Pre-Nurse Practitioner Specialization

Pre-Nurse Practitioner Specialization

Overview

The Pre-Nurse Practitioner specialization at WTAMU prepares students for advanced practice roles as either a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses (RNs) with advanced education who are qualified to assess, diagnose, manage, and evaluate patient care. This specialization is part of the advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) track, providing students with the necessary skills to deliver high-quality care in a variety of settings. The FNP program is offered in a hybrid format, with clinical placements available across Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Admissions requirements for both the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs, as well as advising recommendations, can be found on the Department of Nursing's website or the Pre-Professional Specializations webpage.

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner in Texas

Education

To begin your journey toward becoming an NP in Texas, you must first graduate from an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Then, you must gain relevant bedside experience as a registered nurse (RN).

After meeting the experience requirements for graduate school admission, you may apply to your Texas NP program of interest. Remember that the Texas Board of Nursing must approve the program you select.

Certification

After graduating from an accredited NP program, you may sit for the national certification exam. Family nurse practitioners can choose from two national certifications:

1. Family Nurse Practitioner Certification (FNP-BC) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center
2. Family Nurse Practitioner Certified (FNP-C) from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

Licensure

Once certified, you will apply for an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) license in the area of educational preparation for the designated population focus on the Texas Board of Nursing website.

The Texas State Board of Nursing requires the following to apply for licensure: 

• Application fee for licensure with or without prescriptive authority
• Active unencumbered Texas RN license or an RN license from a Compact State 
• Completion of an accredited APRN program in a specific population focus
• National certification in a population area of focus
• Completion of a minimum practice hours within the last 24 calendar months or completion of an APRN program within the last 24 calendar months
• Completion of a minimum of contact hours of continuing nursing education within the last 24 calendar months or completion of an APRN program in the last 24 calendar months.

Advising

1. Pre-Nursing—(Major Code: 700)

A basic or transfer student who is not admitted to the WTAMU BSN program is considered to be a Pre-Nursing major.

2. Major in Nursing—Basic and Transfer Students (Major Code: 701)

When a student applies and is admitted to the WTAMU BSN program and begins Junior I nursing courses, the major code is changed to Code 701, unless the student is a registered LVN, in which case the major code is changed to 713 (see below).

• Transfer Nursing Students (who were previously enrolled in an ADN or BSN Program) must:
  • Be in good academic standing and eligible for readmission at the last nursing program attended.
  • Provide documentation from the dean or appropriate department head of the last nursing program attended that states readmission eligibility and academic standing.
  • Submit copies of official transcripts from each institution attended to the School of Nursing.
• Senior or Community College
  • Students transferring from a senior college or community college nursing program into the basic nursing program must submit copies of nursing course syllabi. If the transferring courses are less than five years old, courses will be evaluated for transfer on an individual basis. If courses are more than five years old, see "Returning Basic WTAMU Students and Transferring Basic Students" in this section.
• Returning Basic WTAMU Students and Transferring Basic Students
  • Any basic/traditional student, WTAMU or transferring, who has not been enrolled in clinical nursing courses in the past five years, must demonstrate competency by examination prior to being rescheduled into the nursing curriculum. A course-specific exam, which will be a standardized test, will be given. The exam may be taken one time. A fee is charged for each exam. If the student is unsuccessful, the student will be scheduled into that/those clinical course(s) as space is available. For further information, refer to "Advanced Placement and Credit by Examination" in your catalog.

3. Major in Nursing—LVN to Pre-licensure RN (Major Code: 713)

For students who are licensed vocational nurses. WTAMU School of Nursing does not currently offer an online LVN to BSN program. LVN prepared students to pursue traditional Pre-Licensure BSN program offered at WTAMU which is offered on campus only. 

Texas Schools Offering APRN Programs

• West Texas A&M University
  • Family Nurse Practitioner MSN Program
  • Post-Master's Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate