Family Nurse Practitioner Programs in Arizona
Many skilled, motivated nurses have discovered the next step in their career by attending a nurse practitioner program. This is particularly true in Arizona, where AZ Central reports that many residents see a nurse practitioner as their primary care provider. Here, nurse practitioners are making it possible for patients to get prompt medical care, with the holistic touch of a nurse.
Getting your Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree in Arizona can prepare you for a rewarding career in patient care. You may work closely with registered nurses, and other members of the healthcare team, to provide patients with holistic, whole-body care. In the course of your education, you may learn a great deal about statistics, bedside manner, and nursing leadership. Some nurse practitioners go on to open their own practice, while others work in a traditional, multi-provider health care facility.
We at BestNursingDegree.com have taken the time to compile a list of program options for becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner in Arizona. Our featured schools may offer flexible online courses, in addition to traditional campus based learning. To learn more about each school’s program, simply request information from all of those you are interested in below.
Studying and working in Arizona may be the right choice for you, as Arizona experiences a great need for nurse practitioners. According to BLS, the demand for nurse practitioners is expected to grow 31% by 2024, possibly resulting in thousands of new FNP jobs in Arizona. As a result, many nurse practitioners in Arizona are well-compensated for their work, where the mean annual nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is $106,770 (BLS, 2017).
Family Nurse Practitioner Program Curriculum
When you choose to complete a nurse practitioner program in Arizona, you can choose from a variety of programs throughout the state. The majority of programs take four semesters to complete—two years, in most cases. You may have to complete a considerable amount of clinical hours as well, between 585 and 780 in most programs.
A nurse practitioner program contains coursework in a variety of nursing areas. You can typically expect to learn much more about health assessment and treatment, as you may be the primary care practitioner for most patients. Courses in this area include Human Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Advanced Health Assessment. You may also complete coursework in Rural Health Policy and Theory, preparing you to serve the rural communities of Arizona, an area where FNPs can make a considerable impact.
In order to be accepted to a FNP program, you may have to meet stringent admissions requirements. You are generally required to have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, in which you typically must have earned a 3.0 on a 4.0 GPA scale. Some programs also require a minimum level of practice as a Registered Nurse, such as one to two years of patient care experience.
Many of the courses you are required to take in a family nurse practitioner program are advanced versions of classes taken at the undergraduate level. It may be beneficial to do extensive review of your undergraduate coursework in pharmacology, pathophysiology, and nursing assessment, particularly if it has been more than one year since you completed those classes.
Financing your Family Nurse Practitioner Program in Arizona
You may be able to earn a scholarship to help you pay for your nurse practitioner program. The Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council offers two scholarships each year to qualified students.
Working as a Family Nurse Practitioner in Arizona
After completing your nurse practitioner program, you may then go on to get your Arizona advanced nurse certification. First, you have to have an Arizona nursing license or a nursing license from a compact state. Then you can apply to the Arizona State Board of Nursing for your nurse practitioner certification.
You may decide to pursue work as an APRN in any number of work environments as a nurse practitioner in Arizona. You might work in a rural community, serving residents as their primary care provider. Another option is working in one of Arizona’s large cities in a more traditional health care facility. If you choose to work at a traditional health care facility, you may see patients regularly throughout many different stages of life. Working in an urgent care clinic might mean that you rarely see the same patient twice, offering a sense of spontaneity that other FNP positions may not.
There are many large nurse practitioner employers in Arizona. Some of the main employers include UnitedHealth Group, Concentric, Hospice Promise, and Take Care Health Services. In addition, some nurse practitioners choose to open their own clinics. This may give you more freedom to set your own hours, see the number of patients you wish to see, and work in a greater leadership role. Regardless of which practice setting you chose, you can make an impact on patients, families and communities by becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner in AZ.
To learn more about your program options, submit a request for information from the schools you are interested in, including those featured on this page.
