How to Become a Nurse Practitioner
- NP Career Overview
- Steps to Become an NP
- NP Education
- Cost of NP Education
- NP Licensure and Certification
- NP Salary and Employment
- FAQ
Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are in high demand as primary and specialty healthcare providers. They are particularly valuable because they can practice medicine with little or no oversight from other care providers. This means they can typically diagnose and treat a host of medical conditions in some states, including by prescribing medication.
NPs are not only one of the nation’s fastest-growing occupations, but they’re also among the highest-paid nursing professionals. But NP training can be intense. Learn how to become a nurse practitioner, including how to find the right school and chart your training path in this guide. We also cover the average salary for nurse practitioners and their career outlook after graduation.
How Long to Become
8-11 years
(including work experience)
Degree Required
MSN or DNP
Job Outlook, 2023-2033
Popular Online Nursing Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
An NP is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). As the name suggests, APRNs, including NPs, have advanced training that enables them to administer more complex care. They have many of the same capabilities as physicians and more responsibilities and authority than registered nurses (RNs).
Like RNs, licensed NPs’ primary focus is patient care. However, depending on the state in which they work, their scope of practice includes responsibilities such as diagnosing patients, performing surgical procedures, ordering tests, and prescribing medications. NPs work in hospitals, nursing homes, physician’s offices, and community health settings.
The most common NP specialties include:
- Family Nurse Practitioner: FNPs provide primary care to patients of all ages, from infancy to older adults. These professionals assess, screen, diagnose, and treat patients with preventive and disease management care.
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner: These NPs care for patients from birth to young adults. Their typical duties include assessing, screening, diagnosing, and treating patients. Pediatric NPs may specialize in primary or acute care.
- Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner: NPs who specialize in adult-gerontology primary or acute care treat older adults, including those with critical or chronic illnesses.
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner: Psychiatric and mental health NPs assess, diagnose, and treat patients with mental health issues. They can prescribe medication in every state.
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner: Women’s health NPs provide health care to women from adolescence through pregnancy and beyond menopause. They specialize in obstetrics and gynecology.
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner: Neonatal NPs care for high-risk newborns and infants in delivery rooms, emergency rooms, and neonatal intensive care units.
Becoming an NP can increase an RN’s career advancement opportunities and earning potential. While NP schooling takes an additional 2-3 years after completing a bachelor’s degree, a doctorate would take an additional 3-5 years.
Steps to Becoming an NP
A nurse practitioner must have a master’s degree, active RN and NP licensure, and board certification in their specialty. Completing the steps to become an NP takes 8-11 years.
- 1
Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (BSN) Degree
Earning a BSN is the first step toward becoming an NP. Traditional BSNs take four years to complete, including general education, nursing-specific coursework, and hands-on clinical training.
RNs with an associate degree in nursing (ADN) can enroll in RN-to-BSN bridge programs, which typically take 1-2 years. Those with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees who wish to earn BSNs can enroll in accelerated BSN programs.
- 2
Pass the NCLEX-RN Exam
Prospective RNs must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to obtain licensure. The adaptive computerized exam contains 75-145 questions, tailoring the test in real-time in response to the test-taker’s performance.
The NCLEX-RN assesses clinical knowledge of four key areas: safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity.
- 3
Gain Nursing Experience
Most graduate programs require 1-2 years of patient-centered nursing experience to enroll. Exploring different clinical settings and identifying your areas of interest can help you select a primary specialty and healthcare location to gain experience.
As you choose a role in the field that attracts you, hands-on nursing practice will allow you to develop and refine your clinical skills and judgment. For example, working on a pediatric unit would be key for the pediatric NP path.
- 4
Enroll in a Nursing Graduate Program
After gaining nursing experience, you can research schools and enroll in an NP program. Admission requirements typically include a BSN, RN license, transcripts, personal essays, and letters of recommendation. Some graduate programs also require GRE or MCAT scores.
The NP program curriculum includes coursework and supervised clinical placements to strengthen clinical decision-making skills.
