Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) - Online FNP Program
This MSN program prepares graduates for certification as family nurse practitioners and for doctoral study. Graduates of the family nurse practitioner online program are able to synthesize and apply advanced knowledge, theories, and research to a specialized area of nursing practice and function as leaders in practice to contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession.
Graduates from our program are often employed in family medicine offices, community health agencies, hospitals, private practices, health departments, orthopedics and other specialty areas.
A common core of courses are offered online including concepts, theory, research, and issues related to advanced nursing practice. Clinical requirements can usually be completed with preceptors in the students’ home community. Students may be required to return to campus at the end of fall, spring, and summer semesters for a final exam and orientation to the next semester.
All students in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty are required to attend one* mandatory clinical skills intensives on-campus. Instruction is provided by the USA Simulation Program. Students must sign-up to attend one session and can select preferred dates on a first come, first serve basis. Simulation will contact students with information on how to sign-up three months prior to the scheduled dates.
Please note the dates are for Clinical Skills Intensives only. The track coordinator may provide orientation dates, which are separate from CSI and Simulation. The clinical skills intensive provides hands-on instruction for common advanced practice assessments and procedures pertinent to the specialty and occurs during the spring semester when the student is enrolled in the first clinical course (CMN 573).
BSN-MSN students complete all support, MSN core, and MSN specialty courses for a total of 45 credit hours. The MSN degree must be completed within five years of matriculation.
| Curriculum |
|---|
| Requirements: |
| Support Courses |
| NU 518 - Advanced Nursing Assessment 3 credit hours |
| NU 545 - Physio-pathological Basis of Advanced Nursing 3 credit hours |
| NU 578 - Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses 3 credit hours |
| MSN Core Courses |
| NU 607 - Scientific Underpinnings of Advanced Nursing Practice 3 credit hours |
| NU 608 - Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement in Healthcare 3 credit hours |
| NU 610 - Healthcare Policy and Finance 3 credit hours |
| NU 613 - Organizational & Systems Leadership 3 credit hours |
| Family NP Specialty Courses |
| CMN 568 - Introduction to Family NP 3 credit hours |
| CMN 571 - Health Promotion/Disease Prevention & Issues for Family NP 2 credit hours |
| CMN 572 - Family NP I 3 credit hours |
| CMN 573 - Family NP Practicum I - 180 Clinical Hours 3 credit hours |
| CMN 574 - Family NP II 3 credit hours |
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CMN 575 - Family NP Practicum II - 180 Clinical Hours 3 credit hours |
| CMN 576 - Family NP Practicum III - 240 Clinical Hours 4 credit hours |
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CMN 577 - Family NP III 3 credit hours |
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RN to MSN students who are registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a non-nursing discipline must also complete the following courses. |
| RN-MSN Courses |
| NU 506 - Evidence-Based Practice & Informatics for Professional Nurses 4 credit hours |
| NU 507 - Leadership & Management Roles for Professional Nurses 4 credit hours |
| NU 508 - Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Professional Nurses 4 credit hours |
The University of South Alabama Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program provides the skills necessary for a rewarding career. Graduates are prepared to complete the appropriate national certification exam and may be eligible to apply for licensure to practice as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).
Contacts
Please feel free to contact Dr. Nancy Turnham for more information about this specialty: nturnham@southalabama.edu.