What Is an Aprn and How to Become One
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What Is an APRN?
An APRN is a specialized type of registered nurse (RN) with the education and clinical training to provide more advanced care than a general RN, such as prescribing medication. There are four basic types of APRN, including a nurse practitioner (NP), certified nurse midwife (CNM), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). A nurse practitioner provides advanced care for patient populations, such as psychiatric or family health, while a certified nurse midwife offers specialized reproductive care for women. A clinical nurse specialist has clinical expertise in particular areas of care, such as geriatrics, while a certified registered nurse anesthetist specializes in administering anesthesia to patients during surgery.
How to Become an APRN
The first step to becoming an APRN is earning your credentials as a registered nurse through an Associate of Science in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Once you gain experience as a registered nurse, you need to obtain a graduate-level nursing degree and qualifications in particular areas of medicine, such as family health, geriatrics, psychiatry, or anesthesiology. This combination of studies and training, along with licensing and certification, allows you to specialize in medicine as an APRN.
What Does APRN Mean?
APRN stands for advanced practice registered nurse. APRN is a registered nurse, or RN, who has attained a higher level of education and training that allows them to specialize in areas of advanced medicine. Within the four roles of an APRN, including a nurse practitioner (NP), certified nurse midwife (CNM), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), you may choose additional areas of focus. Popular specializations include gerontology, neonatal, pediatrics, women's health, and psychiatric-mental health.
How to Get APRN Certification
Becoming licensed as an APRN and earning APRN certification are two different professional paths. A license is awarded by a state and allows you to practice as a nurse, whereas certification is granted by a national organization and demonstrates your proficiency in a given medical specialty. After you meet the educational and training requirements to become an APRN, you may pursue certification through one of the five nurse practitioner certification boards in the United States. Each national board offers certification across different specialties. The process to obtain certification varies by board and specialization, but typically requires an RN license, a graduate-level nursing degree, a minimum of 500 hours of supervised clinical hours, and successful completion of a competency-based exam.
