Oklahoma Nurse Practitioner Programs
Advancing your nursing education is a great way to take your nursing career to the next level and explore your potential. Perhaps you enjoy working with patients and supporting them throughout their health journey. If you’re interested in a career that allows you to develop a trusting professional relationship with your patients, you may want to learn more about nurse practitioner programs in Oklahoma.
We’ve compiled a list of all the Nurse Practitioner degree programs in Oklahoma, and recommend that you contact each school you’re interested in to learn more about how to begin.
Nurse practitioners have advanced training in primary care, so they may fill the role of a primary care provider in a patient’s life. This is an important benefit of this career in Oklahoma, as the state’s Tahlequah Daily Press notes that in this state, health care needs are often met by NPs.
Pursuing a Master’s degree in nursing in Oklahoma may have a long-lasting effect on your nursing career. The Trivalley Dispatch notes that one of Oklahoma’s advanced nursing programs was recently honored as one of the best in the country.
Reach out to the nurse practitioner programs in Oklahoma you want to learn more about to see if this graduate nursing degree is right for you.
Nurse Practitioner Program Curriculum in Oklahoma
To start working as a nurse practitioner, you need to meet the training standards laid out by the state of Oklahoma. This means that you must earn a Master’s degree or doctoral degree in nursing. You may be able to earn a Master’s degree in about two years, while a doctoral degree may take up to six years. A doctoral program may provide you with more clinical experience, and may set you ahead of DNP regulations as the role of Nurse Practitioners continues to evolve.
The curriculum for your nurse practitioner degree may address many areas of advanced nursing practice, including patient communication, nursing ethics and standards, advanced care procedures, and nursing theory. Some of the courses you may take include Communication in Health Professions, Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice, Advanced Nursing Research, and Advanced Pathophysiology. High-level courses in your curriculum may include Primary Care of Women and Children, Primary Care of Adults, and Population Health. By the time you complete all your required courses, you should have earned well over 600 hours of clinical experience.
There are quite a few financial aid opportunities for graduate-level nursing students in Oklahoma. The PMTC Nursing Student Assistance Program may provide aid to graduate students. Your school may also help you find school-specific scholarships, like the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund or the Honor Society of Nursing Scholarship. Some health care employers, like Mercy Oklahoma, provide assistance to employees.
Working as a Nurse Practitioner in Oklahoma
Upon completing your nurse practitioner program, it is time to become licensed as a nurse practitioner. You must keep your registered nursing license valid throughout your education. This allows you to apply for Advanced Practice Registered Nursing status and take a specialized exam in your field of study. You can then get your APRN license from the Oklahoma Board of Nursing.
Earning an advanced nursing degree may positively impact your earning potential as well as your professional standing. O*Net reports that nurse practitioners in Oklahoma earn an average salary of $81,200 per year.
You may enjoy a positive job outlook when you start your career as a nurse practitioner. Between 2012 and 2022, O*Net anticipates a 24 percent increase in nurse practitioner jobs. This job growth rate is higher than average when compared to other professions.
As the landscape of healthcare continues to expand and change, Oklahoma Nurse Practitioner programs may offer you a way to stay abreast of it all while expanding your own practice at the same time. Contact nurse practitioner schools in Oklahoma today to learn more about which programs may be best for you.