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How to Become a Family Nurse Practitioner

Published December 15, 2023

If you are looking to gain more autonomy, respect, and professional responsibility as a nursing professional, you should consider becoming a family nurse practitioner. As an FNP, you can provide preventative and advanced primary care for patients from infancy to old age. You will also perform many of the same tasks as a doctor, enabling you to earn a lucrative salary. Read on for five tips on how to become a family nurse practitioner.

Familiarize yourself with the specialized role of an FNP

The first step to becoming a family nurse practitioner is understanding the functions and duties of an FNP. This helps you to establish whether or not a career as a family nurse practitioner is right for you. The following are the duties and roles of an FNP:

Prescribing medication
Performing medical exams
Examining medical histories
Diagnosing illnesses
Treating acute and chronic illnesses
Educating patients on general health and wellness
Overseeing and managing patient care
Making referrals to specialists when needed
Developing treatment plans

Become a Registered Nurse (RN)

Once you establish that a career as a family nurse practitioner is right for you, enroll in an accredited nursing program. This enables you to complete a degree in registered nursing. To increase your chances of being admitted to the NP program, pursue a Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing (BSN). The BSN will involve teacher-instructed training and supervised clinical hours, lasting two to four years. You must pass the NCLEX-RN examination to be certified as a registered nurse. Be sure to apply for an RN license through the state board of nursing to start practicing.

Earn a DNP or MSN degree

You must first earn a doctorate in nursing (DNP) or a master s in nursing (MSN) with a concentration in family nurse practitioner to become an FNP. For this reason, consider enrolling in NP school after completing your BSN. You could attend the NP school in person or enroll in an online Family Nurse Master s program. A typical DNP often takes four to seven years, while an MSN can take two to three years.

The FNP curriculum features Advanced Practice Registered Nurses topics such as advanced pharmacology, nursing leadership, nursing ethics, and advanced health assessment. You could also specialize in the clinical management of adult health issues or pediatric primary care.

Obtain FNP certification

You must first pass the FNP national certification examination to qualify for family nurse practitioner state licensure. This exam is often offered by The American Association of Nurse Practitioners and The American Nurse Credentialing Center. With that being said, you must meet the following requirements to be eligible for FNP national certification exams.

Be a graduate of an accredited doctoral degree nursing program, post-graduate certificate, or master s degree with a concentration in adult or family primary care nurse practitioner.
Have an active license as a registered nurse
Complete advanced pathophysiology, advanced physical assessment, and advanced pharmacology courses.

Apply for FNP state licensure

Once you receive your FNP certification, consider applying for an advanced practice registered nursing license. Below are APRN state licensure requirements:

Complete an accredited graduate program in nursing
Gain certification through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and The American Nurse Credentialing Center
Pass background checks

Be sure to renew your FNP license and certification every five years to continue practicing as a family nurse practitioner.

Endnote

Becoming a family nurse practitioner is an excellent way to take your nursing career to another level. Understand the roles of an FNP, become a registered nurse, earn an MSN degree, and obtain an FNP certificate and license to become a family nurse practitioner.

Published May 26, 2022

Top 8 Career Choices For Women

Whether you’re a college student trying to figure out where your true calling lies, an experienced professional getting back to work, or someone just looking for a career in another field, you need to make your choice carefully. With women making considerable strides in fields that were previously male-dominated, the lines of career limitations have blurred.

There are more career choices available to women now than ever before. A woman plays many rolesâsister, daughter, friend, wife, mother, confidante, breadwinner, and so on. You, being a multitasking woman, need to find a career that not only pays you well, but allows you to be a career woman without having to compromise on any of these roles.

If you think this is impossible, think again!

Lots of women have found careers that balance beautifully with their family life. So, now that you know it isn’t unthinkable to achieve work-life balance, how about making it happen for yourself?

With a plethora of options, you may have a tough time deciding which career would be most suitable for you. Of course, no two women are the same and neither are their choices. But some careers provide women with the best opportunity to achieve both career success and work-life balance.

