Nurse Practitioner Education Requirements
Nurse practitioners are responsible for taking care of patients in a variety of specialized settings. Nurse practitioners must generally obtain at least a master's degree, and must be both nationally registered nurses and certified nurse practitioners.
Education Requirements for Nurse Practitioners
A nurse practitioner (NP) provides primary care to patients in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. He or she is responsible for recording and analyzing a patient's history, performing physical exams, ordering diagnostic tests, prescribing physical therapy and other similar tasks. Education requirements to enter the career can vary slightly depending on the specialty, but at least a master's degree education is necessary. Some of the potential care specialties of a NP include:
- Pediatric
- Family
- Adult
- Geriatric
- Women's health
- Neonatal
- Acute
- Occupational health
Master of Science in Nursing
These education programs take 2-3 years to complete. They focus on providing students with the skills necessary to enter professional health settings as nurse practitioners. Graduates are eligible to seek professional certification. Common courses include:
- Health promotion
- Pathophysiology
- Pharmacology
- Nursing theories
Doctor of Nursing Practice
While completing a Master of Science in Nursing is generally enough to enter the profession, students may opt to complete a doctoral degree program to further enhance their career opportunities and expertise. Programs teach advanced practices in order to better meet patient needs. They can also qualify graduates to become teachers in nursing. Common courses include:
- Population health
- Leadership
- Behavior complexity
- Capstone project
Licensure
Obtaining licensure as a registered nurse through the National Council Licensure Examination - Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), is required for all nurse practitioners. This is a post-undergraduate prerequisite to becoming an RN, which is a prerequisite to becoming a NP. Passing the NCLEX-RN proves that RNs have the necessary skills to work in the field.
Nurse Practitioner Credentialing
After completing master's degree programs, graduates are eligible to obtain professional certification as NPs. Nurse practitioner programs normally focus on one specialty area of nursing and graduates generally choose to seek certification in the same specialty. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American Nurses Credentialing Center are two credentialing bodies that offer certifications in nursing. These certifications must be renewed every five years in order to continue development within the profession.
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26 Popular Schools
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arizona (5 campuses)
- California (26)
- Colorado (2)
- Florida (4)
- Georgia (2)
- Hawaii (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Nevada (2)
- Ohio (1)
- Texas (2)
- Virginia (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Associate
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- AA in Health Care Administration - Medical Records
- Associate of Arts Foundations in Health Care Administration
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Master
- Bachelor
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Associate
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- AS in Health Science
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Master
- Bachelor
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must have either two or more years of college or active military status if you are under 24 years of age
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Doctorate
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Master
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- MSN in RN-to-MSN General Nursing
- BSN in RN-to-BSN/MSN Combined Option (CCNE-accredited)
- MSN in Nurse Educator
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- MSN in RN-to-MSN Nurse Educator
- MSN in Diabetes Nursing
- MSN in General Nursing
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- Bachelor
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age or older and have completed some college or 24 years of age or older and a high school graduate for a Bachelor's degree
- Masters degree applicants must have a Bachelors degree
- Doctorate degree applicants must have a Masters degree
School locations:
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
- Currently not accepting applications from Texas residents
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Master
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- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Project Management
- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Public Safety Leadership
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Associate
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- AS in Medical Assisting
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- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- California (4 campuses)
- Colorado (1 campus)
- Florida (4)
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Classroom-Based Programs
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Associate
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- Associate - Nursing
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Non-Degree
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- Practical Nursing
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- Vocational Nursing
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Associate
- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
- Currently not accepting applicants from Minnesota or Tennessee
School locations:
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Online Programs
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Master
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- Accelerated RN to MSN
- MS in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
- RN to MSN in Nursing - Nurse Administrator
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- RN to MSN in Nursing - Nursing Informatics
- MS in Nursing
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- Bachelor
- Associate
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Arizona (1 campus)
- Florida (2 campuses)
- Michigan (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New York (1)
- Oregon (1)
- Utah (1)
Classroom-Based Programs
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Bachelor
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- BS in Nursing
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- Associate
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Non-Degree
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- Diploma in Practical Nursing
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