15 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs

This is a detailed guide on the best Nurse Practitioner Programs, read to the end to gain more insight.

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who concentrate on specific areas of nursing, such as acute care, adult-gerontology, pediatrics, family nursing, and psychiatric mental health.

Completing an online nurse practitioner program will enable you as a registered nurse to attract a higher-paying career.

However, you can become licensed as a nurse practitioner after finishing a graduate-level program: a master of science in nursing or a doctor of nursing practice.

Nurse practitioners are very important in the health sector, they provide primary and specialty care to patients; conduct health examinations, diagnose acute and chronic conditions, and design treatment plans.

However, to increase your responsibilities and earning potential as a registered nurse, enroll in one of the best nurse practitioner programs.

Also read: 15 Cheap Nursing Schools In the USA For International Students

15 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs

Nurse practitioners are among the fastest-growing professions in the United States, and they earn above the average salaries.

To become a Nurse Practitioner, you must have a minimum of a master’s degree level education.

However, below are the best nurse practitioner programs you can take to well equip yourself as a nurse practitioner.

1. The University Of Texas At Austin

The University of Texas at Austin offers the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) certificate programs to nurses who have a master’s in nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Students choose a certificate path as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Family Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, or Adult-Gerontology – Clinical Nurse Specialist.

As a student in the APRN Certificate Programs, you will complete the didactic and clinical hours necessary to take the national exam in your area of specialty.

2. Brigham Young University

The College of Nursing of Brigham Young University offers one of the best generic Family Nurse Practitioner Programs leading to a Master of Science degree.

Graduates of this program are equipped to provide excellent nursing care to various individuals, families, and groups in handling health and illness.

Entrance into the graduate program also assumes that students, having graduated from baccalaureate nursing programs, have had exposure to a basic level of nursing practice, understand the healthcare system, cultural, social, and political perspectives that impact health beliefs and healthcare, and an awareness of legal and ethical concerns in nursing practice.

Also, you must also have passed courses in fundamental statistics and pathophysiology to be admitted to the program.

3. Villanova University

Villanova University offers a master’s in family nurse practitioner program. This program enables learners to build on their existing knowledge to gain a broad understanding of a nurse practitioner role.

ALSO READ   Top 10 Best Catholic Schools In Nigeria

However, master’s students in this school participate in campus life and benefit from the university’s support services.

4. Vanderbilt University

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program in this university prepares nurses in advanced nursing practice to improve health care outcomes and strengthen the leadership position in guiding elaborate care delivery and nursing education.

Vanderbilt’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program is an advanced nursing practice program.

This program offers an innovative, state-of-the-art curriculum that includes post-master study tracks in Advanced Clinical Practice, Advanced Systems Practice, Executive Leadership, etc.

5. Emory University

Emory University is known for offering a highly-ranked nursing master’s degree.  The MSN program helps students progress in their education and boost their career opportunities.

Graduate programs in this university offer flexible enrollment options that make it easier for students to fit classes into their timetables.

To thrive in this school, you must take theoretical and practical nursing classes to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the field.

Students can often complete internships and other hands-on learning opportunities and also meet with faculty advisors to select electives that have to do with the nursing degree.

6. Stony Brook University

The Post-Baccalaureate DNP Program at Stony Brook University School of Nursing equips students to be clinical leaders, and influence policy, thereby impacting patient outcomes and population health.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates of this university has skills and tools that enable them to identify opportunities for improvement in health care delivery.

However, this Program is designed for registered nurses who hold a baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing and prepares them to sit for a national certification exam in an advanced practice nursing specialty.

The program requires 42 credits of coursework, including a minimum of 500 scholarly practice hours (to meet the 1,000+ post-baccalaureate practice hour requirement).

The University offers graduate programs in several enrollment formats, including online options designed for working professionals.

7. Case Western Reserve University

As a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) student of Case Western University, you will join a powerful network of nursing leaders and graduate ready to enter the workforce as a clinical practice leader, administrator, educator, or health policy leader.

The program allows you to work full time while completing your coursework, with intensive sessions that offer concentrated lessons in a short period of time.

The school offers flexible enrollment options that are appropriate for busy enrollees balancing school with other responsibilities.

