By 2030, the United States is projected to be short 120,000 doctors. Over 2,000 of these are projected to be in Wisconsin, with primary care alone being short 942 providers. These shortages are likely to affect low-income citizens disproportionately. Currently, more than 1.7 million state residents live in a health professional shortage area, meaning there are 3,500 or more patients for every provider.
In Wisconsin, nurse practitioners (NPs) can help close these critical care gaps. NPs in this state must work under the supervision of a physician, assessing and diagnosing patients, ordering tests, prescribing medications, and developing treatment plans.
Wisconsin has multiple opportunities for those wishing to pursue this advanced practice role. Here are some of the NP programs offered by the colleges and universities in the Badger State.
Program Overview:
Alverno College is a liberal arts college in Milwaukee based in the Catholic Franciscan faith. It offers two options for nurses wishing to pursue a career as FNPs. The BSN to FNP MSN program is 39 credits with 600 in-person clinical hours in primary care settings. Classes are offered in four-hour blocks on Friday evenings or on Saturday mornings or afternoons with a mix of online, hybrid, and in-person courses. The Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP option offers classes in the same timeframe and formats.
Program Overview:
Founded in 1909, Bellin College is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution that has been educating healthcare professionals for more than 115 years. It features a focused, extensive curriculum rooted in hands-on experience and prepares students to meet the changing demands of healthcare.
Bellin offers two FNP options. The 47-credit BSN to FNP MSN program requires 680 clinical hours and can be completed full or part-time. Note that a prerequisite statistics and health assessment course are required. The school provides clinical placements, but students can request a specific clinical site by contacting the program director. Bellin also offers a Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP that can be completed in 24 to 36 months. The exact requirements will depend on previous education and work experience.
Program Overview:
Concordia University is a Christian university that has been serving Wisconsin since 1881. The university’s School of Nursing offers multiple options for those seeking an NP. Nurses with a BSN can choose the BSN to FNP MSN program or the BSN to AGNP Primary care MSN program. Both are 41 credits and require 750 in-person clinical hours. Overall, these programs have a 96% to 100% pass rate on the national certification exams.
There are also two post-master’s options available: a Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP and a Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP. At Concordia, these programs are called Certificate After Graduate Education in Nursing (CAGE) programs and allow those with non-clinical MSNs to get the skills and education they need to practice as NPs. These programs are both 31 credits taught primarily online, though a two-week on-campus residency and in-person clinical are required.
Program Overview:
At the Henry Predolin School at Edgewood College, nurses can complete the BSN to FNP MSN track with 45 credits, and the BSN to AGNP Primary Care track with 48 credits. Most of the coursework is presented online, though some classes will require on-campus meetings. Both programs also require 750 hours of hands-on clinical hours. Courses are generally offered in eight-week sessions, and most students finish the programs in three years.
Program Overview:
The Herzing University School of Nursing has campuses in Brookfield, Kenosha, and Madison and offers multiple tracks for those wishing to pursue a career as an NP. It also offers some of the few programs in the state that allow an RN with an associate’s or diploma to pursue an MSN without first completing a BSN. Plus, Herzing offers MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificates, too.
There are 16 options at Herzing: RN to FNP, BSN to FNP, BSN to DNP FNP, RN to AGNP Acute, BSN to AGNP Acute, BSN to DNP AGNP Acute, RN to AGNP Primary, BSN to AGNP Primary, BSN to DNP AGNP Primary, RN to PNP, BSN to PNP, BSN to DNP PNP, Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP, Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Acute, Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Primary, Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to PNP. All of these programs offer courses primarily online, though in-person clinicals are required for each program and some may also have on-campus requirements.
Program Overview:
Marquette University in Milwaukee’s NP nursing programs offer a variety of in-person, hybrid, and online courses. There is an extensive list of programs to choose from in a variety of specialties: BSN to AGNP Acute Care, BSN to DNP AGNP Acute Care, BSN to AGNP Primary Care, BSN to DNP AGNP Primary Care, BSN to PNP Acute Care, BSN to DNP PNP Acute Care, BSN to PNP Primary Care, BSN to DNP PNP Primary Care, BSN to PNP Acute/Primary Care, BSN to DNP PNP Acute/Primary Care, 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, Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to PNP Acute/Primary Care.
Program Overview:
The College of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire offers two doctor-level programs, a 73-credit BSN to DNP FNP option and a 68-credit BSN to DNP AGNP Primary Care option. Each program includes 1,087 clinical hours. Classes are generally taught one day a week and have a combination of in-person learning as well as both synchronous and asynchronous online classes and immersion experiences.
Program Overview:
The School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions and Sciences has been educating nurses since 1965. Today, it offers four tracks for nurses who want to pursue practice as an NP. The BSN to DNP FNP MSN option and BSN to DNP AGNP Acute Care option are 65 credits. Classes are taught in a hybrid format, and in-person clinicals are required. There is also an 18-credit Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP track offered on campus and an 18-credit Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP Acute Care track with hybrid classes.
Program Overview:
The Oshkosh branch of the University of Wisconsin is about 52 miles southwest of Green Bay on the shore of Lake Winnebago. It offers two DNP options: a BSN to DNP FNP and a MSN to DNP FNP. Both programs are offered in a hybrid format with on-campus requirements and in-person clinicals and have a 96% to 100% pass rate on the national certification exams.
Program Overview:
Viterbo is a Catholic university founded by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. The College of Nursing and Health offers DNP options for students with either a BSN or MSN degree. The BSN to DNP FNP option is 64 credits with 1,020 clinical hours, and the MSN to DNP FNP option is 61 credits and 1,020 clinical hours. The BSN to DNP AGNP track is 62 credits with 1020 clinical hours, and the MSN to DNP AGNP is 71 credits with 1,080 clinical hours. There is also a Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGNP track that is 21 credits with 540 clinical hours. All programs offer a mix of hybrid and blended classes with on-campus requirements, including an on-campus two day intensive.
NP Programs in Other States
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