Nurse Practitioner ProgramsAs the demand for nurses have started to show an increase, medical professionals are turning towards various nursing programs to enhance their career including nurse practitioner programs. The nurse practitioner program is an advanced nursing program and once you are certified, you will become a Nurse Practitioner (NP). A nurse practitioner or NP is basically a registered nurse who holds an advanced nursing education degree like the master's degree or even a doctoral degree. As a nurse practitioner, you will be taking care of a wide range of health care services. If you want to enhance your career then nurse practitioner programs offer ample opportunity but you should opt for a program from accredited universities and colleges. You will be able to register for this program only if you are a registered nurse or hold a graduate degree in nursing. As a nurse practitioner, you will be able to treat patients with both acute and chronic conditions, refer to their medical history, conduct physical therapy, physical exams, and various tests for patients, administer vaccine including flushot, and basically handle the different requirements of a patient's medical condition. As a nurse practitioner, you will be acting as the "point of entry" medical or health care provider for patients. Nurse Practitioner Programs and Licenses There are several colleges and universities in the US that offer accredited nurse practitioner programs. Once you have completed the program, you will get the license for the state that you want to practice in. You can work with a hospital, any medical institution, clinics, or even join private practice. There are multiple levels, tiers or systems within which you can work. Once you have registered for nurse practitioner programs, you will need to complete it to get the national board certification, which is normally taken care of by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). If you opt for a nurse practitioner program then you can opt for training in various nationally certified areas including FNP, Paediatric Acute care, Paediatric Chronic Care, Paediatric Oncology and general Paediatrics (PNP), Paediatric Critical Care, Neonatology (NNP), Women's Health (WHNP), Gerontology (GNP), Psychiatry & Mental Health (PMHNP), Adult Health (ANP), Acute Care (ACNP), Oncology (ONP), Occupational Health (as an ANP), Emergency Medicine (as an ACNP or FNP), and many more. You can opt for any of these programs on completion of your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Some of the accredited universities and colleges for nurse practitioner programs include: - St Margaret School Of Nursing - Pittsburgh, PA - School of Nursing - San Francisco, CA - Hahn School of Nursing & Health Science - San Diego, CA - School of Nursing & Health Studies - Washington - University of Miami - Coral Gables, FL - Hawai'i Pacific University - Kaneohe, HI - Rush University - Chicago, IL - University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne, IN - Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore, MD - Creighton University - Omaha, NE - Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing & Health Studies - West Long Branch, NJ - University of Rochester - Rochester, NY - Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing - Cleveland, OH |