Learners take advanced nursing classes that build a theoretical and practical understanding of the field and apply their training in internships and other hands-on learning opportunities.

ALSO READ   Top 25 Best Universities To Study Medicine And Surgery In Nigeria

8. Duke University

Duke’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program is one of the best nurse practitioner programs you can enroll in. If you are a post-BSN interested in advanced nursing practice or you hold a master’s degree in advanced nursing practice.

However,  Earning your DNP degree provides skills and tools that enable you to assess published evidence to inform your practice, and improve systems of care to influence patient outcomes, make changes to enhance the quality of care, when needed

Graduates of the Duke University DNP program are nurse leaders in interdisciplinary health care teams and work to improve systems of care, patient outcomes, quality, and safety.

9. Texas State University

The family nurse practitioner (FNP) program at Texas State University is one of the best nurse practitioner programs in Nigeria. It helps students increase their career opportunities.

It is a hybrid master’s degree program that prepares post-baccalaureate registered nurses to provide high-quality, integrative care for patients across the lifespan in different settings.

Graduates of this program are equipped to competently translate research and utilize evidence-based practice knowledge to provide healthcare for individuals, families, and populations with an emphasis on primary care.

However, students of this school learn and practice the theory and techniques of providing primary healthcare using an integrative approach.

Furthermore, courses are delivered online and Face-to-face on weekends where students hone their skills with the faculty and get to know their fellow family nurse practitioner (FNP) students.

The majority of this program may be offered online with required on-campus learning experiences two weekends per semester at the St. David’s School of Nursing in Round Rock, Texas.

10. University of Rochester

The University of Rochester offers one of the best Nurse Practitioner Programs to interesting students who are interested in advancing their careers.

The private institution offers graduate programs in several enrollment formats, including online format created for working professionals.

During the MS in nurse practitioner program, students are well equipped to thrive in the nursing profession.

However, academic advisors of the school recommend course selections, while financial aid counselors link students with scholarship and grant opportunities.

11. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University offers one of the best Nursing Practitioner programs in the world. Their Doctor of Nursing Program equips students to lead health care innovations and influence policy.

However, the  Doctor of Nursing Program available at this university includes:

1. DNP Advanced Practice Track/PhD

2. DNP Executive Track/MBA Dual Degree

3. DNP Executive Track/Master of Public Health (MPH) Dual Degree

4. DNP Executive Track

5. DNP Advanced Practice Track

ALSO READ   How to Pass Psychometric Tests in 7 Steps

6. DNP Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

7. DNP Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

8. DNP Family Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

9. DNP Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

10. DNP Pediatric Dual Primary/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

11. DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

12. DNP Adult-Gerontological Health Clinical Nurse Specialist

13. DNP Adult-Gerontological Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist

DNP Pediatric Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist

14. DNP Nurse Anesthesia

12. Rush University

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Adult-Gerontology Acute Care nurse practitioner program at Rush University is one of the best nursing programs in the world.

It will equip you to function as an advanced practice nurse in adult acute care as well as in specialty practices.

The focus of the program is on clinical practice with critically ill adults from adolescents to older adults.

By enrolling in this program, you will gain an in-depth knowledge of nursing theory and research, critical decision-making, differential diagnosis, patient/case management, and advanced technical skills.

13. University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania offers one of the best nursing practitioner programs. The adult-Gerontology Primary Care program at the University of Pennsylvania is a full-time program that lasts 15 months.

The courses in this program include classroom case studies and clinical preceptorships that focus on physical assessment and pathophysiology, health maintenance, and the management of common acute and chronic health problems.

14. Columbia University

Columbia university offers one of the best nursing practitioner programs in the world.

The  Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP program at the Columbia university uses an immersion technique that concentrates on areas such as palliative and end-of-life care and the integration of primary and mental health care.

The program al also combines didactic classroom teaching with state-of-the-art clinical practice in various settings and experiential clinical seminars.

15. Yale University

Yale University also offers one of the best nursing practitioner programs in the world.

The Post-Master’s Clinical Doctor of Nursing Practice program in the school is designed for Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) who have graduated from an MSN program.

This program helps students to improve their clinical leadership skills and become competent in their practice area.

That is all on the 15 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs, I hope it helps you make the right choice.

1 thought on “15 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs”

Leave a Comment