Nurse Practitioner Schooling How Long Is It What Do You Learn

Nurse Practitioner Schooling How Long Is It What Do You Learn SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner? It can be a great way to make more money and have more responsibility at your job.But what options are there for nurse practitioner schooling? How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner? How do you apply, and what do you do once you begin a nurse practitioner program? In this guide, we answer those questions and give you all the information you need to know about nurse practitioner school. What Are Nurse Practitioner Schools? To become a nurse practitioner, you’ll need to get one of two graduate degrees: a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).In this section we analyze both of the degrees and give advice on which program you should pursue. Master’s of Science in Nursing Degree The MSN is a master’s program, and the coursework will often be similar to the coursework required to become an RN, although more specialized and at a higher level. You’ll learn the skills needed for patient care and case management so that you’re prepared to handle patients on your own and prescribe medication (if the state you live in allows NPs to write prescriptions). There are MSN programs for all the main nurse practitioner specializations, such as neonatal, family, psychiatric, and women’s health nurse practitioner specializations, among others.The coursework is a mixture of core classes all nurse practitioners take, courses in your field of specialization, and clinical practicum hours. Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree The DNP program covers all the information and skills you’ll learn in an MSN program, but you’ll take additional courses that teach you more about leadership, health care policy, and using evidence-based care in clinical practice, among other areas. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), all DNP programs must have courses that prepare students in the following eight core areas: Scientific underpinnings for practice Organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking Clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice Information systems/technology and patient care technology for the improvement and transformation of health care Health care policy for advocacy in health care Interprofessional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes Clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health Advanced nursing practice DNP students must also complete an original scholarly work, often known as the DNP project, that shows they can apply the knowledge they learned to an actual issue affecting nursing. The DNP is a doctorate and a terminal degree, and it provides a broader area of skills than an MSN degree. In addition to learning the skills needed to be an effective nurse practitioner, those who graduate from a DNP program also are better prepared for leadership positions because they have more background in health care policy and better understand how hospitals and other healthcare facilities are run. Which Nurse Practitioner Program Should You Do? Both programs will qualify you to be a nurse practitioner, so you can really do either. Additionally, there isn’t much of a salary difference between nurse practitioners who have their MSN versus those with their DNP (the average annual salary of nurse practitioners across the country is just over $100,000.) MSN programs are shorter and are typically offered by more schools, including more online programs, which can make balancing school and other commitments easier.However, if you’re looking to achieve the top level of nursing education and/or learn more leadership and management skills, a DNP is the better option.Additionally, the AACN recommends that nurses hoping to become nurse practitioners get their DNP instead of their MSN, but they accept both as proper qualification. The choice depends on which program you think works better for your schedule and career plans. Also, you get your MSN, you can later go back and get your DNP in a two-year program if you later decide that’s what you want. How Long Do Nurse Practitioners Go to School? How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner? This answer depends both on your background and which NP degree you want to get, though you can become a nurse practitioner in as little as two years. The length of the two NP programs are as follows: Master’s of Science in Nursing: 2 (sometimes 3) years Doctor of Nursing Practice: 3-4 years However, you need to be a registered nurse (RN) to begin nurse practitioner school. If you already have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) and have worked for several years as an RN, then you can go directly into either of the graduate programs. If, on the other hand, you don’t have a background in nursing, nurse practitioner schooling will take significantly longer.A BSN degree can take four years, although if you already have a bachelor’s degree in another field, there are often shorter programs that only take about two to three years, while an Associate’s Degree in Nursing usually takes two years to complete. This means it could take you up to eight years to become a nurse practitioner, depending on which combination of degrees you get. There are also a few programs that combine either a BSN or an ADN with a nurse practitioner program (often known as â€Å"bridge programs†), which will take less time to complete. These are often about five years, although the exact length of each program will vary based on the school. How Do You Get Into Nurse Practitioner Schools? As mentioned above, to apply to nurse practitioner schools, you need to be an RN with either a BSN or (sometimes) an ADN degree.There are a few nurse practitioner schools that accept students without a nursing background and offer a combined BSN and NP program, but these are uncommon and will take significantly longer than standard nurse practitioner schooling. If you don’t have a background in nursing, you will likely have to complete prerequisites in several course areas before you can begin a joint BS/RN program. Prerequisites will often be in the following areas: Biology Biochemistry Chemistry Human biology Microbiology Nutrition Psychology Statistics If you are an RN, you will also need to have passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) (which you’d need to pass anyway to work as an RN). Most nurse practitioner programs also require you to have some experience working as a nurse before you start your nurse practitioner degree. One to two years of experience is generally the minimum amount required, but, on average, nurses have ten years of experience before they go to school to become nurse practitioners. You’ll need solid grades, but they don’t need to be as high as they would be if you were applying to med school. Generally, a college GPA of 3.0 or higher is enough to get you into many nurse practitioner programs. Your grades in human biology/anatomy and other classes related to nursing will be the most important. Applying to nurse practitioner school is like a combination of applying to college and applying to a job. Similar to applying to other schools, you'll need to submit transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE test scores, and personal statements. However, like a job, you'll also need to provide a resume and contact information for references, and you'll likely have at least one interview per school during which you'll discuss your employment history. What Do You Do at a Nurse Practitioner School? Many nurse practitioners describe nurse practitioner school as similar to getting their RN, but faster-paced and with less hand-holding than you may have experienced in undergrad.You’ll generally divide your time between three areas: core classes, classes that focus on the specialtyyou’ve chosen, and clinicals. The core classes will typically focus on issues all nurse practitioners face or need to know how to deal with, such as using evidence-based practices, advanced nursing practices, statistics, pharmacology, and community health. Specialized classes will vary depending on which area you choose to focus in. There are many specialties nurse practitioner students can choose, including acute care, family medicine, neonatal care, oncology, psychiatry, and women’s health.You’ll also typically have to complete 500-800 clinical hours to graduate. Your class grades will usually be based on your scores on both papers and tests, although you’ll likely write more papers in grad school than you did in undergrad.Online nurse practitioner programs as well as hybrid online/in-person programs are also growing in popularity, and more students are choosing this option since it allows for greater flexibility when studying and completing coursework. License requirements for nurse practitioners vary by state but, in general, once you’ve completed your classes, you can then sit for the nurse practitioner exam and, after passing, begin work as a nurse practitioner. Summary: Nurse Practitioner Schooling A nurse practitioner degree allows nurses to make more money and have more responsibilities.In order to become a nurse practitioner, you need to get one of two degrees: a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).Both qualify you to become a nurse practitioner, but the DNP is a terminal degree and makes you more qualified for leadership positions. How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner? If you already have your BSN, getting your nurse practitioner degree will take about two to four years, depending on which degree you get.If you don’t have your BSN, it’ll often take longer, up to eight years, to become a nurse practitioner. The application process for nurse practitioner schooling is similar to when you applied for college, although you’ll need to provide more information, such as a resume and references from past employers.Once you start the nurse practitioner program, most students find it similar to nursing school, but faster-paced and with more papers. After you’ve completed nurse practitioner school, you’re able to take your certification test, and, once you pass, you can begin working as a nurse practitioner. What's Next? Are you studying clouds in your science class? Get help identifying the different types of clouds with our expert guide. Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. 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Dialogue Definition, Examples and Observations

Dialogue Definition, Examples and Observations (1) Dialogue is a verbal exchange between two or more people. (Compare with monologue.) Also spelled dialog. (2) Dialogue also refers to a  conversation reported in a drama or narrative. Adjective: dialogic. When quoting dialogue, put the words of each speaker inside quotation marks, and (as a general rule) indicate changes in speaker by starting a new paragraph. EtymologyFrom the Greek, conversation Examples and Observations Annina: Monsieur Rick, what kind of a man is Captain Renault?Rick: Oh, hes just like any other man, only more so.(Joy Page and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, 1942)How are you? I said.As you see, old Hernandez said, and he pushed his cap back on his forehead and smiled, alive.(Martha Gellhorn, The Third Winter, 1938) Eudora Welty on the Multiple Functions of Dialogue In its beginning, dialogues the easiest thing in the world to write when you have a good ear, which I think I have. But as it goes on, its the most difficult, because it has so many ways to function. Sometimes I needed a speech do three or four or five things at once- reveal what the character said but also what he thought he said, what he hid, what others were going to think he meant, and what they misunderstood, and so forth- all in his single speech. (Eudora Welty, interviewed by Linda Kuehl. The Paris Review, Fall 1972) Dialogue vs. Talk [T]he dialogue is selectivefinely polished, and arranged to convey the greatest possible amount of meaning with the least use of words. . . . [Dialogue] is not a phonographic reproduction of the way people actually talk. It’s the way they would talk if they had time to get down to it and refine what they wanted to say. (Robertson Davies, The Art of Fiction No. 107. The Paris Review, Spring 1989)Talk is repetitive, full of rambling, incomplete, or run-on sentences, and usually contains a lot of unnecessary words. Most answers contain echoes of the question. Our speech is full of such echoes. Dialogue, contrary to popular view, is not a recording of actual speech; it is a semblance of speech, an invented language of exchanges that build in tempo or content toward climaxes. Some people mistakenly believe that all a writer has to do is turn on a tape recorder to capture dialogue. What hed be capturing is the same boring speech patterns the poor court reporter has to record verbati m. Learning the new language of dialogue is as complex as learning any new language. (Sol Stein, Stein on Writing. St. Martins Griffin, 1995) Once captured, words have to be dealt with. You have to trim and straighten them to make them transliterate from the fuzziness of speech to the clarity of print. Speech and print are not the same, and a slavish presentation of recorded speech may not be as representative of a speaker as dialogue that has been trimmed and straightened. Please understand: you trim and straighten but you do not make it up. (John McPhee, Elicitation. The New Yorker, April 7, 2014) Harold Pinter on Writing Out Loud Mel Gussow: Do you read or talk your dialogue out loud when youre writing it? Harold Pinter: I never stop. If you were in my room, you would find me chattering away. . . . I always test it, yes, not necessarily at the very moment of writing but just a couple of minutes later. MG: And you laugh if its funny? HP: I laugh like hell.(Mel Gussows interview with playwright Harold Pinter, October 1989. Conversations With Pinter, by Mel Gussow. Nick Hern Books, 1994) Advice on Writing Dialogue There are a number of things that help when you sit down to write dialogue. First of all, sound your wordsread them out loud. . . . This is something you have to practice, doing it over and over and over. Then when youre out in the worldthat is, not at your deskand you hear people talking, youll find yourself editing their dialogue, playing with it, seeing in your minds eye what it would look like on the page. You listen to how people really talk, and then learn little by little to take someones five-minute speech and make it one sentence, without losing anything. (Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Random House, 1994)[A]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off more than a big slab of prose at the start. (P.G. Wodehouse, Paris Review Interview, 1975)Just as in fiction, in nonfiction dialogue- voices talking out loud on the page- accomplishes several important dramatic effects: It reveals personality, provides tension, moves the story along from one point to another, and breaks the monotony of the narrators voice by interjecting other voices that speak in contrasting tones, using different vocabularies and cadences. Good dialogue lends texture to a story, the sense that it is not all one slick surface. This is especially important in a blatantly first-person narrative, since it offers the reader relief from a single, narrow viewpoint. The voices in dialogue can enhance or contradict the narrators voice and contribute irony, often through humor. (Philip Gerard, Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life. Story Press, 1996) Pronunciation: DI-e-log Also Known As: dialogism, sermocinatio