College Of Nursing
At the University of Colorado College of Nursing, students learn in an environment that is steeped in history and driven by the future. With 17 programs,4 nurse-led practices in 9 locations and two major Colorado hospitals on the Rocky Mountain Regions largest academic medical campus, the college offers career paths that fit diverse goals. CU Nursing baccalaureate,masters and doctoral students learn with state-of-the art technology and advanced learning methods on the world-class Anschutz Medical Campus. The offerings include traditional, online and accelerated programs and continuing education. The birthplace of the nurse practitioner program, CU Nursing boasts a reputation as a leader and pioneer in nursing education. Come join us.
Rn To Bsn/msn Programs In Denver Co
Those RNs who are licensed and have previously earned an ADN or nursing diploma can opt to further their careers with an RN to BSN or RN to MSN program. These bridge programs offer the benefits of earning a higher degree in a shortened time span, taking into account the nursing education the RN has already completed.
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Ccne And Acen: Nursing School Accreditation
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing are two recognized accreditors for DNP programs. Both the CCNE and ACEN are strict in that they review curricula to ensure all key areas of study and practice are included. Furthermore, they abide by nationally recognized standards. Why is accreditation for a dnp program important? One of the recommendations by the AACN is that âpractice-focused doctoral programs need to be accredited by a nursing accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.âi
Np Salaries In Colorado
CareerOneStop projects that demand for Nurse Practitioners in Colorado will grow 30 percent in the next 10 years. On average graduates from Colorado accredited nurse practitioner schools earn more than $100,000 annually.
Here are the average Salaries for NP specialties in Colorado.
| Nurse Practitioner Title |
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Eight Steps To Become A Nurse Practitioner In Colorado
Colorado Fnp Licensing Requirements
In order to practice as an FNP in the state of Colorado, students must obtain an Advanced Practice Nurse license from the Colorado Board of Nursing, and be added to their advanced practice registry. The Board, a branch of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Division of Professions and Occupations, recognizes four types of APNs: Certified Nurse Midwife , Clinical Nurse Specialist , Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist , and Nurse Practitioner . Students who want to work as an FNP in the state must fulfill all of the requirements for NP licensure, starting with having an active RN license in Colorado, or an RN license with multistate privileges from another nurse compact state. Next, RNs will need to complete a graduate or post-graduate degree program in their specialty from a school accredited by the CCNE, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing , or a similar accrediting agency approved by the Colorado Board of Nursing. Once students have earned an MSN or higher from a properly accredited FNP program, they are eligible to sit for a national APRN certification exam.
| Universities in Colorado with Online FNP Programs |
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How Can I Become A Nurse Practitioner In Colorado
Advanced nursing roles require extensive clinical skills and theoretical knowledge. A graduate degree should provide you with the knowledge you need to test and diagnose patients, properly order and read tests, create care plans for clients, and know when to pass care to another practitioner.
Both Masters and doctoral programs are excellent options for aspiring nurse practitioners.
Excellence In Nursing Education
As one of the top nursing schools in Colorado, the Loretto Heights School of Nursing has been training generations of nursing professionals since 1948. Our graduates are recognized for their knowledge, competence, compassion, ethics and leadership abilities, as well as their commitment to social justice and community service.
Preparation for national certification is incorporated into the curriculum, with Regis University FNP graduates having one of the highest pass rates in the U.S. The work throughout the family nurse practitioner program is ambitious and the learning is intensive, but the rewards will be evident throughout your career.
To apply directly to the Family Nurse Practitioner program, you will need:
- Completed online application through NursingCAS
- Official degree bearing transcript sent directly to NursingCAS
- Three professional letters of recommendation
- Resume and Essay
- Admissions interview may be required
Eligibility:
- Nursing bachelor’s degree from a NLN or AACN-CCNE accredited program
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher, with a grade of “C” or better in all nursing courses
- Completion of a statistics course with a grade of C or better
- Active RN license
- Current AHA Basic Life Support certification
- Two years of clinical practice as an RN
Tuition and Fees
Program tuition: $910 per credit hourTotal program credits: 48 credit hours
Additional fees may include background check and drug screen costs, application fees and clinical fees, among others.
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University Of Colorado Denver
The University of Colorado Denver offers a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program. There is also a post-Masters option. Coursework includes primary health care of children, womens gynecologic care, studies in health promotion, Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Advanced Assessment, Health Systems, Policy, and Social Justice, Human Technology Interface, Research Methods for Advanced Practice, and Philosophic, Theoretic & Ethical Foundations of APN. This is a 46 credit hour program.
They also offer an Adult Nurse Practitioner program. This requires Studies In Health Promotion & Lifestyle, Diagnosis and Management I: Acute Alterations in Health, Diagnosis and Management II: Chronic Alterations in Health, Womens Gynecologic Health Care, Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Advanced Assessment, Health Systems, Policy, and Social Justice, Human Technology Interface, Research Methods for Advanced Practice, and Philosophic, Theoretic & Ethical Foundations of APN. This is a 56 credit hour program with the thesis, and 540 clinical hours.
Admission requirements include holding a bachelors degree in nursing and a license. You must submit four letters of reference, and at least one must be academic. You must have completed and earned at least a C in both a research course and a stats course. If you have less than a 3.0, you need to submit your GRE scores.