Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Programs

Family Nurse Practitioner programs are graduate level (Master's or Doctoral) nursing programs that prepare professional registered nurses for advanced practice nursing where they will provide primary care to children, adults and the elderly in a variety of health care settings. This is an extremely popular and in-demand area of advanced practice nursing. Registered nurses with a BSN or an ADN can find family nurse practitioner programs listed below that will prepare them for national certification and entry to this exciting and rewarding field.

Family Nurse Practitioner program curriculum prepares students to assess, diagnose and treat a variety of acute and chronic health conditions and provide promotion of health and wellness and disease prevention. FNPs also receive training in counseling and teaching patients in the primary care setting. Much of this training is didactic and most often offered in an online format with minimal classroom time.

FNP programs include required clinical internships where students are trained in a "real world" environment under the supervision of a preceptor. Preceptors for the Family Nurse Practitioner programs are licensed and practicing FNPs or physicians. The clinical internships focus on the health care needs of patients across the continuum of life in a variety of primary care settings. There has been a new trend in FNP training that includes a residency program in addition to the classroom and clinical learning. There are only a few schools that have began offering this additional training, that mimics the residency training family medicine doctors receive, but it has been viewed by many experts as lending even more merit to the FNP profession.

Family Nurse Practitioners, depending on their preferences, can work in a variety of health care settings including urgent care, emergency rooms, hospitals, primary care clinics, community health clinics, Alzheimer's units, AIDS clinics, rural health clinics, and many other options. The great thing about the FNP program training is that it is so broad. Family Nurse Practitioners can work in various specialty areas such as pediatrics or geriatrics and anything in between. On the job training may be required in some specialties but a lot of the topics get covered in the FNP curriculum. FNPs can also return to school for a second MSN or a post-master's certificate in any advanced practice specialization they like and become nationally certified in that specialization in addition to FNP. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) has also become a popular career ladder option for FNPs looking to advance further up the nursing career ladder and lend more credibility to their profession.

Three major factors will drive the demand for Family Nurse Practitioners over the next several decades. Those factors include the need for more cost-effective health care at the primary care/gate-keeper level in all areas of the country from urban to rural settings, the current shortage of primary care/family practice medical doctors and the projected shortage over the next 25 years and finally, the health care reform that is currently in legislation and which is predicted to take affect in 2013. Everything points toward now to start a Family Nurse Practitioner program and the rewards will follow.

The majority of Family Nurse Practitioner programs offer many classes in the online format with minimal classroom time, which allows for students to continue in their current professional nursing positions while completing their education. Online Family Nurse Practitioner programs have made much progress including Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or National League for Nursing (NLN) accreditation. The online format has benefited many nurses in rural locations as well as urban settings that need the convenience and flexibility afforded by these programs. Please, contact a school below to learn more about their FNP program or search for an FNP program in your state.

Family Nurse Practitioner Online Programs

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