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Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner Program

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Program Description

The MSN FNP Program is designed for learners who already hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing and prepares graduates to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with specific emphasis on the role of the Family Nurse Practitioner. The MSN FNP content is grounded in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and evidence based on national standards and research related to current practice, education, legislative, and research trends in healthcare and local needs along with various guiding principles, documents, and regulations set forth by the: 

  • American Association of Collegiate Nursing (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021)
  • Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (6th ed.). A Report of the National Task Force (NTF) on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (2022) 
  • The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Nurse Practitioner Role Core Competencies (NONPF, (2022)  
  • Population-Focused Nurse Practitioner Competencies (2013)  
  • Quality and Safety Education in Nursing (QSEN) Competencies: Graduate KSA’s (2012)

The curriculum is designed to prepare nurses who complete the Family Nurse Practitioner track for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role by expanding their nursing body of knowledge and skills in a role and specified population foci. Learners in the Family Nurse Practitioner track will develop advanced knowledge and skills in assessment (including differential diagnosing), intervention (including prescribing), and management within the construct of patient-provider relationships and patient-centered care across the lifespan. The learner will be prepared to function as an effective member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team and to provide consultation, collaborative management, and/or referral.

The curriculum will prepare the learner to be eligible to become certified in their population foci. The curriculum addresses scope of practice concepts in the Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse course, and concepts are reinforced throughout the Family Nurse Practitioner Role courses and applied in all practicum learning experiences.

The graduate program core courses will provide foundational knowledge and skills for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role. The FNP core courses include Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan; Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan; and Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan. Family Nurse Practitioner learners will be expected to demonstrate skills in differential diagnosis and disease management. Learners will be prepared to be granted prescriptive authority, if applicable, in their state of licensure. The curriculum meets certification eligibility requirements for the AANP and ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner examinations. After the achievement of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse certification, graduates will be able to apply for an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license.    

A total of fifty-five (55) semester credits consisting of different combinations of courses: core, integrative core, specialty, and practicum are required for the conferral of the MSN FNP degree. Thirty-seven (37) credit hours will be dedicated to didactic theory learning and eighteen (18) credit hours will be dedicated to clinical experiences. Learners can complete the MSN FNP program in six (6) academic semesters or ninety-six (96) academic weeks of instruction.      

The MSN FNP Program uses full-distance delivery of instruction, where learners engage in online didactic and practicum experiences in community nursing and global health trends, health promotion, disease prevention, leadership, policy, ethics, informatics, statistics, pharmacology, and pathophysiology. The curriculum addresses scope of practice concepts in the Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse course, and concepts are reinforced throughout the Family Nurse Practitioner Role courses and applied in all practicum learning experiences. For course delivery modalities definitions, see the Learner Residency and Course Delivery Modalities section of this Catalog. The curriculum is expected to prepare nurses who complete the Family Nurse Practitioner track for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role by expanding their nursing body of knowledge and skills in a role and specified population foci.  Upon satisfactory completion of the prescribed MSN FNP Program curriculum with a minimum 3.0 GPA and the fulfillment of other graduation requirements, the learner will earn a Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN FNP) Degree.   

Note: The Program only enrolls residents in states where it is fully authorized. If a learner enrolls in the Program and subsequently moves to a state where the Program is not authorized, he/she will not be able to continue enrollment until such authorization is obtained. Learners must notify the Program immediately upon relocation. 

Program Outcomes

MSN FNP Program Outcomes are aligned with the Institutional Effectiveness Plan and measure the degree to which the Program achieves its stated mission. For current MSN FNP Program Outcomes benchmarks, see the MSN FNP Program Outcomes Benchmarks Catalog Insert.

Program-Level Learner Outcomes

The MSN FNP Program, in alignment with the American Association of Collegiate Nursing (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education has identified program outcomes, including program-level learner outcomes and competencies, alumni outcomes, and faculty outcomes to evaluate Nightingale College’s MSN FNP Program effectiveness. The learner outcomes include program completion and employment rates, achievement of Nightingale College’s graduate general education goals, achievement of expected learner outcomes, satisfaction with courses and instruction, and satisfaction with overall program effectiveness. 

