The state of Nebraska has a great need for qualified healthcare providers. Currently, the number of physicians and nurse practitioners per capita is below the national average. Experts worry that those numbers might decline even further, as significant numbers of physicians and nurse practitioners are nearing retirement. The need for mental health professionals is especially great. Almost 40 percent of Nebraska's mental health professionals are over age 55. Many will likely retire within the next 10 years.
Great demand also exists in the state's rural counties. Fewer and fewer physicians are choosing to practice in rural areas, creating ample opportunity for family nurse practitioners who want to live and work in rural settings. Currently, 51 of Nebraska's 93 counties are officially designated as primary care health professional shortage areas.
Nebraska's nearly 1000 nurse practitioners are required to have a collaborative agreement with a Nebraska physician to diagnose and treat illness and to prescribe medication. The average annual salary for a nurse practitioner in Nebraska is around $76,000, according to Salary.com.
NP programs for Nebraska nurses include:
- Creighton University. Creighton offers different master's-level NP programs including: adult acute care nurse practitioner, adult nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, pediatric acute care nurse practitioner, neonatal nurse practitioner and behavioral health nurse practitioner. Students who select an adult health nurse practitioner program can choose to sub-specialize in cardiology.
- Clarkson College. NP students at Clarkson can choose from either the adult nurse practitioner program or the family nurse practitioner program. Both are master's-degree programs. An RN-to-MSN option exists for nurses who have not yet obtained a BSN.
- University of Nebraska Medical Center. UNMC offers a geriatric nurse practitioner-master's accelerated post-certificate program that is designed to train professionals to care for the rapidly aging population. Courses are taught online and via videoconferencing, so that students in remote areas of Nebraska can complete their education without uprooting their lives. UNMC also offers a combined family nurse practitioner/psychiatric mental health advanced practice nursing program.
Nebraska nurses in remote settings may also be interested in other online NP programs, such as the one offered through Georgetown University.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Nebraska:
