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Online FNP Program MSN Nurse Practitioner Degree

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Register By: May 11 Classes Start: May 13

Earn Your MSN FNP Online

  • Affordable tuition: $637/credit x 51 credits
  • 38% projected growth for nurse practitioners through 20321
  • Complete in under 2 years (full time; 2 courses per term)
  • Learn from experts: 100% full-time faculty are doctorally-prepared
  • Modern curriculum: Aligned with latest AACN Essentials
  • Program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)2

Online MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner Overview

Earn the degree you need to enter one of the fastest growing occupations in the nation with our affordable online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track from Southern New Hampshire University.

In the wake of a global pandemic, the healthcare system is faced with the challenge of providing truly equitable care. This is especially true for underserved populations, where quality primary care providers are needed to treat populations with limited healthcare access.

Based on professional nursing standards and guidelines, this track is perfect for those looking to answer the call. As an FNP, you'll have the skills you need to step into a role as a primary care provider. You'll also be able to provide care in environments as diverse as family medicine, private practice, community health clinics and more.

Dr. Jequie Dixon, clinical coordinator of MSN programs at SNHU“At SNHU, we teach to the highest-level national standards,” said Dr. Jequie Dixon, APRN, AGACNP-BC, clinical coordinator of MSN programs at SNHU. “That way, nurses who graduate from our nurse practitioner program have the knowledge and skills needed to begin a new career" and become NPs who are well-trained and ready to work.

Combining hundreds of hours of clinical practice and an immersion experience, this 51-credit program is built to prepare you for future success. This MSN track promotes advanced practice knowledge across the lifespan and is grounded in evidence-based practice, interprofessional leadership and global health awareness – helping you deliver quality care to diverse patient populations.

In this FNP track, you'll develop the skills you need to assess, diagnose, create treatment plans and manage the health of individuals across the lifespan with a variety of health needs.

Upon successful completion of the family nurse practitioner track, you'll have met the educational requirements to sit for a Family Nurse Practitioner national certification examination.

You'll also learn to employ various clinical technological tools and applications, collaborate with a diverse group of healthcare professionals and provide primary care services to individuals, families and populations across the lifespan, consistent with independent practice as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).

In addition to the online coursework, the FNP track requires 650 clinical practicum hours in a variety of primary care settings. You'll also participate in a multi-day, in-person immersion experience to demonstrate your skills.

What You'll Learn

  • Evidence-based practices and healthcare technologies to support continuous quality improvement
  • Communication and advocacy strategies to improve health outcomes
  • Equitable health policies and regulations that reduce health risk and promote financial stewardship
  • Person-centered health promotion and disease prevention strategies
  • An advanced level of scientific knowledge in the role of an advanced practice registered nurse
  • How to provide high-quality, ethical and safe care to diverse populations

How You'll Learn

At SNHU, you'll get support from day 1 to graduation and beyond. And with no set class times, 24/7 access to the online classroom and helpful learning resources along the way, you'll have everything you need to reach your goals.

Online MSN Program, Can I Get an MSN Online?

Fast Track Your MSN

Ready for the next phase of your career? With SNHU's 5 MSN program tracks — updated to align with today’s healthcare standards — you'll be on your way to earn your degree faster, for less.

Career Outlook

Job Growth

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nurse practitioners are the fastest-growing occupation in the country – with 38% projected growth through 2032. This accounts for 123,600 new jobs.1

Salary

In May 2022, nurse practitioners reportedly earned a median annual salary of $125,900.1

Understanding the Numbers
When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

According to the 2021 report, ''The Future of Nursing: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity," published by the National Academy of Medicine, NPs will play an important role in the future of healthcare.3

"Nurse practitioners (NPs) working in primary care are often the only providers caring for low-income or uninsured people, Medicaid beneficiaries, and historically disadvantaged groups in both rural and urban populations... who cannot always easily access a physician," the report noted. "These interactions give nurses opportunities to get to know and engage meaningfully with people and families on matters related to health and well-being, health care, and the social factors that influence health."