At Program completion, as measured by evaluation activities throughout the Program, the graduate will: 

  1. Integrate evidence-based findings from research in humanities and sciences, while synthesizing the holistic nature of advanced practice nursing and diagnostic reasoning to build quality, safe patient care across diverse settings and to enhance patient, healthcare, and organizational outcomes.
  2. Engage in leadership, scholarship, and change agent activities that promote collaboration and communication among interdisciplinary team members and community stakeholders.
  3. Evaluate and use best evidence to improve quality, safety, and access in clinical practice.
  4. Integrate clinical guidelines, research, clinical judgment, and interdisciplinary perspectives using translational processes to improve organizational, practice, and health outcomes.
  5. Incorporate information technology when interacting and collaborating with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members for improved healthcare delivery processes and outcomes.
  6. Implement knowledge of organizational policies and complex systems to influence delivery, cost, and quality of healthcare services.
  7. Facilitate the development of healthcare systems while addressing the complex issues concerning the care of individuals, populations, and stakeholders.
  8. Integrate ethical principles while evaluating the impact between legal, social, political, economic, and ethical issues and their influence on the provision and management of patient care services.
  9. Provide patient-centered and evidence-based care while functioning as an independent practitioner.

Program Objectives

  • To build professional advanced practice nursing capacity based on evidence and theory with an appreciation of the uniqueness of each individual and family, diversity, and the multidimensional aspects of health.
  • To build ethical and value-centered advanced practice nursing that enhances personal and professional growth and development, fosters clinical reasoning and problem-solving, and supports engaging collaboration within communities and populations.
  • To build advanced practice nursing leadership capacity to address challenges and advance the science of advanced nursing practice.
  • To build professional and research capacity to meet the primary health care needs of diverse communities and populations.

Core Competencies

  1. Client-Centered Care
  2. Intentional Learning with Reflection
  3. Evidence-Based Practice
  4. Decision-Making and Clinical Reasoning
  5. Organizational, Local, and Global Leadership
  6. Communication and Informatics
  7. Quality and Safety Assurance
  8. Teamwork and Collaboration

Requirements and Procedures

All applicants work closely with an Admissions Advisor to assess career goals, motivation, and commitment to learning. 

To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

  1. Pay the $80 non-refundable application fee (the application fee is waived for all Nightingale College’s prelicensure programs alumni, applicants from institutions with a valid articulation agreement, active duty servicemembers, and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces).
  2. Complete Application for Admissions (the Application and the paid fee are valid for one (1) year).
  3. Submit official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended from an institution of higher learning. The institution(s) must send the transcripts directly to Nightingale College. Applicants must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an institution of higher learning accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with a minimum 3.0 GPA earned on a 4.0 scale.
    • Applicants with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 to 2.99 may be considered for admission on probation but must achieve a B (3.0) or better in the first eleven (11) credits of the program to be removed from probation.
  4. Submit proof of a current active unencumbered registered nurse (RN) licensure from any U.S. jurisdiction. Learners are expected to maintain an active and unencumbered RN license throughout the program of study.
    • Applicants educated within the United States who hold a U.S. RN License must submit the following:
      1. A copy of an active and unencumbered U.S. RN license.
    • Applicants educated outside of the United States who hold a U.S. RN license must submit the following:
      1. A copy of an active and unencumbered U.S. RN license.
      2. An Academic Report from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member organization, an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) certificate stating that the learner’s nursing education is comparable to that obtained by a graduate of a U.S. Bachelor of Science nursing program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale.
  1. Submit a resume or curriculum vitae.

    • One year of experience working as a Registered Nurse is required.
    • Must have actively worked as an RN within the last two years.

  2. Submit Personal Statement of Interest.
  3. Submit two (2) letters of recommendation from the most recent employer (supervisor) and from a professor who can address the applicant’s clinical expertise and academic preparation for the program.
  4. Participate in an FNP Program interview.
  5. Meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to initiate the Financial Aid process.

Note: Nightingale College is committed to ensuring the highest level of academic integrity throughout the admissions process. Violations of the academic integrity policy at any point in the admissions process will result in automatic denial of admission. See the Academic Integrity section of the College Catalog for more details. 

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the MSN FNP Program is $550 per semester credit. Tuition does not include the non-refundable application fee or any semester resource fees. The College reserves the right to change its tuition and fees at any time with a 30-day notice.

Item 

Fee 

Resource Fee per Semester

$750 

Nightingale College Alumni Tuition Reduction

A tuition reduction of $50 per semester credit will be applied to the accounts of the College’s associate and baccalaureate degree graduates at the time tuition is charged. The Nightingale College Alumni Tuition Reduction is not applicable to repeat coursework.

Estimated Total Program Cost

The estimated total program cost is $34,750. Learners may use this calculator to get a customized estimate of the total program cost. 

