Iowa Nurse Practitioner Programs
One of the main reasons that people get into the nursing field is that they want to help people. If you are ready to expand your impact in nursing, you may want to start looking into nurse practitioner programs in Iowa. Your existing nursing experience and Bachelor’s degree in nursing may make you qualified for this advanced nursing degree and career. Contact the nursing schools in Iowa that offer Nurse Practitioner programs to learn more about your options today.
Becoming a nurse practitioner can give you the freedom to work more independently with patients, diagnose and treat diseases, and have a significant impact on the field of health care in Iowa. The shortage of health care providers is a serious problem in Iowa. In fact, the Des Moines Register notes that the doctor shortage in Iowa may make it difficult for medical professionals to handle the recent cases of infectious diseases. As more and more doctors retire, this problem may become even worse, according to Radio Iowa.
As a result, you may find a number of opportunities waiting for you after completing a nurse practitioner degree. The Iowa Workforce Information Network lists nurse practitioner as number seven on its list of high-demand, high-salary occupations. If you want to work in a medical specialty, IowaNow reports that several local employers rely on the services of nurse practitioners.
Ready to learn more about becoming a nurse practitioner? Find out more about nurse practitioner schools in Iowa by requesting information today.
Nurse Practitioner Program Curriculum in Iowa
As you prepare to start a nurse practitioner program in Iowa, you may wonder exactly what you can learn in this type of degree program. Nurse practitioners must be skilled in many areas of medicine, from patient communication to treatment and collaboration with other professionals. Your curriculum should cover all of this and more. To graduate with a master’s degree in nursing, you need to earn between 30 and 40 credits. For a full-time student, this takes between two and three years. Some schools also have part-time options or online nurse practitioner options.
Your curriculum could start out with core nursing courses like Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology, Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing, and Nursing & Leadership Theory. Some of the more advanced courses you may take include Primary Health Care Nursing of Adults, Nursing Statistics, and Advanced Research. Clinical work may be required in most of the courses you take, though clinical work may be a bigger part of the end of your degree program. In total, you may be expected to complete over 600 hours of clinical experience prior to graduation.
Iowa is home to many scholarship options for advanced nursing students in Iowa. The Iowa Health Care Association awards the Health Care Education Scholarship. At Mary Greeley Medical Center, nursing staff may apply for scholarships and grants. The Iowa Association of Nurse Practitioners is another good source for local nursing scholarships.
Working as a Nurse Practitioner in Iowa
To work as a nurse practitioner in Iowa, you have to get your advanced practice license from the Iowa Board of Nursing. This involves maintaining your registered nursing license and applying for advanced practice status once you finish your degree. You must pass an advanced licensing exam before you can officially call yourself an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.
One benefit of working in the state of Iowa is the positive job outlook. From 2012 to 2022, O*Net anticipates a 28 percent increase in nurse practitioner jobs. Furthermore, becoming a nurse practitioner may help you boost your income potential. O*Net reports an average annual salary of $87,000 for Iowa nurse practitioners. Those at the high end of the pay scale earn more than $113,200 per year (O*Net, 2013).
As a nurse practitioner, you may have a lot of influence in the nursing community of Iowa. To start your journey to this exciting career, contact Iowa nurse practitioner schools today.