Hello Readers!
Welcome back to another insightful article; here, we will discuss the Emergency Nurse Practitioner Programs.
Today, we will look into various programs in the Emergency Nurse Practitioner field.
By the end of this article, you will know about the programs that can help you become an Emergency Nurse Practitioner, courses available in the USA, and your earning potential.
The following topics will be discussed in detail:
- Emergency Nurse Practitioner Programs
- Available Emergency Nurse Practitioner Courses in the USA
- Additional Board Certifications for Emergency Nurse Practitioners
- Earning Potential of Emergency Nurse Practitioners
So, let’s begin!
Emergency Nurse Practitioner Programs – Overview
In the fast-paced healthcare system, it is always necessary to be equipped with the right type of manual power.
Therefore, talented and well-trained ENPs or Acute Care Nurse Practitioners are an asset to emergency care clinics.
Emergency Nurse Practitioners are the Nurses who undergo the training to perform care services in different clinical practices.
They practice in emergency rooms, trauma centers, or urgent care centers.
They are Primary Care Providers who treat patients of all age groups.
They may have to deal with infants up to older adults.
They don’t have a major or specialization in any field like pediatric or oncology, but they have the knowledge to deal with every situation.
ENPs have graduate certificates and a Master of Science in Nursing.
They are trained to assess, diagnose, examine and perform appropriate treatment.
They deal with chronic or acute diseases as well as accidents and mishaps.
Emergency department Nurse Practitioners will have to be on their toes when on duty.
They may have to compromise on their holidays and festivities to perform patient care.
Emergency Nurse Practitioner Programs
To become an ENP, there are a few prerequisites:
First, the Nurses have to attend a School of Nursing to get a BSN or a bachelor’s degree.
Second, Nursing education will continue as the Nurse will have to sit for a certification exam to get the RN license.
Third, the Nurse might want to continue the Nursing program by going for an MSN or Master of Science in Nursing.
The Nursing practice can start after they get their RN licensure.
They can also continue to be Advanced Practice Nursing.
They can get a DNP or Doctor of Nursing Practice or even become Nurse Educators.
Although a Nurse aims to perform services in emergency care settings, they must have at least one of the two following programs to continue becoming an Emergency Nurse Practitioner.
MSN or Master of Science in Nursing
The Nurse will learn hands-on knowledge about patient education, disease management, and preventative measures in this program.
Though the Nurse would be preparing for emergency critical care, they will be put in an emergency care setting under a licensed ENP.
The time period to attain MSN depends on taking coursework full-time or part-time.
Plus, if you have a BSN, it will take two years to get a master’s degree.
Doctor of Nursing Practice or DNP
A DNP has mostly the same coursework as an MSN.
Additionally, they focus more on the Nurse’s competencies.
They focus on healthcare practices, emergency medicine, and healthcare policies and work with other healthcare professionals.
The DNP course takes longer than MSN to complete.
It may take nearly 5 years and it even costs more than a basic MSN.
The additional benefit the Nurse would be getting in DNP is that they would be practicing in real-life emergency care settings.
Their clinical hours will depend on their supervisors.
This certificate program will also enable the Nurses to join the same emergency healthcare clinic they have studied, as this will mean a lot less time wastage for the clinic and the Nurse.
Available Emergency Nurse Practitioner Courses in the USA
Now that you have the basic education to be an Advanced Practice Nurse, you must get ENP Certification.
This varies from state to state.
We will take you through the top ENP courses offered around the US.
Due to the Covid pandemic, a few of these courses also have been online programs.
Therefore, you can register online and appear for the certification from a different state.
This is a post-master’s certificate; the Nurse will have the desired number of clinical hours to sit for this exam.
The following are the top places offering ENP Certifications:
Vanderbilts School of Nursing in Nashville
This school is ranked #8 in the US as the School of Nursing for MSN.
Their course, Emergency Nurse Practitioner, is a dual certification program that enables Nurses to have diverse knowledge.
It builds on an FNP and ENP and prepares the Nurses to understand emergency care settings.
The Nurses can have to deal with adult-gerontology or pediatric issues in the emergency rooms or urgent care, so they are well-equipped.
The University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL
This university offers courses starting from BSN up to post-graduate certification.
They offer coursework for ENP to the Nurses.
They train the Nurses to perform in the overwhelming and nerve-shattering situations of the ER or the trauma centers, etc.
