With a master of science in nursing (MSN), you can take one of multiple educational routes. If you’re interested in being a practicing nurse, working directly with patients to provide care, a nurse practitioner program is for you.
In order to begin studying in an MSN program for nurse practitioners, you need to first complete your bachelor’s degree in nursing. If you’re an RN with an associate’s degree, there are also RN to MSN programs where you’ll learn your bachelor’s degree along the way. Some programs require that you have experience working as a nurse, while others are open to recent graduates of BSN programs.
The classes you’ll take as part of your nurse practitioner MSN program will focus on working with patients to provide advanced care. You’ll learn in a classroom setting as well as in a clinical program, which allows you to get hands-on experience with real patients. As a nurse practitioner student, you’ll be able to choose a specialty, which allows you to become an expert in one area, like pediatric nursing or neurology. Your classes will be specialized to this area of medicine, but you’ll also learn general nursing skills.
After graduating from an MSN program as a nurse practitioner, you can apply for certification and begin working in a number of different medical facilities. Nurse practitioners are employed at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, mental care facilities, private practices, hospices, and more. You can also go on to get your doctoral degree, which will be required for nurse practitioner certification in many states in the coming years.
Your role as a nurse practitioner will put you in a leadership position wherever you work. You may still complete RN nursing tasks, like recording vital signs and teaching patients about home care, but you’ll also be qualified to diagnose diseases and recommend course of treatment options. On average, you can expect to make $84,250 as a nurse practitioner.
Drexel University — MSN: Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Advanced Nursing Practice Georgetown University — MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner Georgetown University — MSN: Midwifery/Women’s Health Kaplan University — MSN: Nurse Practitioners Ohio University — MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner Philadelphia University — MSN: Midwifery South University — MSN: Nurse Practitioners South University — MSN: Adult Health Nurse Practitioner South University — MSN: Adult Health Nurse Practitioner (Accelerated RN-MSN) University of Cincinnati — MSN: Nurse Midwifery University of Cincinnati — MSN: Psychiatric Nurse University of Cincinnati — MSN: Women’s Health Practitioner Walden University — MSN: Nurse PractitionersA nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who provides primary and specialty care to patients. A nurse practitioner is responsible for administering both nursing and wider healthcare services; and, they are licensed to prescribe medications. Becoming a nurse practitioner requires the completion of a master's degree program. Below are the most popular colleges offering online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees.
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