Vermont Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
Are you looking for a way to advance your nursing career and spend more time with your patients? If so, you may be an excellent candidate for becoming family nurse practitioner. Vermont is a great place for nurse practitioners to work, and there are many opportunities for primary care practitioners since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Family nurse practitioners see and treat patients of all ages, providing access to affordable, evidence-based care for the entire family. By enrolling in a family nurse practitioner program, you can learn about the three main aspects of NP care: patient care, nursing research, and nursing leadership.
According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Vermont gives nurse practitioners full scope of practice rights. This means that, unlike in some other states, you can see and treat patients without collaborating with a physician. This also gives nurse practitioners the right to prescribe medications to patients. Ultimately, this creates a healthcare landscape that is more efficient and effective, as it does not limit the ability of FNPs to practice to the full extent of training and education.
Many people enjoy working in Vermont because of the excellent salaries that nurse practitioners can earn. Per O*Net, the median salary for a nurse practitioner in Vermont is $88,200 per year.
To find out how you can begin expanding your nursing education and career, take a few moments to request information from the schools on this page. We have compiled all of your options, both Master’s and Doctorate level programs, into a concise listing to make your search for schools easier. Submit your request to as many schools as you need in order to make a well informed decision about which FNP program may best meet your needs.
Family Nurse Practitioner Curriculum in Vermont
Enrolling in a graduate or doctorate nursing program is a big step, and you will want to make sure that you choose the right school for your needs. Some schools offer a great deal of flexibility in class schedules, making it easy for you to take classes based on your work schedule. Others, like those schools featured above, offer online classes, which may allow you to complete work according to your own schedule.
Whichever program in Vermont you choose, many of the classes are the same between programs. Some of the courses you may be expected to take include Advanced Pharmacotherapy, Advanced Health Assessment, Theoretical Foundations of Nursing, and Research in Advanced Practice Nursing. The majority of these classes use your Bachelor-level work as a foundation, so being a recent student or having current experience in the field is a big advantage.
Clinical hours are what give you hands-on practice in the field. Specific requirements vary between schools, but you can generally expect to complete about 800 clinical hours at a Vermont school. At most schools, you can decide whether you want to attend full-time or part-time. You can expect to graduate in three or four years from your start date.
Financing your Family Nurse Practitioner Program in Vermont
Taking advantage of available scholarships is an excellent way to fund your nursing education. The Vermont Nurse Practitioners Association offers annual scholarships to student members, and there are many other scholarship opportunities in Vermont.
Family Nurse Practitioner Careers in Vermont
After you have earned your diploma and recovered from your last round of final exams, your next step is getting your advanced practice nursing license from the Vermont State Board of Nursing. You may be administered a temporary license while your regular license is being processed, which allows you to begin working as soon as you find a nurse practitioner job. Once you have your license, it must be renewed every two years in order for you to continue working.
The freedom enjoyed by NPs in Vermont allows you to work in most health care settings. However, most nurse practitioners work in health care offices, hospitals, or urgent care settings. Some of the biggest nurse practitioner employers in Vermont include Copley Health Systems, Merraine Group, and Consulate Health Care.
