Overview of Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Programs
You’ve already made a difference in your community by working as a nurse. You may be able to do even more for Tennessee residents as a nurse practitioner. Whether you want to work with adult, psychiatric, pediatric or geriatric patients, there are training options in Tennessee. Explore your options by reading about nurse practitioner programs in Tennessee and job options on this page. With our search box above and the featured school listings below, find the right school for your needs.
If you have always wanted to expand your scope of practice as a nurse and work more independently, you may be ready for the responsibilities that come with being a nurse practitioner.
How Can I Become a Nurse Practitioner in Tennessee?
You need at least a Master’s degree to become a nurse practitioner, but you may also complete your nurse practitioner schooling with a doctorate. Whichever route you choose, your nursing experience can really pay off as you discover how to best meet the needs of your patients. Take advantage of growth in the healthcare industry today.
Average Master’s Degree Requirements in Tennessee for NPs
- Credit hours required: 50 credit hours
- Average cost: $850 per credit hour
- Clinical hours required: 500 hours or more
- Timeframe: Three years
Average Doctoral Requirements in Tennessee for NPs
- Credit hours required: 90 credit hours
- Clinical hours required: 1,000 hours or more
- Timeframe: Five years
What Types of Nurse Practitioner Programs Are Available in Tennessee?
As you learn more about nurse practitioner degrees in Tennessee, you may find that they all require you to choose a patient population. Although your license allows you to work with other patients, the population you choose determines your clinical experience, employment settings, and future career opportunities.
Some of the common options at Tennessee schools include family care, mental health, gerontological care, acute care, neonatal care, and women’s health.
In general, you may find that nurse practitioner programs are conventional in-person programs that require daily attendance.
A growing number of schools are offering online nurse practitioner programs to accommodate the scheduling needs of working registered nurses. These options require the same amount of clinical work and still often require full-time study, but they make it much easier for working nurses to advance their education while fulfilling their professional obligations.
Common Course Options in Tennessee
- Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing
- Healthcare Policy
- Advanced Nursing Research
- Nursing Administration
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Advanced Pathophysiology
- Advanced Pharmacology
Clinical work is a huge part of your professional growth and your transition from registered nurse to nurse practitioner. It’s important to use this opportunity to develop your leadership skills, build connections with administrators at potential places of employment, and get a feel for the scope of practice for Tennessee nurse practitioners.
How Can I Pay for Nurse Practitioner School in Tennessee?
- BestNursingDegree.com: By applying for our scholarship program, you can be considered for our $2500 scholarships, which we award four times per year.
- NHSC Loan Repayment Program: This federal program pays off up to $50,000 of student loans in exchange for a two-year commitment at an NHSC-approved site.
- NURSE Corps Scholarship Program: Students who receive this scholarship must work in a Health Professional Shortage Area for two years after graduation.
- Tennessee Nurses Association: Each year, the Tennessee Nurses Association awards the Maureen Nalle Memorial Graduate Nursing Scholarship.
Licensing and Practice Requirements for NPs in Tennessee
Before you can put your education to work and explore employment options as a nurse practitioner, you must earn your advance practice license. This process goes through the Tennessee Board of Nursing. They require national certification, a Tennessee nursing license, and proof of graduation from an accredited graduate nursing program.
In Tennessee, nurse practitioners have restricted practice rights (AANP, 2016). However, this is a high priority for advocacy groups across the country, so it may change at some point in the future.
Nurse Practitioner Careers in Tennessee
Your nurse practitioner education may prepare you to work in places like hospitals, urgent care settings, nursing homes, and even schools. The demand for nurse practitioners is extremely high, a trend that is expected to continue for several years. By 2024, job openings for nurse practitioners may increase 41% in Tennessee (O*Net, 2016).
The average salary for a Tennessee nurse practitioner is $93,520 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016).
Now that you know more about nurse practitioner degrees, Tennessee schools are your next stop.
Finding a Nurse Practitioner School in Tennessee
As you review the schools that offer NP programs, keep in mind that the featured schools on this page often offer distance learning methods for earning your degree, which is something many nursing students prefer. We suggest requesting information from these, and other schools, so that you have a good amount of information about what’s available. NP programs for Tennessee nurses include in-state schools such as:
- Belmont University. Located in Nashville, Belmont offers a Master’s-level program that leads to certification as a family nurse practitioner.
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Want to be prepared for the future? The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is already offering DNP-level nurse practitioner programs. (By 2015, a Doctorate in Nursing will be the academic degree required for entry into the field as a nurse practitioner.) Choose from primary care, acute care or psych/family nurse practitioner tracks. Most coursework is offered online, though students are required to spend five to seven days on campus four times a year.
- Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt offers a master’s level adult nurse practitioner program that allows students to sub-specialize in cardiovascular disease prevention, gerontology or palliative care. Coursework is offered online and at convenient times and locations so that students can continue to work while pursuing their degree.
