Most nurse practitioner schools online offer a variety of specializations in the field of nursing. In the nursing field advanced programs are available and one example is the family nurse practitioner program and what you have here is a program that allows nurses to diagnose, treat, and counsel patients the minute they graduate. The family nurse practitioner program covers a vast area of study; however, the basics are as follows:
One of the basic courses in family nurse practitioner programs is advanced anatomy and physiology. The main focus of this program is human anatomy and physiology and you need to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing or else you will not qualify for this kind of course. Here is where a molecular insight into the human body will also be dealt with.
Another area of discussion that you will encounter in a family nurse practitioner program is primary healthcare. Before you engage in this program, you will have earned a bachelor’s degree which means that you already know the basics of primary care. Here, you are able to study advanced techniques in primary health care delivery.
Before patients are treated, they have to be evaluated first and this is the primary focus of any nurse practitioner program. It is important for patients to be assessed properly and this is what you will learn in advanced health assessment. This will also serve as a review of the basic health assessment skills you have garnered as an undergraduate nurse.
Family nurse practitioners essentially give care to clients of all ages; however, the most number of clients may belong to the adult and elderly stages. Due to this, your basic courses will include subjects such as adult and geriatric care. When it comes to this, you will learn about assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients aged over 12.
Another subject that you will deal with is advanced pathophysiology and it will teach you about patient diagnosis. In order to come up with an accurate diagnosis and the right kind of patient care, you first have to figure out the pathophysiology of the condition. When it comes to this, pediatric and adult diseases are both part of the game.
The thing about family nurse practitioners is that they are allowed to prescribe medicines and this is why they also have to learn about advanced pharmacology. During the undergraduate study, nurses are more focused on the nursing care aspect in giving drugs. However, as nurse practitioners, you must be able to study the full specifications of a drug so that you can prescribe medications properly.
One other primary component of the family nurse practitioner program is research. The thing about this is that all students have to come up with a thesis. What you have here calls for practical skills, research techniques, and critical thinking.
This is the kind of profession that is truly hands-on and this is the reason why clinical experience matters. Programs require several hours of work inside a medical facility. In this case, you need to have enough medical experience.
Here is where nurse practitioner schools dictate the fundamental courses students have to take. Students have the option to concentrate on different nursing areas. Even if you decide to concentrate on a particular nursing area, you will be taking up subjects like pathophysiology and health care as well as anatomy and physiology.
