How does one become a nurse practioner?

how does one become a nurse practioner? is it like getting a bachelore's in nursing and then getting a masters...or a bachelore's n a pHd ? and what exaclty are nurse practioners? are they like doctors almost...thts wht i'e heard...wht is their annual salary...n their job info, and education and licensing process?

Yes, you have to get into a nursing program, obtain your BA as a Nurse, and then take the state board to be licensed. You don't need a PHD to be a nurse and if you had one you wouldn't simply be a nurse--most likely you'd be a doctor(which requires you to be Pre- med (usually a biology major) for 4 years, after which you apply to Medical school) and either obtain your M.D or go into an residency which I believe is around 4-8 years and you must live at the hospital or in residence halls. On average it takes 8-14 years to become a doctor and only 4 years to be a nurse. Nurses can command their salary and usually earn 45k starting out and usually tap out around 70k. Doctors also have to become licensed and take a code of ethics oath and have greater malpractice liability wheras nurse pracitioners have basically Nil liability.

You must be licensed by the state, however, usually the license is tranferrable between states because medicine is medice it doesn't change like insurance policy, so once your licensed your good, though you may have to take refresher courses to continue practing as new advances in medicine are made. Nurse practictioners ARE NOT almost doctors, think of them like back up singers---they sound good, but they are not the actual STAR or the ARTIST.

Nurses must be very well educated but usually they focus more on care, they need to know how to read machines, vitals, and administer medication. They also need to be able to diagnose and in some states (Florida where I live being one) they can even write prescriptions. You cannot have your own practice as a nurse though, but nurses do have patients like doctors, espcially if they go into a specialization like Respitory Therapy, or Pulmonary.

One the hospital floor you usually have a Head/Charge nurse and she keeps track of all paperwork, patient care, medication administration...ect...Usually nurses are the ones that run things on the floor, but doctors are over them because their pay grade is higher. As a nurse you can expect to be respected, overworked and underpaid for your load and responsibility.

Advice :never take a salaried Nursing postion because you will be working for free 30% of the time. You should also try to fine private practices to work for because the doctors appreciate you more, you have less patients and have more flexiblity. In big hospitals it can be a bit hectic, lol. HOPE THIS HELPS! You had quite a few questions so it took me a while to answer them all :)