How to Become a Nurse Practitioner Without a Nursing Degree

In the past, if you wanted to become a nurse practitioner (NP), your only choice for a first step toward that goal was to complete a traditional, four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, after which you would need to gain experience, earn an advanced practice degree and pursue certification (among other steps).

Today, you don’t have to spend four years to complete the first step in the process. You now have other options, such as Concordia University, St. Paul’s Accelerated BSN program. We’ll show you how to become a nurse practitioner without a nursing degree. But first, we’ll answer any questions you may have like “why be a nurse practitioner?”

Why Become a Nurse Practitioner?

If you’ve researched becoming a registered nurse (RN), you probably know that furthering your education to become a nurse practitioner can help redefine your career. You should know the road to becoming an NP is rigorous. Remembering what initially drove you to pursue advanced study can serve as powerful motivation throughout the process.

Today, nurse practitioners can act as independently licensed healthcare providers. They offer high-quality, affordable access to care for countless Americans. Here are a few reasons why it’s worth the extra investment of time and energy to become an NP:

1. It Makes Financial Sense

For starters, although NPs and doctors share similar responsibilities, the cost of education to become a nurse practitioner is significantly less than medical school. An American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) study found the total cost of tuition for an NP is equal to less than one year of medical school tuition.

Over the past few years, Forbes has listed the nurse practitioner role as one of the highest-paying jobs for women. U.S. News and World Report lists nurse practitioner as the #1 best healthcare job and #2 in 100 best jobs. It also reports NPs earn about $120,680 annually.

2. You’ll Be in Demand

The pandemic has made it increasingly clear that nurses, in general, are in high demand. This is due, in part, to our country’s growing focus on preventive care and the greater need for providers to treat our aging population. When paired with the imminent shortage of primary care physicians in the U.S., the need for advanced practiced registered nurses (APRNs) to meet demand is apparent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of nurse practitioners in our country will grow by 38 percent by 2032.

3. Opportunity Abounds

Nurse practitioners treat patients in a wide array of settings — from psychiatric hospitals to emergency departments. They can opt to work for a healthcare company or start a private practice. Nurse practitioners are also needed as professors, researchers, informaticists, medical writers, business strategists and nurse executives, for example.

4. You’ll Have a Real Impact

Few career paths allow you to positively impact people’s lives to the same extent that you can as a nurse practitioner. As an NP, you’ll care for people at their most vulnerable. You’ll be instrumental in improving and sometimes saving the lives of your patients. With your advanced clinical training and practice, you’ll have the authority to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, provide evidence-based preventive education and potentially prescribe medications depending on the state in which you practice.

5 Steps to Become a Nurse Practitioner with a Non-Nursing Bachelor’s Degree

Let’s look at the educational steps required to become a nurse practitioner with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. To give you a fuller picture of what your journey will entail, you’ll notice the experiential steps and required certification/licensure included throughout.

1. Earn a BSN.

If you’ve considered becoming a nurse, you may know it’s possible to become a practicing RN with an Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN). However, to pursue advanced study and become an NP, you’ll need a BSN as your foundation. In general, it’s advantageous to earn a BSN instead of an ADN because:

• BSN-educated nurses yield better patient outcomes. More and more healthcare recruiters are seeking nurses with a BSN or higher. This is due in large part to data showing that better-educated nurses lead to better outcomes for patients — including lower patient mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates and failure-to-rescue rates. Due to these outcomes, the Institute of Medicine called for 80% of registered nurses in the U.S. to hold a BSN degree by the year 2020. This goal has not yet been met, but states like New York are passing legislation requiring all RNs to earn a BSN within 10 years of initial licensure.
• Nurses who hold a BSN have more diverse career options than those with an ADN, especially once they’ve gained a few years of experience. In addition to hospitals and clinics, BSN-educated nurses may take positions in schools or insurance companies, as legal or health-publication consultants, at government agencies and more.
• Management opportunities are more plentiful with a BSN. In many cases, a BSN degree is required to become a charge nurse or nurse manager. Starting your career with a BSN degree leaves you poised to accept countless opportunities, including leadership roles.

2. Obtain Your Nursing License

Once you’ve earned a BSN and before you can legally practice as a registered nurse, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®). This exam consists of multiple-choice questions that assess your ability to think critically and make clinical judgments. You should register for the NCLEX within one to two months of earning your BSN to enter the field as quickly as possible.

Note: To meet your state’s licensing requirements, you must sign up to take the NCLEX in the state in which you’ll practice as an RN.

3. Gain Nursing Experience

Before applying to a graduate program, many RNs choose to gain nursing practice experience so that they can better identify a specific career direction. Keep in mind, advanced practice nurses like NPs work in a wide array of specialties, from family practice to mental health. It’s worth noting that some NP programs require a year or two of experience in your chosen practice area before you can even apply.

