Maine Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
Maine is an excellent state for Registered Nurses like you, who are interested in advancing your career by becoming a family nurse practitioner. In addition to expanding the reach of your nursing practice, you may be able to earn any where from $87,200 to $113,500 per year according to O*Net (2012).
Nurse Practitioners enjoy the scope of practice in Maine, where, unlike other states, nurse practitioners are not required to have a collaborative agreement with a physician in order to work. If you decide to become a family nurse practitioner in Maine, you can enjoy full diagnosis, treatment, and prescriptive rights, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
In order to decide if becoming a nurse practitioner is right for you, it’s important to understand all of the aspects that this Advanced Practice nursing career entails. The majority of a family nurse practitioner’s day is spent seeing patients. This may include seeing patients for annual checkups, seeing patients for acute or chronic health problems, and following up on previous health concerns. However, family nurse practitioners also spend part of their day supervising or leading nurses and nursing assistants.
To learn more about programs available in Maine, request information from the schools on this page. Becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner is a great way to improve the health of our nation, expand your nursing education, and advance your career. Once you have submitted your requests to the schools of your choice, feel free to explore the site and see what else you can learn about how nursing affects the larger landscape of healthcare.
Family Nurse Practitioner Program Curriculum in Maine
If you feel that a nurse practitioner career is right for you, the first step is enrolling in an accredited Master’s or Doctoral degree program. In order to be accepted to a family nurse practitioner program, you must have your Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Furthermore, some schools have work requirements that you have to meet before you can begin your program, such as a minimum amount of acute care experience.
During the three to four years you spend in graduate school, you can expect to take a wide variety of nursing classes. These classes give you the knowledge and skills you need to work effectively as a nurse practitioner. Courses offered in almost every program include Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics, Primary Care Management of Children, Advanced Health Assessment, and Nursing Research. Many of these classes build upon what you learn during your undergraduate degree. Nurse practitioner programs also have a strong focus in statistics, so you want to make sure that you are good at reading and understanding statistics before you begin school.
In addition to the courses you have to take, you have to complete a specific number of clinical hours. During clinical hours, you may see patients of varying needs and health conditions. In Maine, you may be expected to complete between 600 and 700 clinical hours.
Financing your Family Nurse Practitioner Program in Maine
Maine students can take advantage of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program which allows options for educational funding in exchange for practicing for two years at a Critical Shortage Facility.
Working as a Family Nurse Practitioner in Maine
In order to work as a family nurse practitioner in Maine, must be licensed with the Maine Board of Nursing, according to the specifications on their website. After you receive your initial license, you must renew it every two years. During each two-year period, you have to complete 75 continuing education hours to retain an active license in Maine.
In Maine, nurse practitioners do not have to have a collaborative agreement with a physician, so you may be able to work in many different health care settings as a nurse practitioner while enjoying progressive scope of practice rights. Many NPs choose to work in a clinic or hospital setting, while others choose to work in an urgent care setting. Some of the largest nurse practitioner employers in Maine include Concentra, Genesis Healthcare, Amedisys, and Consulate Health Care.
To learn more about FNP programs, please select the schools you are interested in and request information to take the next step in your nursing education.
