Oregon Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
The rapidly growing population of Oregon has led to a demand for skilled, educated nurse practitioners. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act has created an opportunity for nurses that are ready to take their career to the next level. Family nurse practitioners can see patients of all ages and health care needs. In Oregon, nurse practitioners have full practice rights, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Nurse practitioners can see, diagnose, and treat patients without the oversight of a physician. In addition, they have prescriptive rights in Oregon.
Family nurse practitioners perform a wide range of job duties every day. Most of the nurse practitioner’s time is spent seeing patients. This can range from doing annual physicals to treating acute illnesses. Since Oregon allows nurse practitioners to have prescriptive privileges, family nurse practitioners can also manage prescriptions. In addition, nurse practitioners must stay on top of nursing research and act as a leader within their health care facility.
Another benefit of getting your nurse practitioner degree in Oregon is the median salary and nurse practitioners earn. Per O*Net, the median salary for a nurse practitioner in Oregon is $100,000 per year. On the high end of the salary range, nurse practitioners with seniority and experience can earn up to $140,200 per year in Oregon (O*Net, 2012).
Family Nurse Practitioner Curriculum in Oregon
There are several different options when you choose to go to graduate school for nursing. For starters, there are both DNP and MSN programs to choose from. Since many nurse practitioner students are already working nurses, many programs have online, weekend, or evening classes, to allow students with varying schedules to attend classes. Prior to selecting a school, you should make sure that it fits in with your work schedule and the time frame in which you hope to complete your program.
Even though there are many different nurse practitioner schools to choose from, most schools require many of the same courses. Some of the courses you can expect to take include Patient Relationships, Statistical Analysis, Care Management of Pediatric Patients, and Advanced Pharmacology. If it has been a long time since you attended nursing school, you may want to review your NCLEX material in order to be prepared for graduate school.
With many underserved populations needing healthcare in Oregon, it is clear why the University of Portland gives you the chance to specialize in caring for poor communities.
At the same time that you are completing your classes, you may be working on your clinical hours. Oregon has fairly stringent clinical requirements, with most schools requiring between 800 and 1100 clinical hours. Depending on how many classes you take per semester, you can typically expect to graduate in three to five years.
Financing your Family Nurse Practitioner Program in Oregon
Nurse Practitioners of Oregon awards the Nanette Clapper Memorial Scholarship two students on an annual basis.
Family Nurse Practitioner Careers in Oregon
After you graduate from an accredited nursing school, you have to get your license from the Oregon Board of Nursing. Once you’ve earned your license, you must remember to renew it every two years. To be eligible for renewal, you have to complete 100 hours of continuing education during each two-year period. Of those 100 hours, at least 15 must be in pharmacology.
Since nurse practitioners have so much freedom in Oregon, you may be able to work in a variety of healthcare settings as a family nurse practitioner. Many nurse practitioners choose to work in hospitals or urgent care clinics, while others choose to open their own clinic. Major employers in Oregon include UnitedHealth Group, Advanced Practice Solutions, Judge Group Inc, and Avamere Health Services. By joining Nurse Practitioners of Oregon, you can receive new job listings and learn about continuing education opportunities.