Curriculum Plan

The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education “provides a framework for preparing individuals as members of the discipline of nursing, reflecting expectations across the trajectory of nursing education and applied experience” (AACN, 2021). Evolving from separate Essentials for baccalaureate, graduate, and doctorate preparation, the 2021 Essentials provide a competency-based approach to nursing education in the setting of changes in higher education, learner expectations and a quickly changing healthcare system to prepare professional nurses of the future. Because professional nursing practice in all settings requires consideration of the individual, family, community, and population as clients, these competencies are essential to master’s nursing education offered by Nightingale College.

  • Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice
  • Domain 2: Person-Centered Care
  • Domain 3: Population Health
  • Domain 4: Scholarship for Nursing Discipline
  • Domain 5: Quality and Safety
  • Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships
  • Domain 7: Systems-Based Practice
  • Domain 8: Informatics and Healthcare Technologies
  • Domain 9: Professionalism
  • Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development

The MSN FNP Program consists of thirty (30) graduate-division nursing courses delivered over six (6) academic semesters and ninety-six (96) academic weeks, for a total fifty-five (55) semester credits. There are five hundred forty-seven point five (547.5) didactic, twenty-two point five (22.5) applied field experience, and eight hundred ten (810) integrative practicum contact hours total. For learner residency and course delivery modalities definitions, see the Learner Residency and Course Delivery Modalities section of this Catalog. A sample curriculum layout is presented in the table below.

Sample Curriculum Plan

Course Number Course Name Delivery Modality Semester Credits Didactic Learning Remote Experiential Learning Total
  CBT ISBP VCBP ISB VCBC DFC IP AFE  
Semester 1
MSN 580 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse Distance 3 45               45
MSN 582 Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan Distance 4 60               45
MSN 584 Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan Distance 4 60               60
Total 11 165 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 165
Semester 2
MSN 586 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan Distance 2 30               30
MSN 588 Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan Distance 4 52.5             22.5 75
MSN 590 Health Policy, Legislation, Economics and Ethics Distance 3 45               45
Total 9 127.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 22.5 150
Semester 3
MSN 592 Evidence-Based Practice Distance 3 45               45
MSN 594 Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings I Distance 3 45               45
MSN 610* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 1 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 611* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 2 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 612* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 3 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 613* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum Distance 1             45   45
Total 10 90 0 0 0 0 0 180 0 270
Semester 4
MSN 598 Health Informatics for the Advanced Practice Nurse Distance 3 45               45
MSN 600 Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings II Distance 3 45               45
MSN 614* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 5 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 615* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 6 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 616* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 7 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 617* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 8 Distance 1             45   45
Total 10 90 0 0 0 0 0 180 0 270
Semester 5
MSN 604 Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings III Distance 3 45               45
MSN 618* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 9 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 619* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 10 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 621* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 11 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 622* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 12 Distance 1             45   45
Total 7 45 0 0 0 0 0 180 0 225
Semester 6
MSN 608 Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings IV Distance 2 30               30
MSN 623* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 13 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 624* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 14 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 625* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 15 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 626* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 16 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 627* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 17 Distance 1             45   45
MSN 628* Advanced Family Health in Primary Care Settings Practicum 18 Distance 1             45   45
Total 8 30 0 0 0 0 0 270 0 300
MSN FNP Program Total 55 547.5 0 0 0 0 0 810 22.5 1,380

Satisfactory Academic Progress Table

Total Credits Attempted

Financial Aid Warning or Probation if CGPA is below

Financial Aid Warning or Probation if course completion rate is below

1-8

3.0

67%

9-16

3.0

67%

17-24

3.0

67%

25-32

3.0

67%

33-40

3.0

67%

41-49

3.0

67%

50-58 

3.0 

67% 

 

Pre-Dispute Arbitration and Class Action Waiver Disclosure

Nightingale College seeks to resolve disputes or claims between any learner and the College in an efficient, cost-effective, and timely manner. A learner who enrolls at Nightingale College agrees, as a condition of their enrollment, to resolve any dispute through mandatory arbitration that shall not be adjudicated as a class action or a consolidated class arbitration proceeding. However, the College cannot require a learner loan borrower to participate in arbitration or any internal dispute resolution process offered by the institution prior to filing a borrower defense to repayment application with the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to 34 CFR 685.206(e); the College cannot, in any way, require learners to limit, relinquish, or waive their ability to pursue filing a borrower defense claim, pursuant to 34 CFR 685.206(e) at any time; and any arbitration, required by a pre-dispute arbitration agreement, tolls the limitations period for filing a borrower defense to repayment application pursuant to 34 CFR 685.206(e)(6)(ii). 

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