Jacksonville University's Online BSN program offers you the opportunity to complete your nursing education online, without ever stepping foot on a college campus.
Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner Degrees
Licensing requirements for a family nurse practitioner are tougher than those to become a registered nurse. If you are considering becoming a family nurse practitioner, then you will need to obtain an advanced nursing degree.
You will first need to become a registered nurse. This is usually achieved by obtaining a bachelor's of science degree in nursing. These four-year programs are offered by colleges and universities. There were 678 such programs offered across the country in 2002, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The next step to becoming a family nurse practitioner is to obtain an advanced degree. Many universities offer family nurse practitioner degrees. Registered nurses receive classroom and clinical experience in psychology, physiology, anatomy, nutrition, chemistry, biology, and nursing. Graduate programs provide advanced courses in these disciplines, and add more dimensions such as diagnostics, therapeutic strategies and statistics.
Family nurse practitioners are called upon to work by themselves with patients but also to coordinate with other healthcare professionals. They must maintain the patient's records and family health history, and be part of an overall health strategy for the patient.
With your family nurse practitioner degree, you will then be able to use your advanced nursing skills in many ways. These include private practices, research, clinics, hospitals, businesses, managed care organizations and governmental agencies.
The employment outlook for registered nurses is very good. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sources: http://www.bls.gov
