Vermont Nurse Practitioner Programs
You’re in the right place if you’re interested in becoming a nurse practitioner. As a nurse practitioner, you may be able to provide primary care to families, adults, children or geriatric patients. Your courses also teach you how to provide acute care. On this page, you can learn more about education requirements, licensing restrictions and career paths. From there, start checking out nurse practitioner programs in Vermont by filling out the search box above or browsing featured schools below.
Have you ever wanted to do more for your patients? Perhaps you have strong clinical judgment skills that allow you to make swift, accurate calls in emergency situations. If you are interested in taking on a greater scope of practice in your nursing career, NP degrees could be a great fit for you.
How Can I Become a Nurse Practitioner in Vermont?
Depending on your chosen patient population, you may be able to become an NP with a master’s degree or a doctoral degree. Whether you’re interested in family nurse practitioner programs or another area of specialized care, you can get started now.
Average Master’s Degree Requirements for NPs
- Credit hours required: 35 credits
- Average cost: $1,100 per credit hour
- Clinical hours required: At least 500 hours
- Timeframe: Two years
Average Doctoral Degree Requirements for NPs
- Credit hours required: 76 credits
- Clinical hours required: At least 1,000 hours
- Timeframe: Three to four years
What Types of Nurse Practitioner Programs Are Available in Vermont?
You may already have clinical experience working with many different types of patients. Although many FNP programs accept students with only one year of nursing experience, a greater body of clinical work can help you confidently transition into a nurse practitioner role.
NP programs have fairly strict admissions requirements, due to the high level of responsibility that comes with this career path. You need a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, a current Vermont nursing license, and a set amount of nursing experience. For many programs, this is set at one year of full-time work.
Commonly Required Nurse Practitioner Courses in Vermont
- Professional Role Development
- Methods for Evidence-Based Practice
- Healthcare Ethics, Policy, and Politics
- Advanced Topics in Health Informatics
- Advanced Pathophysiology
- Advanced Pharmacology
- Advanced Neuropharmacology
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Pediatric Concepts for Advanced Care
- Primary Care Management of Children and Adolescents
- Advanced Practice Nursing for Older Adults
- Primary Care Management of Acute and Common Health Conditions
To narrow down your list of potential schools, consider which patient population you’d like to spend most of your time working with. In Vermont, you may choose from adult care, family care, or psychiatric/mental healthcare. This heavily influences your clinical rotations, required courses, and job openings, so it’s crucial to pick a field that is in line with your career goals.
How Can I Pay for Nurse Practitioner School in Vermont?
- BestNursingDegree.com: Our scholarship program runs year-round, so you can always get started on your financial search here. We award $2,500 scholarships four times per year.
- NHSC Loan Repayment Program: The federal loan repayment program rewards those who provide care to underserved areas. Up to $50,000 of student loans are paid off after two years of service.
- NURSE Corps Scholarship Program: You may receive a large scholarship through this program. This obligates you to a two-year stint in a Health Professional Shortage area.
- Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers: This state agency runs the Educational Loan Repayment Program. It repays some or all of your student loans when you work in an underserved part of Vermont.
Licensing and Practice Requirements for NPs in Vermont
The licensing process is regulated by the Vermont Board of Nursing. They require a graduate nursing degree and certification from a national certification board. Vermont is one of many states that allows nurse practitioners to have full practice rights (AANP, 2016).
Nurse Practitioner Careers in Vermont
Upon finishing your nurse practitioner schooling, it’s time to start learning about career options. Although there is no salary information available for Vermont, nurse practitioners generally have a much higher salary potential than registered nurses. This may help you significantly boost your income right out of school.
The job outlook is extremely positive in this state. O*Net anticipates a 21% increase in job openings between 2014 and 2024 (2016). You may enjoy a stronger job outlook if you’re willing to work in rural underserved areas, which can also help you qualify for loan repayment programs.
Learn more about nurse practitioner degrees! Vermont schools are ready to talk to you.
Selected Nurse Practitioner Schools in Vermont
If you are ready to boost your earning potential, expand your nursing knowledge base, and act as a nurse leader to your peers, furthering your education is a great way to start. Below, you will find featured schools that offer online courses for earning your NP, as well as ground based programs. Please request as much information as you need, in order to make the best decision regarding your advanced nursing education. NP programs for Vermont nurses include:
- The University of Vermont. The University of Vermont currently offers a Master’s-level Family Nurse Practitioner program, but is getting ready to transition their nurse practitioner training to a doctoral degree program. (The American Association Colleges of Nursing recommends that a doctoral degree be the minimal degree for entry into advanced practice nursing by 2015.) The inaugural Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program will begin classes in the fall of 2013.
- Georgetown University. Georgetown University in Washington D.C. offers two online NP programs that are accessible to nurses Vermont: a Family Nurse Practitioner program and a Nurse Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program. Classes are web-based, and clinical experiences can be arranged close to home.
- Drexel University. Although based in Philadelphia, Drexel University offers Vermont nurses a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program online. Adult Acute Care and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs are also available online, but both of those programs require visits to the Philadelphia campus.