In a post-pandemic world, the skills you build as an FNP help position you to communicate effectively with patients via virtual visits for acute and wellness care, in addition to office care. You may also pursue roles precepting nurse practitioner students.

Where Could You Work?

Urgent Care Clinic

Provide medical care to patients with illness and injury in a walk-in setting.

Primary Care Provider

Work within a team to care for individual patients and help them achieve health and wellness.

Public Health Departments

Help to build programs and advocate for public health in your community.

Outpatient Settings

Provide quality care to patients and families undergoing procedures that don't require hospital stays.

Start Your Journey Toward an Online MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Degree

Courses & Curriculum

The online MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner track starts with online, innovative coursework, followed by a multi-day immersion experience before 650 practicum hours under the guidance of preceptors to help prepare for success as a practicing FNP.

Like all online master's in nursing tracks at SNHU, this program requires the following 5 core courses:

  • Role Development and the Transformation of the MSN Nurse
  • Interprofessional Leadership in Healthcare
  • Epidemiological and Biostatistical Applications in Healthcare
  • Global Health & Diversity
  • Evidence-Based Practice & Scholarly Inquiry

Upon completing your core, you'll take the following FNP-specific courses:

  • Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology. Build upon existing knowledge of physiology and pathologic aspects of human disease across the lifespan. Advanced clinical pathophysiology, pathobiology, immunology and genetics will all be analyzed. You'll gain knowledge to foster advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making skills. You'll then examine clinical manifestations of major health problems across the lifespan and explore the management of illness and health restoration.
  • Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning. Build on previous clinical experience and prior knowledge to master health assessment skills and advanced communication strategies. You'll conduct comprehensive health assessments incorporating environmental, genetic, multicultural, ethnic and socioeconomic factors. You'll also gain mastery of the advanced history and physical exam, formulate plans to ensure effective patient-centered care and adapt your communication style to meet the specific needs of diverse individuals and families.
  • Advanced Pharmacology for the Prescriber, Immersion. Apply the advanced principles of pharmacology for the nurse practitioner by analyzing drug classifications for the management of acute and chronic disease states across the lifespan. You'll use clinical reasoning to formulate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches for individuals within a primary care setting. Gain the foundational knowledge for prescribing medications across the lifespan, considering legal, ethical, quality, and regulatory implications. In this course, you'll participate in a required in-person immersion opportunity to demonstrate advanced principles of assessment, diagnostic skills, and pharmacotherapies in a simulated clinical environment. The immersion experience will also prepare you for an advanced practice role with prescriptive authority.
  • Primary Care of Adults and Gerontological Patients. Apply evidence-based practice to the primary care of adult and gerontological populations. Concepts from pharmacology, pathophysiology and health assessment will be integrated with advanced practice nursing theory, process and research to assess, diagnose and manage patient care. You'll gain skills in clinical decision-making and management of adult and gerontological populations, using current clinical practice guidelines to help guide your decision-making process.
  • Primary Care of Infants, Children and Adolescents. Examine the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, growth and developmental milestones from infancy through adolescence. Emphasis will be placed on the assessment and management of the child within the realm and context of cultural, environmental and social factors of growth and development. You'll gain knowledge of caring for well and sick children and adolescents. You'll also refer to and utilize current care protocols and guidelines in the primary care of children and adolescents to help guide your decision-making process.
  • Primary Care for Women. Apply history and physical examination findings to the primary care of women throughout the lifespan. You'll synthesize professional best practices while providing comprehensive care and diagnosing common gynecologic conditions. You'll gain knowledge of health maintenance, education and counseling to women throughout all phases of the reproductive cycle, and use current care protocols and guidelines to help guide your decision-making process.
  • Primary Care for Mental Health. Explore the mental and psychosocial conditions that are most commonly seen among individuals and families in a primary care setting. You'll evaluate evidence-based practices including cognitive-behavioral, psychopharmacological, collaborative and nontraditional approaches to manage mental and psychosocial conditions across the lifespan. You'll also use approaches that support holistic collaborative treatment of individuals and families living with mental health conditions. This course includes 30 hours of psychopharmacology content to help prepare you for the practice of prescribing psychiatric medications, including controlled substances, as well as addiction management principles.