4. Earn an MSN or DNP Degree

After gaining valuable clinical experience, your next step toward becoming a nurse practitioner is to enroll in an MSN or DNP program. Some MSN and DNP programs have NP tracks that can be finished in two to three years. As a graduate student in nursing, you’ll build your comfort and knowledge in assessing and caring for patients using evidence-based practice. You’ll also develop as a leader while gaining proficiency in your chosen specialty.

5. Acquire NP Certification and Licensure

Once you’ve earned a graduate degree focusing on the nurse practitioner role, you must pass a national certification exam to show you possess professional knowledge in your specialty.

The following national certification agencies offer NP certification exams recognized by every state board of nursing in the U.S.:

• American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• American Nurses Credentialing Center
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
• National Certification Corporation

As a nurse practitioner, you can choose general practice or specialize in a specific patient population, to become (for example) a/an:

• Acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP), who provides care for adult patients with complex diseases in acute care or hospital settings.
• Family nurse practitioner (FNP), who provides primary care to people of all ages, educates patients about disease prevention, maintains medical records and develops treatment plans.
• Pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP), who specializes in caring for newborns, infants, toddlers, adolescents and young adults. PNPs can further narrow their focus to primary or acute care.
• Neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP), who provides care for premature and sick newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), delivery rooms and emergency rooms.
• Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), who provides care for patients with mental illness, behavioral problems and psychological disorders.
• Women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP), who provides primary care to women of all ages.

Just as you’re required to pass the NCLEX before working as a registered nurse, once you earn certification in a recognized population focus, you must pass a national certification exam to gain APRN licensure. Provided you hold an unencumbered RN license and you’ve passed the exam, you can apply for an APRN license.

You may hold licenses with multiple state boards, but keep in mind that each state has its own licensing requirements. For example, some states require extra steps to gain prescription-writing privileges. To learn more about states’ APRN licensure requirements, visit NursingLicensure.org.

How Our ABSN Program Works

CSP Global’s ABSN program allows you to earn a BSN sooner. If you have at least 54 non-nursing credits, CSP Global can prepare you for the nursing profession in as few as 16 months by leveraging your prior education. After graduating from our accelerated nursing program, the next leg of your journey to becoming a nurse practitioner will take approximately three to four years. So how long does it take to become a nurse practitioner? Choosing the ABSN program can reduce your total time spent in nursing school from six or seven years to around four.

We offer two program locations in Portland, Oregon, and one in St. Paul, Minnesota. With three start dates per year — in January, May and September, the ABSN program at CSP Global lets you begin your studies as soon as you’re ready.

Keep in mind that the 16-month ABSN program at CSP Global is a rigorous track comprised of online coursework in nursing theory and fundamentals, as well as in-person labs and clinical learning opportunities at leading healthcare facilities.

Online Coursework

Provided you meet deadlines, our online component gives you the freedom to complete coursework when and where it’s convenient for you.

It’s worth noting that our online coursework caters to a variety of learning preferences. Everyone learns differently. Some people prefer visual depictions; others need to read or hear something to make sense of it.

Labs

The in-person lab portion of our curriculum allows you to practice and hone your nursing skills in a simulated healthcare setting. You’ll start with basic tasks such as assessing vital signs, then move to more complex tasks such as inserting IVs and tracheotomy care. You’ll practice these skills in a controlled and supervised environment.

In labs you’ll build the confidence necessary to succeed in your clinical learning experiences.

Clinical Learning Experiences

CSP Global has forged partnerships with major healthcare facilities and community-based agencies in the St. Paul and Portland areas to provide you with a variety of clinical learning experiences. To ensure you gain this learning experience within our accelerated time frame, your clinical learning will begin in your first semester of the ABSN program.

Clinical learning experiences, like labs, let you put the nursing knowledge and competencies learned in your coursework into practice.

Throughout clinical learning, you’ll gain diverse nursing experiences, providing care in practice settings like:

• Adult Health
• Obstetrics
• Pediatrics
• Acute Care
• Long-term Care
• Mental Health
• Population Health

Start Your Path to Becoming a Nurse Practitioner

If you’re interested in how to become a nurse practitioner without a nursing degree, your first step is attaining a BSN. CSP Global’s ABSN program can get you there in as few as 16 months. Reach out to us today, and we’ll have a dedicated admissions advisor contact you.

They’ll be able to determine your eligibility for our accelerated nursing program and work with you to develop a personalized academic plan to meet any outstanding prerequisite requirements. Your admissions advisor will also assist you throughout the admissions process, ensuring you don’t miss any important steps.