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Why Are Family Nurse Practitioners Earning Post-Master's Certificates?

Add new skills and expertise by advancing your nursing education.

For master’s-level RNs like family nurse practitioners, earning a Post-Master's Certificate in Nursing can be an effective way to prepare for the future of healthcare while growing a rewarding career.

Post-graduate nursing certificates offer many advantages. As a family nurse practitioner, you might choose a post-graduate nursing certificate to add a new specialty to your nurse practitioner license. At Walden University’s online nursing school, you’ll find the following Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited nursing certificate NP specializations:

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) Post-Master’s Certificate: This specialization helps prepare nurse practitioners to care for patients ages 13 and older who have acute and complex conditions. You might choose the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner certificate if you work in settings such as emergency departments, trauma centers, intensive care units, and specialty care centers.
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) Post-Master’s Certificate: As a family nurse practitioner, you may care for patients from birth to older adulthood. The adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner certificate prepares you to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage the kinds of health issues patients 13 and older might experience. You’ll find these nurse practitioners working in settings such as primary and specialty care clinics, public health departments, and long-term care facilities.
  • Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner: Earning this nursing certificate can help you become a trusted mental health professional who treats patients experiencing psychiatric and mental health conditions. In Walden’s program, your coursework will help you build your clinical expertise in areas like pathophysiology and pharmacology.

Walden also offers a CCNE-accredited Family Nurse Practitioner post-master’s certificate NP specialization that can academically prepare you to care for patients in settings that include family practice, women’s health, internal medicine, oncology, and nephrology.

Find Variety in Nursing Certificates

There are other types of nursing certificates available, too. Each specialization offers unique benefits to family nurse practitioners and other RNs with master’s degrees who are interested in acquiring new skills and pursuing new career paths:

  • Nursing Education: You can make a contribution to your profession by becoming a nurse educator who helps teach, train, and inspire nurses at all stages of their careers. From 2019–2029, the U.S. is projected to add 221,900 jobs for RNs1 and 110,700 jobs for nurse practitioners.2 Earning a post-graduate certificate can position you to play a key role in the future of nursing.
  • Nursing Informatics: If your passion is for the sciences—nursing, information, and computer—then this nursing certificate may be your best choice. You’ll learn to increase accuracy, efficiency, and excellence in healthcare delivery.
  • Nurse Executive: This post-graduate nursing certificate gives family nurse practitioners and other RNs the knowledge and skills they need to perform as top professionals in leadership and management roles.

Earn a Nursing Certificate Online

Family nurse practitioners also choose post-graduate nursing certificates because they can earn these credentials online.

Walden, a leader in distance education for more than 50 years, graduates more nurses with advanced degrees than any other university.3 This accredited university gives working professionals the flexibility to advance their nursing education and careers while continuing to work and enjoy their personal lives. As a student in Walden’s online nursing school, you can log on and work on your online courses when and where it’s convenient for you.

Prepare for Career Growth

Family nurse practitioners also choose to earn nursing certificates online to prepare for the explosive job growth expected through 2029. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the employment of nurse practitioners to grow 52%, much faster than average for all occupations.2

Earning a post-master’s nursing certificate can help you prepare for these career opportunities—and the future of nursing.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering Post-Master's Certificates in Nursing online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

1Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-1
2Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm#tab-6
3Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) IPEDS database. Based on the most recent year’s completions survey data, using CIP code family 51.38 “Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing” for Master’s (Award level 7) and Doctoral (Award level 17) degrees. Available at https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data. (Retrieved January 2021; may consist of or include provisional release data.)

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

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