Here are the top eight career choices for women:

1. Entrepreneurship

Woman entrepreneur working at her own restaurant

For women who want a chance to do what they really love doing, who have always dreamed of starting their own business, entrepreneurship could be the perfect career.

Wouldn’t it be great to work from a place of your choice and at your own time? This would give you the flexibility to allocate time to your business and family as needed.

This is also one of the biggest challenges you will ever take up in your life as every decision will rest on your shoulders. Your employees would depend on you for their livelihood. Hence, this is also a great way to contribute to society.

Being an entrepreneur lets you be in charge because it is you who runs the show. Instead of putting in efforts to generate profits for other companies, why not channel those efforts towards creating greater profits for yourself?

2. IT

Woman working in IT

With IT companies starting up and mushrooming rapidly, it’s little wonder that this field has become so popular among women.

Young women can take up a career in the IT sector after earning a certificate or bachelor’s degree in an applicable field, like computer science, informational technology, and cyber security. There are also many programs available to women of all ages who want to learn how to codeâone of the most useful and in-demand skills in today’s job market.

The ease and excitement of working on the internet, designing software and apps, implementing IT solutions for businesses, security, gaming, smartphones, etc. could be a huge draw. This is another field where you can make a difference as well as earn good money.

3. Medicine

Woman doctor smiles at her desk

Whether you choose to be a pharmacist, a surgeon, or a nurse, a career in the medical field provides women with the ability to achieve career success and wealth. Plus, there’s good job security.

As a qualified professional, you will always be in high demand, and once you’ve gained significant work experience, there’s going to be no looking back.

4. Teaching

Woman teaches her students

Teaching has always been considered one of the most women-friendly careers as it allows women to spend sufficient time with their families, de-stress, go on vacations, and balance home and work. It’s also one of the most rewarding and important careers anyone can choose to pursue.

The best part of being in the teaching field is that recession or no recession, your skills will always be sought after.

5. Human Resources

Woman in HR talks to a potential employee

This field is perfect for women who have a penchant for working in the corporate world and interacting with people to solve organizational issues.

The job involves shortlisting and interviewing candidates, hiring and training them, setting their pay, benefits, and perks, designing appraisal systems, formulating policies and leave structures, looking after employee welfare, and settling disputes.

Every large organization needs qualified and experienced HR personnel and they are paid quite well, too.

6. Psychology

Woman therapist talks to a group of people

No one solves problems like a woman does.

Given the fact that most women are good observers, empathetic listeners, and great communicators (all soft skills employers want in employees), they’re sure to excel as psychologists or therapists.

A career in this field allows you to help those struggling to overcome many different personal and family problems. With substantial work experience, you can stand to make a lot of money and even charge on an hourly basis.

7. Interior Design

Woman chooses interior design as a career

You’ve probably put in a lot of thought and effort into designing your home and making it look stunning. From selecting the perfect hangers for the closet to picking out the most exquisite lampshade, you know what it takes to make a home beautiful.

Now, how about extending this talent a little further and helping others make their home look gorgeous, too? A career in interior design is a great option for women who are creative, organized, and detail-orientedâwho don’t want a boring office job.

As you develop your career as an interior designer, you also gain the flexibility to pick your clients and appointments and get paid immensely well.

8. Media

Woman chooses a career in media

For women who are creative, good at communication, and love research, media is the place to be.

All companies nowadays have (or should have) social media accounts that need managing, in addition to their primary marketing and PR departments, so this field is only growing.

Writing, advertising, public relations, journalism, photographyâthere are many choices available for women who want to pursue a career in media.

Women today can achieve it all, from financial independence to a family, and from a progressive career to a great personal and social life. And, why not? Your decisions have the potential to give you all that you desire.

So, make sure you decide well!

If you’re a woman struggling to find the right career for you, we can help.

