INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Before you can become a nurse practitioner, you must first be a registered nurse. Your license must be valid and unrestricted. If you hold a valid and restricted license from another state, you may be able to apply for Licensure by Endorsement to get a Virginia license.  If you're a Canadian nurse moving to Virginia, you may also be eligible for Licensure by endorsement provided your training was primarily in English. If you recently graduated from a state-approved nursing program, you can apply for the RN license by examination. If you received your nursing education in the US territory of Puerto Rico or in a foreign country, contact the Committee of the Joint Boards of Nursing and Medicine at 804-367-4555 to find out how to get your RN license in Virginia. While you can get your RN license immediately after you graduate, you can't continue on to graduate-level education until you've had at least one year of experience as an RN. This experience also gives you the opportunity to observe practicing NPs and get a better understanding of what they do. While no specific experience is required, it's a good idea to get experience that corresponds with the particular nursing field you want to specialize in an NP. A certified NP can have either a master's degree or a doctoral degree in nursing. The program you choose may not make a tremendous difference in your pay as an NP. However, a doctoral program typically requires a greater investment on your part in terms of both time and money.  Tuition costs for in-state resident students tend to be between $500 and $700 an hour. For a master's degree, you'll typically need around 50 credits. A doctoral degree usually requires around 80 credits. Master's programs typically take 2 to 3 years to complete, while a doctoral program takes 3 to 4 years. If you're only attending part-time, however, it will likely take you longer. Once you've chosen the type of program you want, find schools that offer that program. Compare the schools based on their location, tuition rates, and acceptance rates to find the program that will work best for you. Application requirements for graduate-level nursing programs in Virginia typically include:  A bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited institution A valid and unrestricted RN license At least one year of experience as a practicing RN A 3.0 GPA in all secondary education Letters of recommendation A completed written application After 3 to 5 years of hard work, depending on the program you choose and your attendance, you'll likely meet the requirements for your graduate degree. Most graduate programs include a classroom component and a clinical practice component. Graduate-level nursing programs typically have arrangements with nearby hospitals and medical centers where graduate nursing students can complete clinical rotations.

SUMMARY: Hold a valid license as a registered nurse (RN) in Virginia. Work for at least one year as a registered nurse. Choose an accredited master's or doctoral nursing program. Apply to graduate-level nursing programs. Earn a graduate degree in nursing.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Summer is a time when there are a ton of fruits in season.  You can avoid buying canned or frozen fruit and purchase fresh and local fruit (sometimes at a cheaper price).  Fruits are not only a healthy and nutritious food group (they're known to be high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants), but many fruits are also very hydrating and contain a higher water content.  Fruits like watermelon, grapefruit, peaches and berries are all known to be high in water and can help cool you down and keep you hydrated during the hot summer months.  Incorporate one to two servings of hydrating summer fruits each day.  Measure out about 1/2 cup or one small piece per serving. Eat fruit raw or sliced into fruit salads, toss sliced berries into a spinach salad or puree into a breakfast smoothie or homemade sorbet. Like fruit, summer offers a whole host of in season vegetables.  Whether it's lettuce, tomatoes or cucumbers, summer's vegetable harvest provides easy foods to incorporate into your diet to beat the summer heat.  The great thing about summer vegetables are that they're a little cheaper in price and you don't always need to cook them for long periods of time. Many are great raw or only lightly or quickly cooked. Incorporate summer vegetables into your barbecues. You can put vegetables like sliced zucchini, asparagus, peppers, mushrooms right onto a hot grill and serve them up as a delicious, nutritious side. Or you can toss the vegetables in a little olive oil and seal them in an aluminum foil packet and roast them on the grill. Eat three to four servings of hydrating summer vegetables daily.  Aim for 1 cup of vegetables and 2 cups of salad greens per serving.  Try recipes like:  a raw tomato, cucumber and onion salad, a caprese salad with sliced raw tomatoes, mozzarella and basil or a cold pasta salad tossed with onions, black olives, peppers and cucumbers. You might not think that eating spicy food would be ideal on a hot summer day; however, many scientist say that eating spicy food is actually the perfect thing for a hot summer day.  Studies have shown that when you eat hot or spicy foods, initially it makes you feel hot; however, after a few minutes you begin to sweat around the top the of your head, ears, neck and face.  This is called gustatory sweating.    Sweating is the way your body cools itself down naturally.  So even though initially you may feel like your mouth is hot, it'll eventually cool you down quite nicely.  This is especially true if you're in front of a fan or out in a breeze as you feel particularly cool once air blows on your damp skin. Spicy foods that are perfect for a hot summer day include:  chips and salsa, spicy chilled gazpacho or a spicy cucumber salad. Although there are many different types of foods and combinations of foods that can help you beat the summer heat and cool you down, it's also important to focus on the fluid you're drinking during hot days.  Most people need a minimum of eight glasses of hydrating fluids each day; however, during the hot summer months, you may need 13 glasses or more depending on how much you're sweating.  Drinking continuously throughout the day in addition to eating hydrating fruits and vegetables is the best way to keep yourself hydrated and your thirst satiated during those hot summer days. Go for fluids that hydrate you with little or no calories as these are the most nutritious as well.  Go for plain or infused water, sparkling water, flavored water, decaf iced tea or coffee.  You may even want to try milk as this dairy food also has a high water content. Skip the alcohol.  Although summer margaritas or beers are tasty, alcohol dehydrates you very quickly.  Keep your consumption in check during those super hot days. You should also limit your consumption of sweetened beverages, such as lemonade, juice, soda, fruit punch, cold specialty coffee drinks, and sweet tea. The sugar in these drinks makes them high in calories, and if you're gulping them down when you're hot, you may be racking up your calorie count without even realizing it. Although summers can be overly hot and humid, there are certain times of the day when things cool off .  You might want to schedule bigger meals or meals with hot, cooked food during those times.  Many times you may not feel like eating a big meal when you're hot.  Think about other times during the day that are cooler that would make eating more enjoyable. Usually it's significantly cooler in the morning.  Consider eating a bigger breakfast so you can stick with small, light lunches during the heat of the day. Evenings are also cooler.  You may be able to eat more and feel more comfortable eating when the sun has already set. You may also find it easier to have smaller meals or snacks during the day.  Sometimes when you have a large meal, you'll feel overheated. Instead, go for four to six small meals during the day.

SUMMARY:
Take advantage of summer fruits. Include a variety of summer vegetables. Plan a spicy meal. Drink adequate fluids. Plan the right time of day to eat.