Nurse Practitioner and Education

¶ … Nurse Practitioner An increasing number of people trust NPs with their health and choosing them as their preferred healthcare provider. The range of health services NPs provide is amazing and they help their patients make better healthcare and lifestyle decisions. The role NPs play is particularly unique as they provide a wholesome service that includes even educating the clients about their conditions and how to have an excellent life with their conditions (AANP 2014). The number of U.S. NP programs is rising as the number of students seeking enrollment increase.

Many more people appreciate being a nursing provider as a noble profession with the increasing demand for primary caregivers all over the country. Most of the applicants who want to be NPs are registered nurses followed by second-degree holders. Selecting the right NP program is not an easy task. The features that influence one's choice like preceptor requirements, curricula and the degrees offered tend to vary with every school. I have always known that I wanted to be an NP.

Pathology, Pharmacology and various disciplines on how to treat illnesses fascinate me and I have always enjoyed studying these areas. While other factors like time commitment and the possibility of massive debt may have contributed to me not choosing to go to med school, the idea of being an NP genuinely interested me. When considering NP and PA, I found the education model in the PA program better but the independence of NPs and the ability to be independently licensed was a big draw for me (Catar 2014).

As care providers we learn to relate with people, have a keen eye for details and give healthcare an approach which accounts for both interpersonal relationships and the environment. My motivation was not escaping 'bedside nursing.' I was motivated by being able to provide higher quality services at a much higher plane with the patients I was dealing with and so I sought to improve my skills and knowledge (Catar 2014). NPs have the opportunity to have an impact on people's lives.

The opportunities to help more people have risen even higher in the recent years. By practicing preventive care, NPs can help avoid a crisis situation. In partnering with the patients, they help them make better decisions and assist in providing high- quality and comprehensive but affordable care with awesome outcomes. The skills NPs have are very instrumental in giving comprehensive healthcare (AANP, 2004). I am currently fascinated by the tremendous changes going on right now in nursing education. I want to be part of this change.

The last few years saw an exponential increase in DNP programs. AACN previously declared that all freshly graduating NPs must possess DNP degrees by the year 2015. The decree certainly shouldn't take full effect now for several reasons. NPs with master's degrees may, for instance, earn DNP sometime later in post-master's programs. A number of DNP programs also allow students to get 'master's degrees in passing' as they pursue their DNP degree.

While most of the changes have a positive impact like changing program design as well as delivery making programs accessible, some aspects of the changes have increased their complexity and so students have a harder time choosing the right program for them (Nopolitano and Klein 2012). I want to be a nurse practitioner in today's environment. NPs have the chance to offer their services.