Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) Overview
You enjoy making a difference in the lives of your patients, families, and colleagues and want to continue your education with a master’s in nursing. With the healthcare climate changing at lightning speed, having the skills and knowledge to lead high-performing organizations or nursing education programs is critical. Nurses are leading the way toward an improved health care system in the U.S. by advancing degrees and practicing at the full extent of their education. Be one of these nurses!
ECPI University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program encompasses two distinct concentrations: Nursing Education and Family Nurse Practitioner. The concentrations are guided by the National League for Nursing’s Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) competencies and the American Association of Nurse Practitioner’s (AANP) core and population-specific competencies.
MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner
If you love working with patients but want to play a bigger role in their treatment, becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner may be just the right move. ECPI University’s MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program can prepare you to treat patients of all ages, diagnosing illnesses, prescribing drugs, ordering diagnostic tests, and performing physical exams. Advanced practice nursing provides the close patient contact you have always enjoyed.
ECPI University’s College of Nursing offers this program completely online to accommodate your busy schedule. Graduates of the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration will be able to provide primary care and/or specialty nursing in ambulatory, and long-term care settings. Moreover, by completing this program, you will be eligible to take the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Board Certification Exam offered by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Once Board Certified, you will be eligible for positions in a variety of heath environments, such as:
- Provider Offices
- Public Health Departments
- Urgent Care
- Industrial Settings/Occupational Health
To be licensed as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), it is necessary to pass the AANP or ANCC certification exam. Licensure may be required by employers to practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
What’s more, by taking classes year-round, you could complete the MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program in as little as 22 months.
FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAM SHEET
MSN - Nursing Education
Have you been told you are a great teacher, you know how to talk to students, or you are a terrific preceptor for nursing students? Are you looking for a career that advances the profession and makes a difference one nursing student at a time? If so, the MSN degree in Nursing Education is a perfect fit for you!
In the Nurse Educator concentration, you apply the theoretical foundations of education, policy and politics of healthcare, statistics, healthcare technology, curriculum planning/development, and teaching and learning strategies in the online or hybrid classroom and in practicum settings. You will use current technologies such as iPads, apps, Wikis, and blogs to learn and share your knowledge. Learn more about MSN - Nursing Education here.
Whether you are a bedside nurse looking toward career advancement or a nursing leader seeking advanced knowledge and skills, the Master’s in Nursing Program at ECPI can help propel your career forward. Nursing is moving toward advanced education due to forces such as the Institute of Medicine Report on the Future of Nursing (2010)*, hospitals striving to be centers of excellence, and consumers asking for higher standards and better outcomes. Nurses no longer advance through the ranks and aspire to change the world of nursing without being educated to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to lead the change. Nursing, as any other business, has now become data driven where outcomes are measured and strategic plans for improvement are written, implemented, and evaluated. ECPI University’s Master’s in Nursing Program will prepare you to lead the way.
MSN - NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAM SHEET
* Institute of Medicine (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Available at: http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.aspx
The master’s degree program in nursing at ECPI University Virginia Beach, Virginia campus is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education ( http://www.ccneaccreditation.org ).
Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) Possible Career Track
MSN, Concentration in Nursing Education
Graduates with a concentration in nursing education will be eligible for positions in a variety of health care and academic settings such as:
- Patient Education
- Clinical Nurse Educator
- Director of Professional Practice
- Director of Staff Development
- Nursing Faculty at the practical, associate or bachelor degree levels
MSN, Concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner
Graduates holding a master degree in Family Nurse Practitioner will be eligible for positions in a variety of community settings such as:
- Provider Offices
- Public Health Departments
- Urgent Care
- Industrial Settings/Occupational Health
Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, the graduate are expected to:
- Integrate evidence-based nursing practice and related sciences for the continual improvement of nursing care to individuals, families, and communities.
- Perform as a member, educator, and leader of nursing by developing and implementing patient safety measures and quality improvement initiatives as part of an inter-professional team using appropriate theories, communication skills, and effective group dynamics.
- Apply systematic quality management models that meet patient safety goals and initiatives and improve nursing care and patient outcomes
- Act as a change agent by substantiating and applying research outcomes in practice and education settings to resolve nursing practice problems; and translate and disseminate resulting nursing knowledge
- Ethically utilize current technologies to communicate with the interdisciplinary team, improve and coordinate care across the continuum, strengthen the delivery and outcomes of nursing education, leadership and advanced practice, and analyze healthcare data.
- Advocate for policies that improve the health of the public and the profession of nursing by using the broad determinants of health (psychosocial, economic, and cultural factors), and the legal and ethical foundations of nursing.
- Implement current standards of practice and healthcare policies to design, deliver, manage and evaluate culturally appropriate, evidence-based education and nursing care for select populations.
- Analyze various roles of graduate-level nursing and synthesize personal philosophies of nursing within the changing education or healthcare environments.
- Demonstrate role development by performing in the role of nurse educator, leader or advanced practitioner by integrating the concepts related to the area of practice demonstrating expertise, evidence-based practice, and the appropriate competencies.
Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) Curriculum
Admission Requirements
- Complete a personal interview with admissions.
- Complete a graduate application for admission and enrollment agreement.
