Becoming a Nurse Practitioner – What Are the Requirements For Nursing Certifications?

Becoming a Nurse Practitioner – What Are the Requirements For Nursing Certifications?
Depending on your desired field and preferred nursing certifications you could boost your salary substantially with certification exams. As a registered nurse you know the importance of keeping up with medical advancements so as to best serve your patients with the highest level of care. You might also be looking to further your education, perhaps to become a certified nurse an LPN. Whatever your reasons for pursuing one of these certifications, you’ll want to be sure you choose an accredited program to help ensure your education will meet the requirements once you do submit it and get certified.

Some nursing certifications require continuing education just like other licensed professionals. Your state department of health should be able to provide you with information on what the minimum renewal requirements are for your certification. There are some states that have specific renewal requirements as well, especially for LPN’s. Call your state health department to find out if your certification will need to be renewed.

Some nursing certifications do not need to be re-certified every two years. The Health Information Technology Security exam, HIT exams, and other tests administered by the National Board of Nursing are considering renewal programs. These exams generally last only a few days and you can usually get another chance to take the exam for another two years. To apply for renewal, you will be required to show that you have learned new skills since your last certification. In addition to having enough experience in your specified nursing specialty to warrant re-certification, nurses with extended study hours or who have achieved a certification credential in multiple areas should consider this option.

For nurses who already possess nursing certifications they may choose to pursue further education or a speciality to specialize in a certain area of health care. There are many colleges that offer LPN, RN, and BSN programs. Students can complete their associate degrees in less than two years while obtaining a bachelor of science in nursing and a master of nursing a double four years. Students can also complete an RN to BSN program in about two years, or a BSN to advance their education to become a Registered Nurse. There are also online LPN and RN programs.

When students finish an accredited course they will be mailed their training and certification books along with a handbook of important information. The handbook will contain information on what the course was about, what the required exam is, and the rules for passing the certification examination. Students will be expected to review this handbook before taking their certification exams. They will be tested on their knowledge in basic nursing skills and knowledge of the NREMT exam topics.

Students will receive a certificate of completion when they have successfully completed all the requirements. In order to qualify for certification, students must successfully complete all the requirements and pass the board exams. After becoming certified, individuals can apply for re-certification, which is available at any time. Students who want to be eligible for re-certification must first complete all the requirements for enrollment. The same processes and applications will be used.

It is important to remember that passing the board certification examinations is not the end of your career in specialty nursing. You must still meet continuing education requirements every two years to ensure your continuing professional growth. There are many activities, including internships, that you can take part in to ensure your continued success as a nurse. In addition to the training and certification exams, you must continue your education and take special licensing exams to be able to practice as a nurse specializing in your specialty.

Once you have successfully completed your training and have all the required continuing education requirements, you will be able to sit for the NCLEX-RN or NREMT exam. Taking the test can be a daunting task for some nurses, but the exam will only take approximately an hour to complete. Once you have successfully passed the exam, you will be given a credential and will no longer need to go through the testing process again. Once you have become a licensed nurse practitioner, you will be able to treat patients more professionally and provide the best possible care for your patients if you choose to do so. Although the certification process might seem lengthy and difficult, it is well worth it once you become a nurse practitioner and begin to see the great changes that can be had in improving the quality of care that you and your patients receive each day.