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Nurse Practitioner School in Louisiana - LA
By Dinesh Kumar, allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 4 2011
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According to Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN), nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) educated in a specified area of care and hold certification from a nationally recognized accrediting agency such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), or the National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses, or as approved by LSBN. He or she is authorized to provide primary, acute, or chronic care as an advanced nurse practitioner acting within his/her scope of practice to individuals, families, and other groups in a variety of settings including homes, institutions, offices, industry, schools, and other community agencies. NPs are able to provide the individual care that is the hallmark of the nursing profession but typically have a larger scope of practice, responsibilities and training than the nurses at RN level or below.
Although NPs are state regulated in Louisiana, they still must hold national board certification. According to www.StateHealthFacts.org, Louisiana ranks 50th out of 50 states on the Health Index. This illustrates the fact that there is considerable need for highly trained nurse practitioners to provide cost effective and personalized medical attention in the state. In Louisiana, the schools that offer the advanced education necessary for becoming an NP typically require an undergraduate degree in nursing from an accredited, a current RN license as well as professional references and clinical nursing experience. An additional requirement toward becoming an NP includes passing a national level certification exam. The two main organizations that offer this certification are the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and ANCC.
Nurse Practitioner Schools in Louisiana
- Baton Rouge
- BS in Nursing (RN Required)
