Applying to Nurse Practitioner school is intimidating but so exciting! Feeling confident in your decision is so important. It’s a significant commitment of your time and resources. Once you decide to become a Nurse Practitioner, you have to decide which degree you want – an MSN or a DNP. Then, you’ll figure out how many and which programs you’re applying to.
The next step is to put together a stellar application, which is no easy feat. One of the most important things to portray throughout your application is a thorough understanding of the NP role and why you want to be a NP. This understanding and drive will shine through your whole application.
Now let’s get into it! Today I’m sharing my 5 best tips for applying to NP school.
5 Tips for Applying to Nurse Practitioner School
- Spend time shadowing Nurse Practitioners
- Understand and be able to clearly explain why you want to be a Nurse Practitioner
- Have plenty of RN experience
- Prepare your resume aka make sure you’re a well-rounded candidate
- Have someone proofread and provide feedback on your application
Spend time shadowing Nurse Practitioners
This is hands down the best way to make sure becoming a Nurse Practitioner is the right fit for you. Before investing in furthering your education, you want to feel confident in your decision. Nurse Practitioner school comes at a significant cost to your time, finances, and personal life. You need to make sure it’s the right choice for you. The best way to do this is to see what a Nurse Practitioner does on a day to day basis.
The ideal option is to spend time shadowing a Nurse Practitioner in the clinical area you’re most interested in. There are at least 9 specialties, tracks or population focuses to choose from when you decide to apply to Nurse Practitioner school. If you’re stuck between two different tracks, this is an especially good option to see what a typical day looks like. The other option, if you’re not able to actually shadow, is to do informational interviews with NPs in different specialties.
Here’s some questions you should ask:
- Why did you become a Nurse Practitioner? What population focus/track did you choose and why?
- What does a typical day look like for you?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What parts of your job are the most challenging?
- What advice do you have for people considering becoming a Nurse Practitioner?
Understand and be able to clearly explain why you want to be a Nurse Practitioner
Having an understanding and being able to clearly explain why you want to become a Nurse Practitioner is key to having confidence in your decision to go back to school. In addition, this is a super common topic to write about in the essay portion of applications. Having a clear answer is critical to your success in applying to Nurse Practitioner school. The school wants to make sure that every student who is entering has a solid understanding of the role and is committed to the education and job at hand.
Shadowing and information interviews, as discussed above, are great ways to help clarify your “why.” Why do you want to be a Nurse Practitioner? Consider not only your interest in being a Nurse Practitioner but also what population focus or track you’re most interested in.
Have plenty of RN experience
The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, most schools require that you have at least some experience as an RN before applying. Second and most importantly, RN experience matters. RN experience is what gets you comfortable working with patients and navigating the healthcare system. As an RN, you develop critical thinking, improve your communication skills, and come to understand the healthcare system and how to use your resources.
The goal is to feel comfortable in your RN role before going back to school. It’s not ideal to be learning your role as an RN while also pursuing graduate education and learning how to be a Nurse Practitioner. Nurse Practitioner education builds upon the knowledge and skills you have as an RN. It’s so helpful to have that RN experience to fall back on. Every NP student will tell you that starting in clinical rotations makes you feel like a fish out of water; basically, you’re a novice all over again. Having RN experience gives you some confidence when you’re likely struggling with the transition to the provider role. It’s invaluable to feel comfortable and confident in your RN job when you feel like you’re floundering as an NP student in clinical rotations.
There’s no hard and fast rule for how much RN experience you need prior to going back to school. I’d recommend a minimum of 2 years. Though most of my classmates had 5-10 years of RN experience. Unfortunately, there’s no perfect answer. Almost everyone you talk to will echo the importance of having some RN experience.
Applying for Nurse Practitioner School
These last 3 tips will give you experience that makes you stand out as a good candidate. Once you’re confident that this is the right career path for you, you need a strong application. The next two tips are for your application.
Prepare your resume aka make sure you’re a well-rounded candidate
In addition to having a complete application, strong recommendation letters, and well-written essays, having a well-rounded resume is important. Being well-rounded, aka having more than RN experience, makes you a stronger candidate. This is something to think about at least a few years ahead of time. Many of the activities, skills, and training that can be added to your resume take time to pursue.
Some things that make you well-rounded include volunteer experiences, speaking a second language, certifications, additional training or continuing education courses, and awards/scholarships.
Have someone proofread and provide feedback on your application
Your ability to follow directions and write in a clear, concise, and scholarly manner matters when you’re applying to NP school. Unless your program conducts interviews, your application is the only way they have to evaluate you. It’s critical to put your best foot forward and make a strong impression. The best way to do this is to make your application as strong as possible. Having a second set of eyes on your application gives you the opportunity to get feedback on grammar, completeness, and the clarity of your writing.
Ask a trusted parent, family member, friend, or colleague to review your application. You want to choose someone who has strong editing skills and attention to detail. Make sure they’ll give you honest and constructive feedback.
Tips for Applying to Nurse Practitioner School Summary
Applying to Nurse Practitioner school is an exciting and busy time. If you’ve made it this far in your education and career, you’ve got what it takes! Since going back to school is a huge investment of your time and resources, you need to feel confident in your future as an NP and be able to put your best foot forward on your application.
Make sure to check out other recent posts and visit the resource page: