Family Practitioner Certificate Program Overview

The Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program (FNP-CP) prepares nurses in advanced practice for clinical leadership and scholarship in community oriented primary care. Graduates will be eligible to make application to take the ANA Certification examination for Family Nurse Practitioners. The FNP-CP emphasis is on the assessment, treatment, primary prevention, and evaluation of actual or potential client health problems within a family framework. Principles from the physiological and behavioral sciences will be used to plan the management of client problems in various health care settings. FNP-CP practice is based on an epidemiological approach to health problems, an understanding of family and community systems, the management of resources and economics, the use of appropriate technology, and the ability to collaborate, consult, and refer to other members of the health care team. Clinical practice will provide the student with experience in the health problems of children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly through the use of health maintenance organizations, nurse practitioner clinics, student health services, and rural clinics. Competence in physical assessment skills is a prerequisite to entering the program as well as a basic statistics course. The program can be completed in six semesters of full-time study. Part-time study is also available, however, students must complete the program in five years.

For further information, call Lynette Jakins (422-4142), graduate secretary, or Mary Williams, (422-5626)

Admission Criteria

The student must meet the following:

1. Acceptance by the graduate school of the university.
2. A masters degree in nursing.
3. Current R.N. licensure in Utah (or application in process).
4. Basic statistics course.
5. A grade point average of B (3.0) or better for the last 60 semester hours of credit in college course work.
6. Three letters of recommendation from former teachers or employers.
7. Statement of applicant's purposes and goals for graduate education.
8. A personal interview.
9. Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Sequencing for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program

SPRING	FALL	WINTER
Nurs 627 Management of Family Health	Nurs 619 Advanced Pathophysiology and Evidence-Based Practice	Nurs 555 Pharmacology in Advanced Practice
	Nurs 621 Advanced Health Assessment	Nurs 622 Management of Common Disorders

     

Second Year

SPRING	FALL	WINTER
Nurs 606 Advanced Practice Nursing Roles, Issues and Ethics	Nurs 629 Advanced Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Reasoning	Nurs 608 Health Care Policy and Finance
	Nurs 630 Management of Chronic Disorders	Nurs 632 Management of Acute Disorders

     

Third Year

SPRING	FALL	WINTER
Nurs 635R Family Nurse Practitioner Internship

Course Descriptions for Courses in the FNP Program

Nurs 555 (3:3:0) Pharmacology in Advanced Practice - Principles of pharmacology and drug therapy for advanced-practice nurses.

Nurs 606 (3:3:0) Advanced Practice Nursing Roles, Issues and Ethics - Exploration of professional roles, issues, and ethics for advanced practice nurses.

Nurs 608 (2:2:0) Health Care Policy and Finance - Acquisition of knowledge and skills to influence health care policy and utilize fiscal accountability to provide quality cost-effective care.

Nurs 619 (2:2:0) Advanced Pathophysiology and Evidence-Based Practice - The study of cellular physiology, inflammatory and immune response applied to complex disease states and evidence based clinical decision making.

Nurs 621 (3:2:1) Advanced Health Assessment - Development of physical assessment techniques.

Nurs 622 (6:4:2) Management of Common Disorders - Prerequisite: Nurs 619 and Nurs 621 Health promotion and prevention of common psychosocial and physiological disorders; diagnosis and management of common alterations across the life span.

Nurs 627 (3:2:1) Management of Family Health - Theoretical foundations and strategies to manage family health.

Nurs 629 (2:2:0) Advanced Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Reasoning - Prerequisite: Nurs 619 The study of pathology underlying complex disease states and the physiologic basis for therapy and management.

Nurs 630 (6:4:2) Management of Chronic Disorders - Prerequisite: Nurs 622 Health promotion and prevention of chronic psychosocial and physiological disorders; diagnosis and management of chronic alterations across the life span.

Nurs 632 (5:3:2) Management of Acute Disorders - Prerequisite: Nurs 630 Health promotion and prevention of acute psychosocial and physiological disorders; diagnosis and management of acute alterations across the life span.

Nurs 635R (8:2:6) Family Nurse Practitioner Internship - Prerequisite: All program courses & Internship as a Family Nurse Practitioner