The majority of people quite unfairly placed more emphasis on the role of a general practitioner or family medicine doctor than that of nurses, especially when working in settings such as a doctor’s surgery.
However, if you are looking to train as a nurse with a role that is more similar to that of a family practitioner, you may want to consider training to become a nurse practitioner. As the name suggests, in the nursing field, this position takes a little bit more time to train in and can be a role that takes many years to prepare for. So, in this article, you will be given a simplified guide on how to train to become a nurse practitioner.
Bachelors First!
The first thing you need to do in your journey to train as a nurse practitioner is to earn your bachelor’s degree, which is the first step before you can enroll for online nurse practitioner programs from Ulndy.
A standard bachelor’s degree will take three years to complete and to become a nurse practitioner. It has to be in the area of nursing or a related field.
Registered Nurse
After completing the bachelor’s degree and doing so via an accredited nursing school, you will need to register with a nursing and midwifery council. The easiest way to do so is via the NMC website, and depending on the state you are practicing in, you will need to undertake registration and licensing exams. So, good luck!
Five Years of Experience
Now that you are a registered nurse, you will need to get clinical experience to undertake your future career path. As is the way with most areas of advanced nursing training, a nurse practitioner role is a very competitive field, with the number of spots on courses being limited. Therefore, most universities will only accept applicants onto a nurse practitioner course with five years or more clinical experience working on a ward or another healthcare-based setting.
Masters!
Nurse practitioners have to pursue a master’s degree in nursing after the bachelor’s, and this program can take one to two years. It is also vital to help you build your skills and experience in the field. In the majority of cases, this course is done in parallel with your workplace, acting as your placement.
Licensing
To get a license as a nurse practitioner, you need to hold a Master of Science in Nursing degree, have two years post registration clinical experience, and then pass the national certification exam. If you are not a native English speaker, depending on where you are located in the states, you will need to pass a competency test to show that you speak English to an appropriate standard.
That’s pretty much it to become a nurse practitioner! Please note that a nurse practitioner is a role that encompasses a range of nursing skills and managerial ones, which hopefully you will pick up along the way. It is a role that requires filling in most states across America and can offer great career satisfaction.
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