Immersion experience: As part of the FNP track, you'll take NUR 600 Advanced Pharmacology for the Prescriber, Immersion. This course requires you to travel to New Hampshire for one in-person immersion experience where you'll participate in simulation activities and perform assessments with standardized patients. This multi-day experience will help prepare you for your clinical practicums and provide pivotal hands-on learning to supplement your educational journey.  Please note that students have five years to complete their FNP track after completing NUR 600.

The cost of the Immersion Experience is $2,000 and is separate from course tuition. The fee covers items associated with the immersion, such as facility rentals, on-site faculty, training materials, and standardized patients. Travel including transportation costs, flights, lodging and meal costs are not included in this fee and are the responsibility of the student to pay for and secure. The Immersion Experience is scheduled in NUR-600 and will be held in New Hampshire.

After the Immersion Experience, you'll embark on your practicum experiences, which includes 650 clinical practicum hours across five courses in a variety of settings.

Curriculum Requirements & Resources

  • Clinical practice experience (CPE): Clinical practice hours are incorporated into all graduate nursing programs accredited by CCNE. SNHU incorporates these authentic learning experiences into your MSN program through indirect and direct clinical experiences. You'll be able to achieve these CPE hours through coursework and assignments and time spent under the guidance of a preceptor, depending on your track choice. Please connect with our Student Experience team to learn more about clinical practice experiences by track.
  • Practicum Experiences: Within the family nurse practitioner track, under the guidance of primary care providers, students will engage with patients across the lifespan in a variety of primary care settings. The 650 clinical practicum hours will be completed across five courses.

Students enrolled in the MSN program must comply with requirements of the organizations where their clinical practice experiences/practicum will be completed. These requirements may include (but are not limited to) a criminal background check, active and unencumbered license verification, immunization records, professional liability insurance. Students may incur additional costs to meet organizational requirements (ex. drug screening, physical examination co-pay, etc.). These requirements must be met prior to registering for the clinical practice experience courses. 

It is a requirement that nursing students carry their own medical malpractice insurance while enrolled in practicum courses. At least two terms prior to the start of the clinical components, students will be required to demonstrate proof of having an active individual medical malpractice certificate.

HEaRT Experiential Learning

Looking to gain professional healthcare experience, even before you graduate? Do it with HEaRT.

Specially designed for learners in healthcare and nursing, HEaRT (Higher Education and Real World Training) is a powerful experiential learning opportunity at SNHU. These online, asynchronous, voluntary experiences help connect students with employers to help solve real-world business problems – so you can be ready to make an impact in your field.

University Accreditation

New England Commission of Higher Education Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) as well as several other accrediting bodies.

ANCC Accredited Provider

At Southern New Hampshire University, we’re committed to your success — even beyond graduation. That’s why we’re committed to delivering accredited continuing education for nurses and healthcare professionals. From one-hour webinars to multi-day conferences and more, these opportunities are built to help you continue to meet the needs of communities across the globe.

Visit our SNHU continuing education page to learn more.

Southern New Hampshire University is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Graduate Programs Per Course Per Credit Hour
Degree/Certificates $1,911 $637
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty)*
$1,410 $470

Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.
*Note: students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional Costs:
Course Materials ($ varies by course)

Students enrolled in the MSN program may be subject to ongoing licensure checks through a third party vendor, additional fees will apply and may vary by state.

Frequently Asked Questions

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References

Licensure and Certification Disclosures

SNHU has provided additional information for programs that educationally prepare students for professional licensure or certification. Learn more about what that means for your program on our licensure and certification disclosure page.