Tips for Finding the Right Family Nurse Practitioner Program
Use these tips to narrow down the right family nurse practitioner program you feel is most suitable for you.
Deciding to get a postgraduate degree is not something many people are willing to try. It’s perfectly understandable, since it involves a high amount of time, effort and dedication. Many will consult their family and friends, especially if they are married or already have kids, since graduate school is time-consuming. Before you make that decision, you first have to ask yourself if you are ready to make that commitment.
As of late, many people will enroll in a Family Nurse Practitioner Program because it pays well. It pays well because there is a real demand for nurse practitioners as most of the baby boomers who took up many of those positions are retiring. In addition, that generation are entering retirement homes and require medical assistance. Nurses provide excellent care for individuals admitted to old age homes.
Becoming a family nurse practitioner requires additional study and hours at the hospital for clinical rotations. It may be difficult, but once you achieve it, you will say it has become one of the best decisions you have ever made. If you are decided to take the plunge and enroll in a family nurse practitioner course, the question now is choosing the right program for you. To help you narrow down your choices, consider the following tips.
Decide Where You Want to Work
Do you see yourself working in the hospital or in an office? If you want to work in a hospital, then you must choose an Acute Care Program, which will allow you to care for patients with chronic, critical illnesses. However, if you feel that you are better working in an office, then you might do well by enrolling in the Primary Care Program. Primary Care Nurse Practitioners mostly deal with health promotion, screening, and providing education concerning primary prevention.
To simplify, here are the main differences between the Acute Care Program and Primary Care Program:
Acute Care: mostly work in collaboration with doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, and nutritionists to make sure the patient receives the best care possible. They act as an independent care provider that leads interprofessional teams when it comes to evaluating and diagnosing nursing conditions. Their education, certification, and license prove that they can provide restorative care in both emergency and non-emergency cases. They are best suited to work in emergency rooms, ICU, skilled nursing facility, or medical/surgical units.
Primary Care: can also help in developing treatment plans and monitoring treatment response. They often work with patients on a long-term basis, usually throughout the illness. They are best suited to work in urgent care, family practice clinics, women’s health clinics, jail health, rural health clinics, or skilled nursing facility.
Identify the Population You are Confident Caring For
If you like dealing with children, then you may choose to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner or a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. If you are more comfortable caring for adults, then become an Adult or Gerontology Nurse Practitioner. If you don’t prefer any age group, then just be a Family Nurse Practitioner. These are just examples of the different specialty programs that you can choose from. Choose the one that resonates with your skills and preferences.
Choose if You Want to Study Online or Take an On-Campus Program
If you decide to enroll in an online FNP program, you have to make sure that you will put in the same effort as if you are attending a regular on-campus school. Your choice of schooling wouldn’t really matter. What matters most is the amount of effort you give to the program. Remember that you can only harvest what you sow.
Learn the Difference Between DNP Program and MSN Program
A Doctor of Nursing Practice or DNP is a terminal nursing degree or the highest available level that one can complete in nursing. It includes programs that highlight learning in systems management, evidence-based decision making, and quality care improvement. An MSN program, on the other hand, is a Master of Science in Nursing. It is a course that prepares nurses to learn advanced skills and knowledge in specialized areas of nursing. It takes two years to complete and requires students to have work experience before they can start the program.
Individuals who want to start working right away with an FNP salary choose to finish a two-year MSN program rather than work with a nurse salary for four years as they complete their DNP program.
Use these tips to narrow down the right family nurse practitioner program you feel is most suitable for you. Other factors you might want to consider are the available payment methods, ease of access to resources (for online programs), and accreditation by higher learning commissions. It would also be best to choose the one that has partnerships with trusted hospitals and care centers where you can participate in clinical rotations. If you plan to study part-time, then go for the one that allows you to work while you take the program.