Currently, the minimum educational requirement for NPs is an MSN degree. However, a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) can lead to higher earnings and increased job opportunities.
MSN programs last 2-3 years, while DNPs take 3-4 years to complete. Both degree tracks require students to focus on specific populations or conditions.
- 5
Earn Specialty Certification and NP Licensure
NPs must become licensed in their states to practice. While some licensing criteria may vary, all states require an advanced nursing degree and a passing score on a national board certification examination in the applicant’s specialty area, such as family nurse practitioner (FNP), psychiatric, pediatrics, or women’s health.
Administered by accredited certifying organizations, the rigorous exams test general advanced practice nursing competency and knowledge of specialty populations. Candidates can register for exams only in the areas where they earned their degrees.
- 6
Find Employment
Your clinical experience and credentials greatly impact your ability to find an NP position. Skills in networking, the job search process, and interviewing are also key factors. NPs can also join professional organizations to find open roles.
Using traditional job boards and searching directly on healthcare organization websites are places to start your search. Job fairs, agency recruiters, professional organizations, and networking sites like LinkedIn are valuable resources to identify opportunities.
Nurse Practitioner Education
NPs learn how to provide comprehensive patient care and apply evidence-based practices throughout their education. The amount of time a candidate spends becoming a nurse practitioner depends on many factors, such as education level, work experience, specialization, and career goals.
Explore the typical length, requirements, and curriculum for BSN, MSN, and DNP degrees below.
BSN Degree
Prospective nurse practitioners earn a BSN before undertaking their graduate-level coursework. The time commitment, curriculum, and admission requirements vary depending on whether applicants hold an RN license or not.
- Admission Requirements: Common admission requirements include a high school diploma, transcripts, a minimum 2.5-3.0 GPA, SAT or ACT scores, and a resume. Programs often ask for personal essays and letters of recommendation.
- Program Curriculum: BSN programs combine didactic coursework and clinical rotations at healthcare facilities. Typical courses include anatomy, nursing informatics, pathophysiology, pharmacology, research, and statistics. Clinical experiences involve shadowing RNs and applying nursing skills in healthcare settings.
- Time to Complete: BSN programs often take four years to complete, but transferable credits can shorten this timeline. RNs with ADNs and students with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees may qualify for bridge and/or accelerated programs.
- Skills Learned: BSN curricula foster hard and soft skills, including empathy, case management, critical thinking, decision-making, and leadership.
MSN Degree
Earning an MSN provides the fastest path to NP careers. These programs strengthen clinical decision-making skills and prepare graduates for board certification in an NP specialty.
- Admission Requirements: Most MSN programs require a BSN, an RN license, transcripts with a 2.75-3.5 GPA or higher, personal essays, and recommendation letters. Some NP schools request GRE scores and admission interviews.
- Program Curriculum: Core courses include advanced pharmacology, physiology, and pathophysiology; health assessment; and nursing administration and ethics. NPs also complete at least 500 supervised clinical hours.
- Time to Complete: NP programs that award an MSN take 2-3 years for full-time learners. The exact time frame varies with concentration area, educational history, and enrollment status.
- Skills Learned: MSN programs emphasize advanced clinical skills, ethical decision-making, collaboration, and leadership. Students also develop their organization, healthcare technologies, disease prevention, and health promotion abilities.
DNP Degree
A DNP is the highest degree for nurse practitioners. Earning a DNP can mean greater clinical expertise and a higher earning potential.
- Admission Requirements: DNP schools often admit MSN degree holders who have completed nursing research and statistics prerequisites. Applicants must submit transcripts demonstrating a minimum 3.0 GPA, a valid RN license, and proof of clinical experience. DNP bridge programs combine MSN and DNP coursework for candidates with BSNs.
- Program Curriculum: DNP programs include courses in advanced health assessment, pharmacology, and clinical requirements in the NP specialty area.
- Time to Complete: Full-time learners can complete DNPs in 3-4 years. Students can also continue working while attending school part time. Most schools allow part-time completion within 6-7 years.
