Nurse Practitioner School in Texas - TX

By Lindsay Maddox, allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 2 2011

Find the right school for you

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Individuals enrolled in nurse practitioner schools in Texas have previously earned a bachelor’s degree, usually in science. The education necessary to become a nurse practitioner in Texas involves a two-to-four year program, where students work toward earning a master’s in nursing. Although the education is nearly identical, states refer to their nurse practitioners by different titles, such as Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP). In Texas, a nurse practitioner is referred to as an Advance Practice Registered Nurse, or APRN. After graduation, nurse practitioner hopefuls undergo an exam through the Texas Board of Nursing to establish their APRN certification.

Early on in the master’s program, students are required to select a specialty to focus their studies on. In the state of Texas, there are unique certifications for certain specialties. According to the Texas Board of Nursing, a certification has recently been established for Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (ACPNP) in addition to other nationally recognized certifications.

When determining a specialty, it may be beneficial to look into some health statistics for Texas for an idea of what specialties will be most in demand. Statemaster.com reports that Texas ranks second in the nation for most births, just behind Utah. In addition, Texas has the highest teen birth rate and ranks first in suicides. With these factors in mind, individuals might decide to embark on a specialty in nurse midwifery (CNM), pediatric care (PNP), women’s health (WHNP), or psychiatrics/mental health (PMHNP) while attending nurse practitioner schools in Texas.