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. Itâs a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Published March 10, 2023

4 Things To Know Before Taking A Lower-Level Position

It’s easy to think that taking a lower-level position means putting the brakes on your career track or even taking a step back. But in fact, there can be a lot to gain with such a decision.

Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to take a step forward in your career. There are a number of practical reasons why taking a lower-level position makes sense.

Career Changers

A large percentage of professionals making a career change will face the need to start near the beginning with entry-level workers. If you make a drastic career change, such as going from ER nursing to accounting on the CPA track, you can’t expect an opportunity to jump right to the top until you have honed skills and subject matter expertise.

Of course, if you have transferable skills from a previous career that may help to secure an opportunity above entry-level.

Field Of Practice Changers

Professional prepares for a work meeting

There are many people who choose to stay in their profession, but make a change in their field of practice. For example, you may have started your career in marketing for the travel industry, but decided to switch to the pharmaceutical industry.

A lateral move may not always be possible because, like the career changer, you may not have the industry knowledge needed in the field, especially if it is a highly specialized sector. For instance, the technical language used to market pharmaceuticals in the United States follows strict guidelines approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The approaches taken to marketing may be drastically different between the two fields.

Job Changers

A manager welcomes a new employee to the company on her first day

Job changers include individuals who want to make a switch in the type of company or organization they work for. Certainly, working for a non-profit is not the same as corporate, and going from an agency to an in-house position has its differences. So while you may take a lower-level position, the title and associated responsibilities may vary widely between employersâand it is important to consider the experiences and opportunities available with the open position.

For instance, you may go from an agency to an in-house position at a lower level. Expectations for formal promotions also may vary given the different corporate cultures involved. Essentially, you may start off in what is perceived as a lower-level position, but wind up with far more advanced experiences than you might otherwise have.

The (Extended) Unemployed Candidate

Unemployed professional ponders his career options

Times of economic uncertainty typically result in a large pool of unemployed professionals who are well-educated and qualified for positions. Under such circumstances, it’s not rare for job seekers to be unemployed for six months or longer. There are simply more qualified candidates than job openings available. So, it may come to a point where you have to make the decision to take a lower-level position in order to:

Bring home a paycheck to pay for essentials.
Maintain your marketability (after such an extended period of unemployment, it may be a greater setback to remain unemployedâyour marketability withers with time away from the market).
Help secure a better job opportunity down the road (employers typically favor candidates who are already employed).

Regardless of the situation, here are four key questions you should ask yourself to help decide whether taking a lower-level position is the right move for you and your career:

Does this type of job fit into my long-term career goals? Essentially, will it get me where I want to be down the road?
After taking this position and settling in, if I go back on the job hunting track, will I be able to communicate to a potential employer how the experience has helped me grow and evolve to be prepared for this next position?
Do I believe I can excel in the position and create realistic opportunities to advance within the company?
Will I be happier in the position? Most people spend much of their life working, so it is important to be happy with what you do. Be wary of how dissatisfaction with a job can quickly lead to burnout.

If you answered “yes” to the questions above and can put your ego aside, making the decision to take a lower-level position can be a rational move to help move your career forward. You can expect to be happier with life and your career. However, after taking a lower-level position, you need to maintain perspective on your reasons for the decision. It is easy to let pride get in the way of things. Remember this decision is based on a long-term plan, not a short-term plan for your career.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Published April 18, 2024

Interview Questions About A Time You Went Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty

We all put a lot of thought and effort into how to answer questions about times we failed so that we donât look bad in the interview, but how much thought do we put into choosing stories to answer softball questions like, âTell me about a time you went above and beyond the call of duty?â

Even though this is a positive question, itâs very important to carefully choose a good story to answer it well. You should always have a story or two to tell about times you went above and beyond at work. It points out that not only did you meet the expectations of your employer, you exceeded them. That shows you as extremely valuable to a future employer.

