Nurse Practitioner / FNP – Career and Education Profile

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Nurse practitioners work in leadership roles in clinical settings, offering high-level care for patients. You’ll work under the supervision of a physician, but most of the time, you’ll work independently.

Job Responsibilities

Nurse practitioners do many of the same tasks as RNs and even LPNs, but your advanced education will allow you specialize your education to work with a certain type of patient or in a specific medical setting. The most popular option is become a family nurse practitioner, a role that you can take if you want to help patients from all walks of life. You’ll serve as the primary caregiver, offering medical care such as annual physicals, basic first aid, prescription administration, nutrition planning, vaccination, and more. IN many states, nurse practitioners can open practices without the direct involvement of a physician, where you’ll handle most cases and refer patients who need advanced care to specialists.

Salary and Career Options

According to Payscale.com, nurse practitioners generally earn between $69,754 and $91,823 annually, but a number of factors can effect the salary your offered. If you open your own practice, the sky is the limit in terms of what you can earn. Becoming a family nurse practitioner is also not your only choice. You can also specialize in a different area of nursing, such as critical care, geriatrics, or trauma/emergency care. Many nurse practitioners start as an RN working in one of these specialties and go back to school to become a family nurse practitioner so they qualify for leadership positions.

Educational Requirements

As of right now, you meed a master’s degree to become a nurse practitioner, but in the future, you’ll actually need a doctorate to work in this role. Your educational program will include advanced nursing classes that also focus on management and administration, and after graduation, you’ll go through a state certification process, which entails gaining experience and passing a nursing test, before working as a nurse practitioner.

LPN to RN College Programs

With some additional schooling, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) can become a registered nurse (RN), opening doors to more job opportunities and higher salaries. The following is a list of schools with the best online LPN to RN degree programs offered by accredited colleges. You can request information by clicking the college's logo.

LPN to RN (BSN)	Indiana State University—ISU’s LPN to BSN degree program is the only online LPN to RN training program in the United States. LPNs and LVNs who complete this program can earn their NLNAC-approved Bachelor of Science degree in nursing entirely online. Upon completion, graduates should meet all of the prerequisites for becoming an RN. Read an in-depth review of Indiana State University.
LPN to RN LPN to ADN LPN to BSN	The College Network—Earn your LPN to RN (ADN) degree completely online with no campus attendance and no wait list. Learn from the convenience of home at your own pace, and earn an NLNAC-accredited associate’s degree in less time and for less money than traditional campus programs. Read an in-depth review of The College Network.
	Select a subject and degree level, then click "Find My Degree" to browse 100+ online nursing schools offering relevant accredited programs.
BS in Nursing RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Education MSN in Nurse Informatics MSN in Nurse Management	Walden University—Founded in 1970, Walden University is dedicated to providing education for a higher purpose. The Nursing School confers degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level, which provides further study in health informatics, nursing education, and nursing leadership/management. Walden is one of the biggest providers of online master and doctorate programs with over a hundred degrees offered at each level.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing (MSN) MSN in Adult Health RN to MSN in Nurse Education Accelerated RN to MSN	South University—South University’s College of Nursing offers numerous degree programs for aspiring nurses. Those looking for a BSN degree can enter into the RN to BSN and complete it within 18 months. South also offers the following master’s degree-level programs: MS in Nursing (MSN), MSN in adult health nurse practitioning, MSN in nurse education, and an accelerated RN to MSN.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Administration MSN in Nurse Education	Kaplan University—Kaplan University’s RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs feature curriculums that provide registered nurses with the tools to graduate with BSN and MSN degrees. The MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education feature curriculums that teach methods in management and education in order to prepare students for leadership and educator positions with in the nursing field.