Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) major prepares the advanced practice nurse to provide primary health care services across the lifespan to individuals, families and aggregates in the community. Besides primary care services, critical foci include practice models which emphasize the family as unit, health promotion and disease prevention and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The goal of the FNP program is to prepare highly skilled and culturally sensitive advanced practice nurses who are committed to providing quality and cost effective primary care services to individuals, families and communities. The program places special emphasis on providing services to the medically underserved. The MSON is committed to flexibility in the program and therefore offers both full-time and part-time options for degree completion.
The post-BSN to DNP with MSN exit with a major in FNP requires a total of 72 credits. A total of 47 credit hours and 720 clinical hours must be completed for the MSN exit where the Master of Science in Nursing is conferred. An additional 25 credits and additional clinical hours are required for the completion of the DNP.
FNP Program Certification Examinations
Successful completion of the McAuley School of Nursing (MSON) graduate APRN nursing program qualifies the graduate to take the appropriate national certification examination (FNP: AANPCB or AANC) for their specialty. Graduates who plan to practice in Michigan may find more information on licensure at Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, phone 517-241-0199, or email BPLHelp@michigan.gov.
The University of Detroit Mercy has not made a determination of whether the nursing curriculum meets the educational requirements in any State other than Michigan. Students are urged to contact the specific board of nursing in the state in which they intend to practice in order to ensure they are in full compliance with the education, practice and certification requirements. It is the responsibility of all applicants applying for admission in an online graduate nursing program to confirm if the program meets specific licensure requirements.
The MSN degree with the FNP major requires 47 credit hours and 720 clinical hours. The MSON is committed to flexibility in the program and therefore offers both full- and part-time options for degree completion.
Meet with Program Faculty
Detroit Mercy FNP faculty would be glad to meet with you. Please attend an upcoming FNP session listed on our Nursing information sessions page.
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Sample Program Plan
Full-time study can be completed in two years with some courses offered during the summer semester. A program of part-time study can be completed in three years.
Family Nurse Practitioner Full-Time Sample Program Plan
Family Nurse Practitioner Part-Time Sample Program Plan
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Required Courses
MSN Integrated Core
NUR 5030
Analytic Methods for Clinical Practice
3 credits
HLH 7100
Health Care Policy, Economics and the Law in Clinical Practice
3 credits
NUR 7000
Advanced Theory & Knowledge Development for Clinical Practice
3 credits
NUR 7300
Transformational Leadership & Innovation in Advanced Practice
3 credits
NUR 7400
Information Management & Decision Support
3 credits
NUR 7500
Evidence-Based Nursing Practice: Theory, Design & Methods
3 credits
Advanced Practice Core
NUR 5160
Advanced Health Assessment
3 credits
HLH 5900
Advanced Pathophysiology
3 credits
NUR 5800
Pharmacology for Advanced Practice
3 credits
NUR 6130
Procedures for the Advanced Practice Nurse
1 credit
NUR 6030
Professional Role Development for Business Practice
2 credits
FNP Concentration Courses
NUR 5150
Health Promotion across the Lifespan
2 credits
NUR 5250
Common & Episodic Problems across the Lifespan
3 credits
NUR 5260
Clinical Practicum II
2 credits
NUR 6150
Chronic & Complex Problems across the Lifespan
3 credits
NUR 6160
Clinical Practicum III
2 credits
NUR 6250
Psychosocial Issues & Health Integration across the Lifespan
3 credits
NUR 6260
Clinical Practicum IV
2 credits
DNP Integrated Core
NUR 7700
DNP Transition
3 credits
NUR 7200
Epidemiology & Population Health
3 credits
NUR 7350
Business Management to Ensure Quality in Health Care
3 credits
ETH 7010
Ethical Issues in Advanced Nursing Practice
3 credits
NUR 7450
Analytics for Evidence Based Practice
3 credits
NUR 7800
Project Proposal Development
3 credits
NUR 7900
DNP Clinical Practicum & Project Implementation
3 credits
NUR 7920
DNP Doctoral Project
3 credits
Total Credits: 71 credits (47 for MSN conferral and 24 for completion of DNP)
For more information on courses descriptions, please click here for the catalog.
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Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate
The Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate option is available to applicants that have already earned a master of science in Nursing degree with a major in Nursing from an accredited program. This certificate program does not lead to an academic degree from the University of Detroit Mercy.
The graduate Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate Program requires 29 credit hours of coursework and 720 clinical hours (500 clinical hours for certified nurse practitioners in a specialty outside of FNP who are active). An individualized program of study will be designed based on an applicant’s prior academic coursework and professional and clinical experiences.
Transcripts from prior academic institutions will be reviewed by the FNP program coordinator/advisor to determine an applicant’s specific program of study and a gap analysis will be completed. The FNP program does not accept any clinical courses (theory or didactic) or advanced health assessment as transfer courses. If courses in professional role, pathophysiology and pharmacology have been completed prior to admission to the certificate program and are equivalent to the course content in approved MSON courses, they may be transferred to the program.
Certification
Full-time and part-time options are available for program completion. Graduates of the FNP Post-Master's Certificate program are eligible to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP).
Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate Sample Program Plan