They facilitate the Nurse to become an Emergency NP and get the Emergency Nurse Practitioner Certification.
Emory University in Atlanta, GA
This university provides a rigorous program based on seven semesters requiring previous experience working in Emergency Nursing or military service or related experience.
They train the Nurses to perform primary care with fast-paced emergency care.
The program’s content is built upon Family Nurse Practitioner preparation and emergency care.
University of San Diego in San Diego
This university also requires the applicant to have a certain number of clinical hours in the respective field.
Their course is based on equipping the Nurses with all the necessary information and knowledge related to emergency or urgent care services.
Their educational programs also include hands-on practice in real-life emergency rooms.
The certificate of health sciences provided by the University of San Diego has a prerequisite of a certain GPA for the Nurse.
Therefore, the Nurse applying for the course at this university should have the GPA required or above.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
This university’s APRN course is an online program.
The student will have six-session at the campus; one of those sessions will be the orientation session.
The student will have to have a set number of clinical hours.
They have 10 semesters and only entertain part-time students.
Samford University in Birmingham
This university does a gap analysis for the applicant to understand the student’s placement in their program.
The program prepares the Nurse and their FNP APRN Certification to sit for national certification.
The Nurse can either sit the exam with the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) or the AANPCB (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board).
Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA
This university offers a 2-semester certification to Nurses who already have an FNP or Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate.
The NP Program they offer enables the student to sit for the ENP national certification exam.
The NP Program offered at Western University is approved and validated by the American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners (AAENP).
Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA
This university’s online ENP Certification program will enable the Nurses to make the necessary diagnostics and therapeutic procedures for the Board certification.
They require a master’s degree to enroll in the certification program.
In addition, the Nurses will have to complete supervised clinical hours to complete the certification program.
Rutgers University in Newark, NJ
Rutgers offers a lot of post-master certifications.
They offer FNP Certification.
Their courses are based on on-hand experience as well as didactic learning.
The Nurses who complete the ENP Certification can sit for the national certification exam.
The Loyola University of Chicago in Chicago, IL
For the coming semester of Fall 2022, the Nurses applying for post-master’s certification will require to have DNP.
The programs available enable the Nurse to develop individual plans with the program director.
Additional Board Certifications for Emergency Nurse Practitioners
Upon completing the ENP Certification, the Nurse will need to clear a Board examination by the state.
Two mainboards can be undertaken:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Board (AANPNCB)
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
First, the exam must be cleared to start practicing as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner.
Both these bodies examine the knowledge and competence of the applicant and judge their capabilities to fulfill the role of an Emergency Care Provider.
Earning Potential of Emergency Nurse Practitioners
According to the BLS, the ENPs are in high demand and are well paid.
They get almost $54 per hour, around $113,000 annually.
The salary varies from state to state, but mostly the salary of an Emergency Nurse Practitioner is high.
They are well-paid as their job is demanding and physically exhausting.
The earnings go higher as you gain more experience.
For example, an ENP with 20 years of experience will earn much more than a fresh ENP.
Conclusion
The ENPs are high in demand.
Their job requires a lot of mental as well as physical stress.
Therefore, they should be trained well to accommodate the situations they may face each day.
Their job is labor-intensive and may demand more time on the job than a regular one.
However, the programs available all around the US facilitate the Nurses to perform better and more accurate care to the patients, no matter their age or race!
FAQs
Are ENP Programs worth it?
Yes. However, it also depends on if you are interested in providing patient care that demands a lot of attention, as it can be critical care or intense situations. It is also important to understand the gravity of the patient’s situation to provide better care.
Is ENP a degree?
ENP is a certification mostly done after completing the Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice.
What are dual FNP and ENP Programs?
Dual FNP and ENP Programs are undertaken to get diverse knowledge about two major fields. In addition, the dual FNP-ENP Program also enables the Nurse to have a better perspective of dealing with uncertain and stressful situations.
What is the easiest Nurse Practitioner Program?
There is no easiest program when it comes to medical-related study programs. But comparatively, the easiest is the Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, as it is the beginning level. After getting the BSN, a Nurse can only go further to get a more specialized education.
How long does it take to become ENP?
The ENP program itself is mostly 2 years. Before the ENP Certification, the Nurse has to get the BSN, MSN, or DNP, and then between this, there are a couple of Board exams as well. In short, becoming an ENP can take up to 10-12 years from starting your Nurse education program.
