From Graduation to Confident Practice Without Guesswork
Step-by-step guidance for new Nurse Practitioners navigating certification, licensure, credentialing, and real-world practice.
School taught you medicine.
The Prepared NP teaches you how to practice.
Everything NP school didn’t teach you about certification, licensure, and early career decisions.
From certification and licensure to credentialing, compliance, and early-career decisions, The Prepared NP helps new Nurse Practitioners navigate the parts of practice that school doesn’t cover. You’ll know exactly what to do next.
Is this where you're stuck?
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Is this where you're stuck? /
You did everything right —
so why does it still feel overwhelming
You graduated, but no one explained what comes next
Certification, licensure, credentialing, DEA, NPI — all happening at once
You’re unsure what applies in your state vs what doesn’t
Job descriptions feel vague, salaries feel unclear
You’re worried about making a costly mistake early on
If you’ve thought, “I should know this by now,” you’re not behind. You were never taught this part.
This isn’t a confidence problem.
It’s an information gap.
NP programs prepare you clinically, but they rarely prepare you for certification logistics, legal and regulatory requirements, insurance and reimbursement structures, employment decisions and compensation realities, state-specific scope of practice rules, or the systems that ultimately shape your day-to-day autonomy in practice.
You’re expected to figure it out often through trial, error, and burnout.
The Prepared NP exists to change that.
The NP Playbooks
A clear path from graduation to confident practice
The NP Playbooks created by a family nurse practitioner provide structured, practical education for NPs navigating the transition from graduation to practice. Each playbook offers step-by-step guidance to support real-world decision-making, and most NPs leave with a clear action plan within 24 hours.
These resources are educational in nature and not intended for tutoring, exam preparation, or clinical supervision.
Start here if you’re graduating in the next 6–12 months
Start here if you’re licensed but unsure about jobs/contracts
Book Your Consultation
Need personalized guidance for your transition into practice?
Get clarity for your next step
If you’re feeling unsure about certification, licensure, credentialing, or early-career decisions, a 1:1 strategy consultation can help. The Prepared NP offers personalized guidance tailored to your state, goals, and timeline so you can move forward informed and confident.
A written action plan is available as a follow-up service after the consultation.
Meet The Founder
Hi, I’m Antea Alexander, a Family Nurse Practitioner and the creator of The Prepared NP.
I built the Prepared NP playbooks because I graduated clinically confident but logically unprepared. Sharing my lived experience and practical guidance, I want you to feel understood and supported as an NP doing the work and wondering if you are on the right path.
I graduated with my master’s in nursing, excited to begin practice, and quickly realized there was no clear roadmap for what came next. Certification, licensure, credentialing, and contracts were not taught; I learned them through research, networking, challenging questions, and mistakes, just as many NPs in early career or transition do.
That process taught me how to advocate for myself, negotiate thoughtfully, set boundaries, and recognize unsafe or unfair contracts. Using these same strategies, I secured my first fellowship and gained confidence in my early career decisions.
If you are feeling uncertain, stretched, or in transition, this is for you! My goal is to offer encouragement and help as you navigate your journey as a Nurse Practitioner.