- Skills Learned: DNP professionals often take on leadership roles in healthcare organizations, using their critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills.
Common Nurse Practitioner Courses
Most NP programs include foundational courses in nursing ethics, health assessment, primary care, clinical decision-making, and healthcare policy.
Course content varies depending on a program’s specialization. NP students complete advanced coursework in their specialty area to prepare for board certification. Common NP courses include:
How Much Does an NP Degree Cost?
Nurse practitioner programs average $20,260-$166,500 in tuition, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Total nursing school costs vary based on a number of factors, including:
- Degree level (MSN, DNP, or postgraduate certificate)
- Type of college (public or private)
- Residency status (in-state or out-of-state)
- Program length
- School prestige
- Program format (online or in person)
- Credit requirements
In addition to tuition, NP students must consider other costs, including housing, travel, books, and technology. Nursing students can pay for their degrees with scholarships, fellowships, grants, loans, and employer assistance.
Nurses often qualify for student loan forgiveness programs. In addition, many larger medical centers associated with nursing schools will offer tuition reimbursement for RNs pursuing MSN/DNP programs.
Nurse Practitioner Licensure and Certification
NPs must earn and maintain two credentials: state licensure and board certification. Both require an accredited NP degree and clinical experience. The specific licensure process and board certification requirements vary depending on the state and certification area.
Certifications
Candidates seeking board certification take an exam that tests their competency in their specialty area. All but two state nursing boards require national certification for NP licensure.
Board certification requires NPs to earn an advanced nursing degree, complete 500-800 practicum hours, and pass a certification exam in their specialty area.
Several professional associations offer NP certifications, including:
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
- National Certification Corporation
Recertification requirements vary by certification body, but NPs usually must complete 1,000 clinical practice hours, take advanced continuing education courses, or recertify by examination.
Licensure
An NP must hold a current RN license and APRN license. State licensure boards impose specific licensing criteria, but they typically require at least an MSN or a DNP from an accredited graduate nursing program, along with a passing score on the specialty certification exam.
State law determines the scope of practice for NPs, including their level of prescriptive authority. Renewal requirements also follow state law but tend to mirror requirements for national certification maintenance.
Nurse Practitioner Salary and Career Outlook
In the healthcare field, nurse practitioners benefit from one of the strongest salary and job outlooks.
The median nurse practitioner salary is $126,260, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). NPs rank among the fastest-growing occupations in 2023-33 BLS projections, with 46% projected job growth.
What’s driving demand for nurse practitioners? The healthcare industry faces a shortage of primary and specialty care providers, and NPs can help meet that need. Many states are also expanding the practice authority of APRNs, allowing NPs to provide a broader scope of healthcare services.
The earning potential for NPs varies depending on their specialty area, experience, location, and work setting.
| Industries | NP Work Setting | Average Annual Pay (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor’s Offices | Provide primary care to patients of all ages, including treating ongoing medical conditions | $122,780 |
| Hospitals | Diagnose, prescribe meds, intubate patients, and place patients on ventilators. | $135,610 |
| Home Health Care | Home health NPs provide care to home-based patients to help them recover and prevent re-hospitalization. They also provide referrals for necessary services. | $146,850 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | Provide specialty care, interpret lab results, prescribe medication, and treat patients in urgent care settings | $139,860 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Nurse Practitioner
Including training as an RN, nurse practitioners typically spend a minimum of 8 years to qualify for NP jobs. RNs with a BSN and 1-2 years of clinical experience can become nurse practitioners in as little as two years.
Related Pages
Nurse Practitioner Specialties: Explore Different Types of NPs
An advanced nursing degree can offer flexibility and higher pay. These eight types of nurse practitioner specialties afford options in primary and acute care.
Nurse Practitioner Salaries by State
NPs earn significantly more than RNs, but compensation varies by education, certifications, and geography. Learn about current salary trends and the highest-paying states for nurse practitioners.
NP vs. APRN: What’s the Difference?
Confused about the role of NPs vs. APRNs? This page compares and contrasts these roles and how to make a smart choice for the future of your nursing career.