You will need to obtain an Associates Degree (2 years - ASN) which will include clinicals. Due to the emphasis on education, many nurses go on and get a Bachelor's Degree (BSN).
A nurse practitioner education program is a graduate school level program and is the equivalent of a masters degree. In total 6 years (at least) of education to be a nurse practitioner. In Canada you...
Everything a nurse does that is content based as part of their job is included in their formal training. Nothing that I can think of in terms of their responsibilities is acquired through informal...
to become a herpetologist you must have at least a masters degree which takes at least 4 years. The degree must be on biological science (which I think is much harder to get).