Alabama has just over 1700 nurse practitioners - and that number is growing every year. Since 2008, the number of NPs in the state has increased by an average of 2.7 percent every two years. Top counties for employment include Jefferson, Mobile, Madison, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Baldwin, Calhoun, Etowah, Lee and Morgan.
Under the state's Nurse Practice Act, NPs in Alabama are required to have a collaborative agreement with an Alabama physician to diagnose and treat health conditions; a collaborative agreement is also required before an NP can prescribe medications. NPs cannot prescribe controlled substances and cannot prescribe any newly released drugs until the drug has been reviewed and added to their pre-approved formulary. Nurse practitioners in Alabama must complete six contact hours of continuing education in pharmacology every two years for license renewal.
Top NP programs for Alabama nurses include:
- The University of Alabama at Birmingham. The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers a variety of paths to an NP degree. If you have an undergraduate degree in something besides nursing, consider the AMNP, Accelerated Master's in Nursing Pathway. Nurse practitioners-to-be can specialize in a variety of areas, including neonatal care, pediatric primary care, pediatric acute and primary care, adult primary care (with or without additional specialization in geriatrics, women's health or occupational health), family primary care, psychiatric/mental health and adult acute and continuing care with a secondary specialization in Registered Nurse First Assistant.
- Troy University. Located in the southern part of the state, Troy University prepares students to practice as family nurse practitioners. Online NP courses are offered at Troy University campuses in Montgomery, Troy and Phoenix City, AL. Clinical coursework can be pursued in a variety of settings.
- Samford University. Samford University is a private college located in the mountainous area of Shade Valley, less than six miles from downtown Birmingham. A family nurse practitioner program is available. Most classes are offered online, but students are required to attend scheduled on-campus classes three times during their period of study.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Alabama:
