Nurse Practitioner Degree

A nurse practitioner degree is a program that is designed for registered nurses who want to increase their professional responsibilities and career choices. Unlike a registered nurse, a nurse practitioner is allowed to examine, diagnose and prescribe medication for patients. Prescribing medication is the most notable difference between registered nurses and practitioner nurses. This degree program will make it possible for you to manage various medical conditions because it equips you with the skills and knowledge required. To qualify as a nurse practitioner, you have to earn a master’s degree in the nursing field. Most of the degree programs that are offered will take about a year or two to complete

To take a nurse practitioner degree, you will be required to focus on a particular area of nursing. Some of the areas that you can choose from include emergency care, psychiatric care, geriatric care, acute care and pediatric care. The pediatric care field allows you to work with families and children to provide preventative care and treatment. With a nursing practitioner degree, a registered nurse will be able to provide adequate care to the patients by carrying out and interpreting tests. The program teaches registered nurses how to take a patient’s history into consideration when coming up with treatment plans.

To qualify for a nurse practitioner degree, you have to finish your Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. You can also enroll for an associate degree to get some practical experience before enrolling for the Bachelor’s degree. Apart from the undergraduate degree, you also have to be a registered nurse to get into nurse practitioner degree program. At least two years working experience is also required to enroll for this degree.

This degree program includes both clinical experience and lectures. Some of the courses that are covered in the nursing practitioner degree program include primary family care, clinical diagnosis, nursing management, patient assessment, clinical pharmacology and nursing research and theory. The requirements for this program may vary depending on the state that you live in.

The career opportunities that are available to those who have nurse practitioner degrees are increasing because they are able to perform most of the procedures that are carried out by physicians at lower costs. To get the best opportunities after getting a nurse practitioner degree, you should consider relocating to rural communities where there are fewer doctors.

The average salary for a nurse practitioner is about $83,000 per year. Most of the hospitals that employ nurse practitioners need the services of a physician but the budgetary and logistical constraints cannot allow them to. After acquiring the degree, you need to sit an exam to get a license in the state you want to practice in.