Saturday, March 10, 2012

From BSN to a Nurse Practitioner Degree

Although obtaining a good nursing education is possible by way of a good nurse practitioner programs, you have to keep in mind that all programs are made different from each other. Choosing the right NP program is essential and you have to put a lot of thought into it. The career paths that you want to take after the education, as well as the school's quality of teaching are just two of the results that can stem out from this choice.

Such choices should never be made blindly as this can result to big problems in the future. How are you going to judge these programs? Essentially, you have to know what makes one NP program stand out from the rest.

The profession of NPs was introduced four decades ago. Nurse practitioners started to work in the middle of the 1960s in order to provide aid the health care industry during the rarity of physicians during this time. Although the main concern of NPs is to offer aid to those who need primary care, there are also NPs who are licensed to work on more serious issues in health and patient care.

It is the goal of NPs to provide for the general care of their patients, as well as for the betterment of the health care industry through comprehensive strategies. Nurses who have acquired certification through appropriate education and clinical training are called as nurse practitioners. Entering graduate school and earning a master's degree is a move that a lot of nurse practitioners are doing nowadays.

The first thing that you should know is that you have to have a bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) degree in order to get into nurse practitioner schools. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree may be earned after taking a nursing program that will span two years' time in college. A nurse practitioner school only admits applicants who have a Bachelor's degree, hence it will be unproductive if you only attended a school that provides a certification or an associate's degree.

To get a good NP education, you should choose among those that cover the essentials in patient care and service in order to get a solid learning foundation course. Entering a nursing postgraduate level leading to a master's degree is also a very good step. A masters degree in nursing is offered in a good number of institutions across the United States.

The availability of NP programs that are offered in the country is wide-ranging. The options for getting an education are also flexible, as there are schools that also offer programs which you can complete after a longer duration of time. Distance-learning programs are also possible in order to get a degree in NP even if the student has to work full-time or needs to take care of other important responsibilities.

Nowadays, a lot of students are opting for the distance-learning option. Before getting into an online program, though, it is essential that you check whether the institution is duly accredited or not. Checking the school's or the online institution's credibility is also possible by verifying it with the US Department of Education.

You can then apply for a license in your state once you have acquired your degree. Keep in mind that every state has its own standards for licensing. It is therefore essential that you inquire first what the requirements are in order to be eligible to apply for a license.

In order to make an informed decision on what NP program you should get into, you have to know your options through proper research. Important topics in health care service should be offered by the program. Look through the topics in the modules provided and make sure that they cover the most important areas, which are concerned with comprehensive care for the patient's safety and health.



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