Nurse Practitioner Programs

January 13, 2025 | Admin

There are 1 year nurse practitioner programs that take a nurse’s career to the next level, offering advanced career opportunities and an increase in wages. There are outstanding nursing program options, whether you choose a program offered on campus or one of the 1 year nurse practitioner programs online. Nurses receive instruction from high-quality faculty members and have access to the same types of resources in both the traditional and online programs.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses (RNs) that have completed a master’s degree in nursing (MSN), or a higher degree, that have also met other requirements, often specific to their state. Completing an accredited program is the first step towards becoming a nurse practitioner.

There is a growing need for nurse practitioners. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners explains that nurse practitioners are “Quickly becoming the health care provider of choice” for millions of people across the United States. The shortage of primary care physicians is expected to grow even more over the next several years, particularly in areas that are already designated as primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

The duties of the nurse practitioner help to reduce the shortage of primary care services. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) website indicates that nearly 90 percent of nurse practitioners are prepared in primary care and that the results of several studies show that nurse practitioners can perform 80 to 90 percent of the care that is provided by primary care physicians.

Additional research shows that when patients are treated by nurse practitioners, factors such as patient outcomes, improvement in pathological condition, reduction of symptoms, and patient satisfaction are comparable to patients that are served by physicians.

Nurse practitioners have more authority than registered nurses that have not completed the requirements to be a nurse practitioner. Although some duties vary according to the particular specialty that a nurse practitioner chooses in their degree or certificate program, some responsibilities of a nurse practitioner include:

• Managing the overall care of patients
• Ordering or interpreting diagnostic tests or lab work such as x-rays
• Diagnosing and treating acute or chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension
• Managing care and treatment of certain injuries or infections
• Educating patients on positive health and well-being and lifestyle choices
• Educating patients on disease management such as diabetes or heart disease

Nurse practitioners may perform other duties exclusive to their specialty such as the neonatal nurse practitioner, pediatric care nurse practitioner or the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

These nurse practitioner program options include both on-campus and online programs. Some nurse practitioner programs are offered in a hybrid format, requiring minimal time on-campus or another location to satisfy required clinical hours. Although most nurse practitioner programs take as long as 3.5 years of full-time study to complete, these programs take far less time to complete to earn the degree or certificate.

Students that enroll in the Master of Science program at the University of Central Missouri have two program options, one of which is the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program. The program places emphasis on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of advanced practice nursing. The program provides nurses with the coursework and clinical requirements to sit for the certification exam.

Students have the option of full-time or part-time study.

Georgia College offers several nurse practitioner options for nurses looking to enhance their career. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree is offered online and is open to nurses that are able to complete their clinical hours in Georgia.

Choose the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration, the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, or the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program. Complete the program with the online flexibility that often allows for completing the degree requirements earlier than…