- Bachelor's degree in Nursing from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and from an academic institution recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
- Undergraduate coursework. Applicants who do not have previous undergraduate coursework in statistics, health assessment, or research may be required to complete one or more prerequisite courses prior to acceptance in the graduate program.
- Undergraduate cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale).
- Current resume and unencumbered RN license. Each applicant submits a current resume that indicates current nursing work experience in the field in the last 3 years.
Program Requirements
| Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUR503 | NUR503 Advanced Physical Assessment for Providers | 3.00 |
| NUR511 | NUR511 Theoretical Foundations | 3.00 |
| NUR520 | NUR520 Advanced Pathophysiology | 3.00 |
| NUR531 | NUR531 Topics in Population Health | 3.00 |
| NUR541 | NUR541 Policy, Politics, and Advocacy in Healthcare | 3.00 |
| NUR561 | NUR561 Nursing Research & Evidence-based Practice | 3.00 |
| NUR581 | NUR581 Healthcare Technologies | 3.00 |
| NUR606 | NUR606 Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers | 3.00 |
| NUR610 | NUR610 Advanced Procedures and Diagnostic Reasoning | 1.00 |
| NUR615 | NUR615 Primary Care: Adults and Older Adults | 3.00 |
| NUR615L | NUR615L Primary Care: Adults and Older Adults Practicum I | 1.00 |
| NUR616L | NUR616L Primary Care: Adults and Older Adults Practicum II | 1.00 |
| NUR620L | NUR620L Primary Care: Care of the Family Practicum | 1.00 |
| NUR625 | NUR625 Primary Care: Children and Adolescents | 3.00 |
| NUR625L | NUR625L Primary Care: Children and Adolescents Practicum | 1.00 |
| NUR626L | NUR626L Primary Care: Children and Adolescents Practicum | 1.00 |
| NUR635 | NUR635 Primary Care: Women and Families | 3.00 |
| NUR635L | NUR635L Primary Care: Women and Families Practicum I | 1.00 |
| NUR636L | NUR636L Primary Care: Women and Families Practicum II | 1.00 |
| NUR655 | NUR655 Role Development and Clinical Leadership | 2.00 |
| NUR675L | NUR675L Primary Care: Synthesis Practicum | 1.00 |
| NUR696L | NUR696L Nursing Synthesis-NP | 2.00 |
| MTH551 | MTH551 Healthcare Statistics | 3.00 |
| Credit Hour(s) total | 49.00 | |
| Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUR511 | NUR511 Theoretical Foundations | 3.00 |
| NUR520 | NUR520 Advanced Pathophysiology | 3.00 |
| NUR541 | NUR541 Policy, Politics, and Advocacy in Healthcare | 3.00 |
| NUR561 | NUR561 Nursing Research & Evidence-based Practice | 3.00 |
| NUR581 | NUR581 Healthcare Technologies | 3.00 |
| NUR601 | NUR601 Advanced Physical Assessment | 3.00 |
| NUR602 | NUR602 Advanced Pharmacology | 3.00 |
| NUR650 | NUR650 Curriculum Planning and Development | 2.00 |
| NUR652L | NUR652L Nursing Education Practicum I | 1.00 |
| NUR660 | NUR660 Teaching and Learning Strategies | 3.00 |
| NUR660L | NUR660L Nursing Education Practicum II | 1.00 |
| NUR670 | NUR670 Assessing and Evaluation Nursing Education | 2.00 |
| NUR670L | NUR670L Nursing Education Practicum III | 1.00 |
| NUR695 | NUR695 Nursing Synthesis | 2.00 |
| MTH551 | MTH551 Healthcare Statistics | 3.00 |
Program Requirements (Orlando/Lake Mary FL)
To receive the Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Education at the Lake Mary, Florida campus, students must earn 54 quarter credit hours and 162 hours of practicum. The program requires a minimum of 4 quarters or 12 months of instruction.
| Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUR512 | NUR512 Theoretical Foundations: A Multidisciplinary Approach | 4.50 |
| NUR542 | NUR542 Policy, Politics, and Advocacy in Healthcare | 4.50 |
| NUR562 | NUR562 Nursing Research & Evidence-based Practice | 4.50 |
| NUR582 | NUR582 Healthcare Technologies and Patient Safety | 4.50 |
| NUR604 | NUR604 Advanced Pathophysiology | 4.50 |
| NUR605 | NUR605 Advanced Physical Assessment | 4.50 |
| NUR603 | NUR603 Advanced Pharmacology | 4.50 |
| NUR651 | NUR651 Curriculum Planning and Development | 3.00 |
| NUR651L | NUR651L Nursing Education Practicum I | 1.50 |
| NUR661 | NUR661 Teaching and Learning Strategies | 4.50 |
| NUR661L | NUR661L Nursing Education Practicum II | 1.50 |
| NUR671 | NUR671 Assessing and Evaluating Nursing Education | 3.00 |
| NUR671L | NUR671L Nursing Education Practicum III | 1.50 |
| NUR696 | NUR696 Nursing Synthesis | 3.00 |
| MTH552 | MTH552 Healthcare Statistics | 4.50 |
Visit the ECPI University Catalog for the most current program information.