Are there any test or exams to become a PNP?

Hi Paul! So while I work at CareerVillage.org, my sister is a pediatric ICU nurse at Stanford. I asked her your question and here's the response I got.

In order to become any type of nurse practitioner, you will first have to obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Upon receiving the BSN you should get a registered nurse (RN) license by taking and passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN exam). This is an exam used to determine you are qualified to begin practice as an entry-level nurse. It's quite a long, intense exam, different from those that you would take in nursing schools so think ahead about studying specifically for this test by taking some time to study and/or taking NCLEX classes.

Upon passing the NCLEX exam, if you wanted to go straight into a masters or doctorate-level nurse practitioner program, you would need to take the GRE exam as part of your application process. My sister suggests working 1-2 years as a nurse between passing the NCLEX and starting the degree to gain valuable work experience to deepen your understanding of nursing.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

Hi Paul,

yoonji KIM provided a great response. I would like to add that if you have a bachelor's degree (BS or BA) in another field (having completed the RN prerequisite courses), but obtain a nursing degree (Associate Degree in Nursing) you can get your MSN (Master of Science in Nursing degree) without a BSN also. I have a BS in French, completed the pre-med/nursing prerequisites, and entered a RN to MSN program which is specifically for students who have a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing. I also agree with getting some experience under your belt as a nurse prior to continuing on to graduate school. the NCLEX is difficult, but not impossible. I took a Kaplan review course to prepare for the NCLEX and found this very helpful.

Regarding tests or exams, not all schools require a GRE to enter the graduate MSN program, some just require the degrees and personal statements and get accepted much like any other program...in competition with other applicants. There are PNP programs, but there are also Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) programs where you can get a job as an NP in a pediatric office. It would depend on whether you prefer to study as a PNP or focus on peds as an FNP. Once you've completed the graduate program, you'll need to take a boards exam administered by AANP or ANCC to become certified as an NP in your respective field. There are a number of review courses, books, apps, study questions, and other resources to help you prepare. One of the books I used was Leik (book and app) that is fairly inexpensive and a great study book. I also did a review course by Fitzgerald and viewed videos by Hollier and these were also helpful in my preparation for the exam. I recommend talking to other people to find out how they prepared for you to determine how you will want to prepare. I would recommend studying/reviewing the types of questions you'll see on boards while in school as this will help you understand to what depth you will need to understanding it for the exam. It will also serve as a study aid and you may find that it helps you grasp your course material better. Hope this helps!

Good luck!

Lorraine M., RN, MSN, FNP-C