It’s estimated that Tennessee will be short about 6,000 physicians by 2030, about 1,100 primary care doctors. As in many states, nurse practitioners are poised to step in and act as primary care providers for patients of all ages, ensuring Tennesseans get the care they need.
Tennessee offers nurse practitioners many opportunities to join professional organizations and network with other nursing professionals, like the Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Association, the Tennessee Council of Advanced Practice Nurses, the Tennessee Nurses Association, and regional groups, like the Chattanooga Area Nurses in Advanced Practice, Greater Memphis Area Advanced Practice Nurses, and West Tennessee Nurse Practitioners Alliance.
Many of the large hospitals are in Nashville, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Ascension Saint Thomas, and TriStar Centennial Medical Center, but there are impressive healthcare systems all around the state. In Memphis, there are Methodist Hospitals and Baptist Memorial. Knoxville has the University of Tennessee Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center, and Chattanooga is home to CHI Memorial Hospital and Erlanger Medical Center.
If you’re considering working in Tennessee, you’ll appreciate the range of exciting things to occupy your free time. Outdoor lovers and adventure seekers can explore the Great Smoky Mountains, take a scenic drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway, or travel 140 miles below the ground to see the Lost Sea. For a taste of city life, head to Memphis or Nashville, and to show your respect to some of the best in country music, head on over to Graceland or Dollywood or explore the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Here are some of the top colleges and universities in Tennessee where you can pursue nurse practitioner degrees.
Program Overview:
Austin Peay State University has its main campus in Clarksville, about 50 miles northwest of Nashville, close to the Kentucky state line, with a second location in Fort Campbell, KY. It’s named after Austin Peay, who was from Clarksville and the state’s governor from 1923 to 1927. The APSU School of Nursing features a Nursing Simulation Center that provides students the opportunity to experience hands-on learning covering a range of patient conditions, medications, and treatments. APSU offers one NP program:
Program Overview:
This Memphis university has been educating students since 1912. Baptist Health Sciences University is a private school focusing on health sciences and is committed to Christian values and ethics. It works in partnership with Baptist Memorial Health Care, extending learning beyond the classroom. The Division of Nursing offers two DNP programs for those wanting to pursue an AGNP career.
Program Overview:
Belmont University in Nashville is home to the Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing. The college has the first accredited simulation center in the state. It is one of only 79 institutions designated as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. Nashville offers many opportunities for clinicians and hands-on learning at major health facilities. It also has a 100% pass rate for the FNP Certification on the first attempt since the program began. Belmont offers the following two NP options:
Program Overview:
Founded in 1851, Carson-Newman University is a Christian liberal arts school located in Jefferson City, about 30 miles northeast of Knoxville. It’s been recognized as one of the best-value schools in the region. Carson-Newman University boasts a 96% certification exam pass rate for FNP graduates and offers two NP tracks:
Program Overview:
Located near the mountains in Johnson City, East Tennessee State University’s School of Nursing has roots going back to 1911. The school offers several NP programs on its own and several joint DNP programs with Tennessee Tech University. ETSU boasts a 98% Pass rate on FNP Certification for 2020. The following programs are offered either at ETSU or in partnership with TTU.
Program Overview:
King University is a private Presbyterian-affiliated university in Bristol, in the northeast corner of the state on the Virginia border. Founded in 1867, the university’s nursing program promotes diversity, social tolerance, and justice. FNP students have a FNP board pass rate of 89%. It offers the following two NP programs:
Program Overview:
Lee University is a private university in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Since its founding in 1918, it has become one of Tennessee’s largest Christ-centered private institutions. The nursing school was not established until 2014, and it began with a BSN program. It’s continued to expand its programs since then and offers one FNP DNP program.
Program Overview:
Lincoln Memorial University was founded in 1897 as a memorial to Abraham Lincoln. It is located in Harrogate, where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet at the Cumberland Gap. The Caylor School of Nursing has been preparing nurses for more than 50 years and has an 88% percent pass rate for the FNP licensure exam. Students interested in this school have two NP options:
Program Overview:
Middle Tennessee State University sits at the geographic center of the state. It opened in 1911 as a teacher’s college; today, it offers more than 300 unique programs of study. The school of nursing opened in 1966 with a single two-year associate’s degree program. Those interested in an NP program have one option here:
Program Overview:
Just west of Chattanooga in College Dale is Southern Adventist University. It was established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and builds its educational programs on the church’s worldview and beliefs. The school of nursing offers a range of high-tech learning options, including skills and assessment labs, simulation labs, and a 68-computer station resource center. Southern Adventist University offers the following nine options for pursuing an NP degree.
