Nurse Practitioner Review Courses

A nurse practitioner (NP) is a nurse with a graduate degree in advanced practice nursing. They are able to assess, diagnose and treat patients. Nurse practitioners specialize in their area of interest and can work in almost any healthcare setting.

Nurse Practitioners can assess, diagnose, and treat patients. This can be done independently, or as part of a care team, depending on the insitution and your state of practice. Some examples of tasks performed by NPs are:

• recording and tracking patient medical histories
• collecting patient samples and data
• ordering and interpret lab tests
• observing patients
• creating treatment plans
• prescribe medications
• performing small medical procedures
• Delegating and collaborating with other members of the healthcare team

It is important to note that the scope of practice for a NP varies from state to state, and sometimes even from hospital to hospital.

To become a Nurse Practitioner you must complete a graduate level Nurse Practitioner Program. These programs will be either a masters or doctoral program. There are several paths to accomplish this goal, with the most traditional being BSN to Nurse Practitioner Programs. However, there are many bridge programs and Direct Entry programs targeted at nurses with an ADN or no nursing degree at all. After graduating from an accreddited NP school, you then take a certification exam in your specialty.

Until you are an officially NP it can take usually from 6 to 8 years. But the time period for becoming a nurse practitioner vary based on a several factors, including choices made by an individual regarding his or her progression through the steps necessary to complete the training.

There are differences in training and education. The NP education takes 6 to 8 years whereas it takes 10 to 14 years before you get a certified physician. Nurse Practitioners require collaboration with a physician to practice in some states, and physicians can always independently practice. Physician training is more generalized, with med school rotations taking students through all specialties. Nurse Practitioners choose their specialty prior to education, so all the education focus is on that target population and setting.

Nurse Practitioner typically have a higher salary than nurses, however this does vary based on location and how long you have been a nurse prior to making the career change. Nurses who have been at their jobs for many years may make more as a nurse than as an NP due to raises accumulated throughout the years.

Our Lecturio Medical program is an incredible tool that supports Nurse Practitioners as they go through school! Check it out here.