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If you want to take your nursing career to the next level with a degree qualification, increase your career prospects and provide high quality healthcare, then becoming an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) could be the move that improves and enhances your nursing career. You can find out more about a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree at GMercyU’s website, as you must obtain an MSN to become an APRN. However, there are different APRN degrees and depending on what you want from your career, and what level you wish to work at, will determine which one is best for you.
Family Nurse Practitioner
As stated in the name, becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) means giving family-centered care, across the life-span. It involves being a primary healthcare provider for all age groups, including women during pregnancy. To become an FNP you will need to complete placement hours as with any nursing course to improve your skills and experience different settings. Studying involves pathophysiology and professional ethics. FNP’s may work in any healthcare settings and in some states they are legally permitted to order diagnostic tests and prescribe medications.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
This Online Doctor Of Nursing is more practice-based and focuses on leadership training and patient care through public health and education. It includes focusing on nursing theories and analyzing healthcare policies to have the best understanding of how practices should be run, and why healthcare professionals carry out the roles they do and how to improve these. With a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree you may work clinically, but it also gives you the opportunity to work in leadership or administrative roles. This is the highest degree role in nursing, and will shape the future of our healthcare system.
Which Degree is Best for Me?
If you prefer a nursing, holistic approach to care then an FNP degree might be for you. If you want to gain more clinical and practice insight for nursing best practices, then a DNP is probably better for you. An FNP is a masters-level degree whereas a DNP is one up on this, and completing a DNP would give you a doctorate-level degree. As an FNP, you may work on your own or with other healthcare professionals and will be able to diagnose and treat illnesses, as well as assist individuals and their families to manage their chronic or long-term illnesses. As a DNP, you may work to examine current practices and improve them or you may choose to work in private practice to focus on patient care. Both require clinical and study hours, with the DNP including more study, as it is a higher degree qualification. You can even complete both degrees online, meaning you can study around your busy life. Whether you choose a DNP or FNP degree, both are important in improving our healthcare system and to provide a service that is patient focused and research based, filling the gap in healthcare of retiring doctors and other APRN’s. If you are looking to excel in your career, improve the healthcare you can give, and earn more money doing so, an APRN degree could be just what you’re looking for.