Nurse Practitioner Career Requirements
Nurse practitioners often have exciting, rewarding careers. They often assume the duties and responsibilities of physicians, often working as the sole medical provider in rural locales, or serving as a primary healthcare professional in larger medical service companies and hospitals.
Nurse practitioners diagnose and treat a wide number of health conditions, prescribe medications, or physical therapy, working with private practices, hospital clinics, laboratories, hospice centers, nursing homes, schools, government clinics, and urgent care centers. They can administer immunizations, counsel patients on self-care skills, and take medical histories.
Career requirements for nurse practitioners varies by state, but in more than half of the states, nurse practitioners are required to work under the direct supervision of a licensed physician. Educational requirements also vary, but most states require that a nurse first complete either an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing before considering practitioner work. Once they have received their RN certification, nurses can go on to graduate training to become a nurse practitioner. State boards of nursing develop their own sets of requirements.
Career Training for Nurse Practitioners
Advanced nurse practitioner training is available at most colleges that offer masters or doctoral degrees in nursing. At minimum, would-be practitioners must complete a master's degree. Courses may include studies in patient diagnoses and treatment, pharmacology, microbiology, anatomy, and medical ethics, as well as specialized training in gerontology, family medicine, pediatrics, chronic diseases, or women's health including OB/GYN.
Licensing requirements, following successful degree work, can also include clinical experience and national certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
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