How to Become A Nurse Practitioner

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner
A nurse practitioner is an individual who can handle the responsibilities of both nurses and physicians at the same time. As a result, they hold more authority than other healthcare professionals like registered nurses, and are also able to diagnose patients. Given the consistently growing demand for qualified physicians, these nurse practitioners are an asset to help bridge the gap.

Despite the career being a lucrative option, not everyone knows how to become a nurse practitioner. Many people have a lot of questions regarding the process, the requirements, and the long-term career prospects of choosing this particular option. Even if you know how to become a nurse practitioner in terms of the process involved, it takes a lot of patience and discipline to see it through. You are going to be working long hours dealing with a host of problems, often simultaneously. If you are good at multitasking, and are able to handle pressure effectively, you should definitely consider taking up a career as a nurse practitioner.
Schooling for nurse practitioner’s requires you to have at least a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and hold a certification as a Registered Nurse as well. You will have to enroll into a Master’s program in Nursing with a specialized focus on training nurse practitioners. Within your degree, you will be required to focus your studies in a particular medical specialty, disease area, or patient population. For instance, you can focus your degree in Cardiology, Gerontology, Oncology, or even Pediatrics. A typical Master’s program lasts 18 to 24 months, but the duration can vary depending on the amount of coursework you sign up for. In most cases, nurse practitioner schooling takes slightly longer than usual, because students are often already working as a nurse in a full-time or part-time capacity. This makes it difficult to take a lot of courses in a campus-based setting. To bypass this problem, it is also possible to obtain schooling for nurse practitioner online. Online institutions offering state-approved degrees facilitate access to education for students with great convenience and flexibility.
Regardless of your chosen format of education, the next step in how to become a nurse practitioner is to complete your program and register for the licensing examination with your state’s examination board. You will be required to demonstrate your learning via a written exam, a practical, or a combination of both. If you pass, you will be authorized to practice your profession legally within your state of residence. It is important to sign up for a program that is approved by your state, in order to be eligible for the licensing examination at the end.
Depending on the state you reside and practice in, you will have differing amounts of autonomy and authority. In some states, you will be able to prescribe medication and conduct examinations independently of physicians, while in others you will require a physician to ‘sign off’ on all your reports and oversee your conduct.
With the questions of how to become a nurse practitioner answered, you should now start looking for competent programs to enroll in and get started!