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Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program helps the registered nurse prepare to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse capable of managing the health care of individuals across the lifespan by providing preventive and primary care, promoting optimal health and wellbeing, and management of chronic illnesses.

Nurse practitioners are involved in patient history taking, physical examination, diagnostic testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Nurse practitioners are educated at the graduate level, prepared to take the national certification exam, and then licensed by the state to practice at an advanced level.

The FNP program integrates a foundation of evidence-based practice, population health, health policy, informatics and nursing theory, with concentration courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment, to help the student prepare for rigorous FNP didactic and clinical coursework. The program’s 630 direct-care clinical hours are designed to provide the student with the clinical experience needed to develop in their new role and deliver primary care for families. Combining didactic coursework with direct care clinical experience, students study how to manage care that is interdisciplinary, collaborative and culturally appropriate as well as provide primary care to diverse, underserved, and vulnerable populations across the lifespan.

FNPs work independently as well as collaboratively with other clinicians and health care and social service professionals in a variety of settings, such as clinics, schools, hospitals, homes, workplaces and community-based organizations.

 

The MSN-FNP prepares nurses for advanced licensure and to sit for the national certification exam.  Certification exam applicants may be denied exam eligibility based on a past criminal record.

Mission Statement

College of Nursing Mission Statement

Through an innovative curriculum and student-centered teaching, the nursing faculty teaches, supports, and inspires students to become competent, caring, and accountable professionals who serve a diverse client population within a dynamic health care environment.

MSN Program Goals

  1. Employ leadership skills to improve the quality of care in a variety of healthcare settings.
  2. Integrate advanced nursing and science knowledge into practice.

Program Accreditation and Alignments

The Master of Science in Nursing degree program at Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Outcomes

MSN Program Outcomes:

  1. Synthesize knowledge from nursing and a variety of sciences in diverse settings for the purpose of improving nursing care.
  2. Apply organizational and systems leadership concepts to promote quality patient care.
  3. Evaluate performance improvement processes designed for the purpose of providing quality patient care.
  4. Apply research outcomes and evidence-based practice to recommendations for improved patient care.
  5. Synthesize health policy processes established for the advocacy of quality healthcare.
  6. Integrate interprofessional collaboration to the management of patient and population health outcomes.
  7. Apply organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts to clinical prevention and population care to identified populations.

MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner concentration outcomes:

  1. Integrate technology in patient care management to improve health outcomes.
  2. Operate as an independent practitioner in the management of healthcare for patients across the lifespan.
  3. Formulate ethical plans of care which incorporate knowledge from current research, clinical guidelines, practice and assessment to improve health outcomes.
  4. Employ complex and advanced leadership skills in guiding change to improve health outcomes.

Degree Requirements

Courses - Core

NRSG612Integrating Theory and Research for Evidence-Based Practice

4
NRSG615Healthcare Informatics and Technologies

4
NRSG617Policy and Politics in Nursing and Healthcare

4
NRSG625Promoting and Preserving Health in a Diverse Society

4
Total Credit Hours:16

Courses - Concentration

NRSG650Advanced Pathophysiology for the Nurse Practitioner

4
NRSG651Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Practitioner

6
NRSG652Advanced Physical Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner

4
NRSG653Advanced Physical Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner Lab

2
NRSG654Role of the Nurse Practitioner

3
NRSG655FNPI Advanced Nursing Practice: Care of the adult, geriatric and frail elderly

6
NRSG656FNPII Advanced Nursing Practice: Women’s Health

2
NRSG657FNPIII Advanced Nursing Practice: Pediatrics

2
NRSG660FNPI Practicum: Advanced nursing care of the adult, geriatric and women patients

8
NRSG661FNPII Practicum: Advanced nursing care of the pediatric patient

6
NRSG662FNPIII Practicum: Advanced nursing care across the lifespan

7
NRSG663FNPIII Advanced nursing care across the lifespan, Lab

2
Total Credit Hours:52

Total Credit Hours: 68

Admission Requirements

Admission to this program requires an unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States. All students must maintain this licensure throughout the program of study.

Students must have graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an institutionally accredited institution.  A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 for the last 90 quarter (60 semester) hours of study undertaken for full acceptance into the program.

Prior to starting the nursing program all applicants must submit an unofficial or official copy of college transcript from their BSN degree for review.  Applicants to the Master of Science in Nursing degree program who meet all general admission requirements, but who have a CGPA for the BSN degree between 2.75 to 2.99 for the last 90 quarter (60 semester) hours of study, may be granted provisional admission. Students must successfully complete their first two MSN courses with a minimum of 3.0 GPA to be granted full admission to the nursing program or be administratively withdrawn.

Students must have a minimum of one year of recent direct care nursing experience prior to admission to the program.

Provide a current resume.

CTU has made a determination that this curriculum meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

CTU has made a determination that this curriculum does not meet the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia.

This information is subject to change; CTU will update these lists as information becomes available.

Locations

  • Virtual Campus

Area of Study

  • Nursing

Degree Level

  • Master