Program Overview:
An HBCU, Tennessee State University was founded in 1912 and is designated as a “high research” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. It has two campuses in Nashville, one in a residential neighborhood along the Cumberland River and the Avon Williams campus downtown.
Program Overview:
Located right between Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee Tech University prepares students to succeed in a tech-driven world. The Whitson-Hester School of Nursing offers NP programs on campus, and TTU also partnered with East Tennessee State University to offer hybrid DNP degrees. The following nine options are available:
- BSN to FNP
- BSN to FNP DNP TTU-ETSU
- BSN to DNP AGNP Acute Care (TTU-ETSU)
- BSN to DNP AGNP Acute Care (TTU-ETSU)
- BSN to DNP PNP Primary Care (TTU-ETSU)
- BSN to DNP PNP Primary Care )TTU-ETSU)
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Acute Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate PNP
Program Overview:
Tusculum University is a Christian university built on a Presbyterian heritage. The College of Nursing’s graduate program was established in 2016 with its FNP program, and the first graduating class scored a 100% pass rate on the national certification exam. This program is still offered today. There are three options at Tusculum:
Program Overview:
A private, Christian, liberal arts-based university, Union University has multiple campuses across Tennessee, with its main campus in Jackson. The College of Nursing and Health Sciences offers a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and provides students a chance to get hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art simulation lab. It boasts a 100% exam pass rate for NPs in the following specialties:
Program Overview:
The University of Memphis is a major research institution that sits in a small residential neighborhood in Memphis with a second location in Lambuth. The Loewenberg College of Nursing provides students on both campuses with state-of-the-art technology and resources, including eight teaching labs with fully functioning simulator manikins, recreating a real-world setting where students can practice everything from checking blood pressure to inserting IVs to delivering a baby. UofM offers two FNP tracks:
Program Overview:
UT Knoxville is a part of the larger University of Tennessee educational system and serves as the flagship campus. The College of Nursing was established 1971, and in 2015, it established the Center for Nursing Practice, which aims to promote healthy communities through nurse-managed and nurse-led care. UT Knoxville offers the following six NP programs:
Program Overview:
Since its founding as Chattanooga University in 1886, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has grown exponentially. Today, it’s home to five colleges, one of which is the College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies, home to the university’s nursing program. The nursing program was established in 1973, with the FNP program added in 1995 and the AGNP degree added in 2016.
Program Overview:
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center also serves as a statewide academic health system with four different campuses: Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville. The College of Nursing goes back to 1898 and was the first college of nursing in the state. This school is designated a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and offers 12 NP options:
- BSN to DNP FNP
- BSN to DNP AGNP Acute Care
- BSN to DNP FNP/AGNP Dual Concentration
- BSN to DNP FNP/Mental Health Dual Concentration
- BSN to DNP PNP Acute Care
- BSN to DNP PNP Primary Care
- BSN to DNP PNP Acute/Primary Care Dual Concentration
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Acute Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to FNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to PNP Acute Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to PNP Primary Care
Program Overview:
Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt University has ten different schools and colleges on its Nashville campus. The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing dates back to 1908 and began offering MSN degrees in 1955. The FNP program began in 1975 and, according to Vanderbilt, “is considered among the oldest and most progressive in the country.” Today, it offers a dozen options for those wishing to pursue an NP degree.
- BSN to FNP
- BSN to DNP FNP
- BSN to AGNP Acute Care
- BSN to AGNP Primary Care
- BSN to DNP AGNP Acute Care
- BSN to PNP Acute Care
- BSN to PNP Primary Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Acute Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Primary Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to PNP Acute Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to PNP Primary Care
NP Programs in Other States
Kentucky
Mississippi
South Carolina
Georgia
North Carolina
Arkansas