The key to keep in mind when choosing a story to tell is to choose one that speaks to how you could and would be successful in this new role. Think about the job description for this new role. Your first choice of story should be one that describes how you went above and beyond in relation to a central task in the description. This should talk about a conflict or a difficult situation related to your job that you overcame. If you donât have a story like this, then a story that highlights a positive character trait can also be good, although there should still be a conflict and a resolution.

Whatever story you choose, you’ve probably heard you should tell it using the STAR method: (S)ituation or (T)ask; (A)ction you took; (R)esult you got. So it sounds like, âI faced this situation, and we needed that done. Based on (specific factors), I decided to do (specific actions), and the results were (whatever they were).â

However, a more effective way to answer behavioral interview questions like, “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond the call of duty?” is by using the “Experience + Learn = Grow” format. Employers nowadays can spot the STAR method a mile away, and your answer will come off as more genuine by using the “Experience + Learn = Grow” format instead.

An alternative way to answer this question is to bring out your brag book for a little show-and-tell time. Brag books are wonderful visual aids for your job interview. They help you communicate more clearly and more powerfully about who you are and what you can do.

Evidence can do great things for the impression you make with your answer. So, along with your story, show the note from your happy client or boss; the graph that shows how the production numbers went up after your action; or the award you received from your action.

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Published June 19, 2023

How To Get Rid Of Interview Nerves

It’s normal to feel nervous before a job interview. But when those nerves start to impact your interview performance, it’s time to learn how to get rid of interview nerves once and for all.

Here’s how to get rid of your interview nerves and crush your next job interview:

Honesty, Interview Prep, And Connection

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @erica__007 How to get rid of interview nerves. #interviewquestions #interview #interviewtips #jobsearchtips #jobinterviewtips #interviewhelp #interviewprep #careertok #careeradvice #jobsearch â¬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

1. Be honest about your interview nerves.

First of all, it is okay to let the hiring manager know you’re nervous. It’s okay to be honest with them. But when you let the hiring manager know you’re nervous, make sure you do it with a smile because that’s going to set the tone for the interview.

If your interview nerves have the potential to ruin the job interview, when you sit down with the hiring manager, smile at them, take a deep breath, and say, “I just want to let you know that I am nervous for this interview, so I may not answer every question as smoothly as I want to, but it’s because I’m excited about the job opportunity.”

2. Focus on interview prep.

Keep your facial expressions and body language in mind. People hear what they see, especially in an interview. So the next tip I recommend to get rid of your interview nerves is to work on your interview prep.

Mock interviews are a great way to not only practice your answers to interview questions but also work on your body language and facial expressions. Remember to sit up tall and lean in a little bit. Remember to smile. Remember to make appropriate eye contact.

I often tell clients who are struggling with interview nerves to wear a ring or watch or another piece of jewelry on a different finger or wrist so that every time they see it in the interview, it triggers them to remember the body language tips above.

Interview prep is one of the best ways to get rid of interview nerves because it helps to instill confidence in your interview abilities and qualifications for the job. Body language and facial expressions are just as important as your interview answers, and interview prep can help you practice both.

3. Realize the interview is all about making a connection.

Sometimes the easiest way to get rid of interview nerves is to change your mindset. Before your next job interview, tell yourself: “I’m excited. This is about making a connection today. This is about me starting the process of getting to know this employer.”

The interview isn’t an all-or-nothing situation. You’re learning. You’re growing. You’re doing your best. And you’re at the job interview to make a connection and share your answers. The person who’s interviewing you could be a potential colleague one day. How would you act if you were simply having coffee with them?

When you change your interview mindset to focus on connection and excitement instead of worst-case scenarios, your interview nerves will subside. A shift in your mindset will prevent you from psyching yourself out in the job interview, going in with that serious attitude, serious body language, and serious facial expressions. It’s also going to help you answer interview questions with more positivity and enthusiasm, the perfect combination for connection.

The next time you’re experiencing bad interview nerves, remember these three things: honesty, interview prep, and connection. And before you know it, your interview nerves will all but disappear!

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