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Requirements to Become a Nurse Practitioner in Texas
Nurse practitioners are some of the most highly educated people in the nursing profession. They are often responsible for the primary care of patients (in states that give NPs full practice authority) and have the medical authority to administer drugs and fluids. Nurse practitioners often specialize in areas of obstetrics or pediatrics.
To become an NP in Texas, individuals must meet these requirements:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing, either an RN or a bachelor of science in nursing, at an accredited school. Most advanced NP programs require a bachelor’s degree for admittance. Texas requires RN licensing prior to applying for the NP license.
- Pass the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCLEX-RN) examination to become an RN. The process includes passing a criminal background check and the Nursing Jurisprudence Exam.
- Select a specialty focus area. The Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies and the Texas Department of State Health Services project increased demand for NPs in geriatrics, acute care, and primary care. Each specialty maintains its own national certification requirements. Other potential specializations include pediatrics, family practice, psychiatric, mental health, women’s health, neonatal, and surgical.
- Earn an MSN or a DNP. Professionals who hold a master’s in another field may pursue a post-master’s certification program. At minimum, individuals need a master’s degree from a nationally accredited or Texas Board of Nursing-approved program to become licensed.Individuals interested in higher-level positions, such as nurse mentoring, policymaking, and other leadership roles, may want to pursue a DNP. The state board requires that NP curriculum includes coursework in: • Advanced health assessment with related clinical experience that teaches data acquisition, diagnoses, and health management plans
• Advanced pharmacotherapeutics, in which students learn to use drug therapy for treatment or health promotion
• Advanced physiology or pathophysiology, which analyzes the relationship between healthy and non-healthy states throughout the human lifespanLearners should take clinical course content that prepares them for their specific focus area. Individuals need 500 hours of supervised practicum, internship, residency, or fellowship in a healthcare setting, at which they provide direct patient care and client management. - Apply for an advanced practice nursing license from the Texas Board of Nursing. The board offers four license types: nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, and nurse anesthetist. Requirements include paying a $100 license fee or $150 for a license with authority to write prescriptions. Nurses also need national certification in their specialty focus area. Applicants must apply within two years of completing their advanced degree program or supervised training.
License renewal occurs every two years and requires 20 hours of continuing education in a specialty area. For licenses that include prescriptive authority, professionals must log an additional five hours in pharmacotherapeutics education. Renewal also requires 400 practice hours per renewal period and maintenance of national certification in a specialization.
APRN Roles and Population Foci
A Texas Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) will be licensed in one of four roles: nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist. Clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners also have a population focus. The following are currently recognized:
- Acute Care Adult NP
- Acute Care Adult/Gerontology NP
- Acute Care Pediatric NP
- Adult NP
- Adult/Gerontology NP
- Family NP
- Gerontological NP
- Pediatric NP
- Psychiatric/Mental Health NP
- Women’s Health NP
- Neonatal NP
- Adult Health/Medical Surgical Nursing CNS
- Adult/Gerontology Nursing CNS
- Critical Care Nursing CNS
- Gerontological Nursing
- Pediatric Nursing CNS
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing CNS
APRN Certification Requirements in Texas
The graduate will seek national certification in his or her role and population focus. Certification must be consistent with education. There might be some instances where an individual would meet prerequisites for a certification exam (as defined by the certification agency) but would not meet Texas standards.
The application packet includes a list of certifications that qualify a nurse for recognition in recognized roles and population foci. Nurse-midwives seek certification by the American Midwifery Certification Board; the licensing agency notes that the AMCB examination is to be the one that qualifies the candidate for the Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) credential.
APRNs in some common practice areas may have a choice of certification organizations. Family nurse practitioners, for example, can be certified by either the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Pediatric nurse practitioners may be certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. Other organizations that offer approved examinations include the National Certification Corporation, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and the National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists.
The licensing agency notes that the list of certifications included in the application package is not comprehensive; others may be accepted for licensure. Individuals who do not see their certification listed are asked to contact the APRN Office.
Salary and Career Information
Texas NP salaries exceed the national rate, with the gap widening in the Brownsville-Harlingen metropolitan area. Other cities offering high salaries include the Woodlands-Sugar Land, College Station-Bryan, Midland, and Waco.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Texas ranks third in the country for highest employment levels of NPs. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area ranks seventh among U.S. metropolitan areas in the same category. Among non-metro areas, Texas’ Big Thicket region tops the list of highest-paying regions. The state’s Coastal Plains region comes in fourth.