How to Become an Adult Nurse Practitioner

An adult nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice nurse who specializes in providing care to patients from age 12 and up, allowing them to focus on a broad population. They work in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, and private practices, focusing on both acute and chronic illnesses.

This guide provides an overview of the educational requirements, licensure and certification prerequisites, and career outlook for adult NPs.

An adult NP is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) responsible for providing primary care for adults. They work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician’s offices, community-based clinics, and healthcare agencies.

Within these settings, adult NPs focus on helping patients with acute and chronic conditions by assessing their health history, ordering diagnostic tests, prescribing medications, and performing treatment procedures. The autonomy of adult NPs is determined by the state in which they work.

Full practice states allow adult NPs to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication without physician oversight. Reduced access requires a collaborative practice agreement to prescribe medication. Restricted access requires a collaborative practice agreement to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication.

While specific criteria may differ depending on your location, the basic steps for becoming an adult NP are similar. Those interested in the specialization need to fulfill certain academic and professional requirements. Licensed adult NPs need an advanced nursing degree, clinical experience, and board certification.

Becoming an adult NP requires nurses to earn a BSN and an MSN or a DNP. On average, this may take six years for students who enroll on a full-time basis. Nurses also need one year of experience to enroll in an MSN program. The process may take longer for those who pursue a nontraditional path to becoming an adult NP.

Adult NPs must earn and maintain an RN and APRN license. They also need to acquire board certification after completing their MSN or DNP program. Then, they must pass a national board certification exam depending on their specialization.

The RN license renewal process varies by state. However, most require a specific amount of direct contact hours, which typically range between 24-30 hours. Most states require RNs to meet these criteria every two years. Yet, the time period can range from every year to every four years. All NPs must have an active RN license to renew their certification.

Adult NPs have four specialization options, including ACNP-AG, AGPCNP, AGANCP, or A-GNP. All specialty options require prospective nurses to complete a graduate-level program and pass the national certification exam after graduating. These certifications must be renewed every five years and include the following:

According to Payscale, adult NPs earn an annual average salary of $102,620 as of May 2022. While the >Bureau of Labor and Statistics does not track adult NPs individually, they project that all NP jobs will increase by 45% from 2020-2030.

Adult NPs typically work in hospitals, clinics, and private practices. They may also work in a hospital in emergency triage, outpatient clinic as part of a surgical team, or a private practice as a primary care provider.

The length of time it takes to become an adult NP depends on the student’s educational path. The traditional path, which includes initially earning a BSN followed by an MSN, can take six years or less.

Earning an ADN first, completing an RN-BSN program, and finishing an MSN can also take six years if the student attends classes full-time. Those with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree who enroll in a direct entry program can become an adult NP in six to seven years.cThose pursuing a DNP typically adds at least two extra years of schooling.

The quickest way to become an adult NP would be to earn an ADN, spend at least one year gaining clinical experience, and enroll in an RN-MSN bridge program. A bridge program allows RNs with an ADN to attain their MSN without spending four years earning a BSN. These accelerated programs provide students with all the information they would learn in a BSN and MSN program.

With the years of education needed to become an adult NP, the process can be academically challenging. However, prospective adult NPs have several paths from which they can choose; therefore, they can select the one that works best for their learning style and professional goals.

Becoming an adult NP can also be financially challenging. Luckily, there are various financial aid options available that can help mitigate the cost of a graduate program. Nurses can also take advantage of part-time programs, which allow them to work while attending classes.

Adult NP make an average of $102,620 per year, which can increase based upon their experience, state, and work setting. In comparison with other specialties, women’s health NPs earn $96,500, family NPs earn $98,010, neonatal NPs earn $110,330, and psychiatric-mental health NPs as of May 2022, according to Payscale.

Page last reviewed on June 5, 2022