Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Graduate Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in FNP is designed to provide a pathway for nurses who already have a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing and want to become Family Nurse Practitioners. Post-graduate certificate programs support master’s and doctorally prepared nurses to enhance or change their career direction. The FNP certificate offers the same FNP specialty courses, content, instruction and assessment to prepare students to care for families in a primary care setting and sit for national certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). The curriculum includes theory, simulation and clinical experiences that prepare graduates to be proficient, confident clinicians. Students will complete faculty-supervised laboratory work and 625 hours of clinical practicum work. A student may expect to complete the FNP Certificate in as few as one and a half years of full-time study comprised of two courses per semester, three semesters per year, for five semesters.
As part of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Graduate Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) curriculum, you’ll attend an on-ground immersion event and an on-ground intensive review session. The immersion event occurs during theNR-509 Advanced Physical Assessment course. The purpose of the immersion is to provide you the opportunity to interact with your professors and fellow students, observe, participate and be evaluated on clinical assessment skills, thus ensuring your preparation for advanced learning within your practicum experiences. The immersion event allows faculty and staff to work with you and assess your clinical competency before entering clinical rotations. The immersion event also allows you to further experience Chamberlain Care®. An on-ground intensive review session occurs during the NR-667 FNP Capstone Practicum and Intensive course. The intensive review session will focus on final student preparation for advanced practice. Both events occur on ground at a designated location, and span several days. Students are responsible for their travel costs while participating in the immersion event and the intensive review session. Typical costs include travel to/from Illinois, lodging and meals. Further details of the immersion event and intensive review session will be provided within the individual courses.
Students declaring a nurse practitioner graduate certificate are required to clear a background and fingerprint check, through a Chamberlain preferred vendor, by the end of their first course. Students declaring any one of the NP tracks will have their license reviewed for past sanctions, violations, and restrictions that impact current clinical/practicum approval by clinical sites and future licensure or other advanced practice credentials. Applicants may be denied entry related to current and past infractions at the discretion of the admissions committee and/or Dean. Students may enroll in core courses for the Master of Science in Nursing degree program but cannot enroll in an NP practicum course until clearance is satisfactorily completed. If the student background or fingerprint check does not satisfactorily clear, the student will not be allowed to continue in the NP specialty track. Students who do not receive clearance by the time they need to register for an NP practicum course should contact Academic Support Advising to discuss alternative academic program options and impacts to their plan of study, progression and financial aid status.
Students are responsible for specifying their own practicum site and qualified preceptor that meets the criteria established by Chamberlain. Students who are current nurse practitioners enrolling in an NP graduate certificate are highly encouraged to have a secured practicum site and preceptor upon admission to avoid delays in progression. If students are unable to secure their own practicum site and qualified preceptor, Chamberlain will assist in identifying site/preceptor upon the student providing documentation of at least five potential sites that have not been able to accommodate the student, and must submit the request three sessions in advance of the need. Students using Chamberlain's preceptor matching service will be provided with one preceptor option within a 100-mile radius of their home address. Students must have an active and unrestricted nursing license in the state where they will complete their practicum. If the preceptor, mentor and/or field instructor you are submitting for Chamberlain University’s review and approval was found using a student-arranged third-party preceptor matching service, be advised that Chamberlain University will not reimburse any fees you may have incurred. Availability of the FNP Specialty Track or Graduate Certificate in FNP may be limited. Program, graduate certificate and specialty track approval vary by state.
Successful completion of Chamberlain’s MSN FNP specialty track and Graduate Certificate in FNP qualifies you to sit for national certification as an FNP. State licensure requirements for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, including Family Nurse Practitioners, vary by state. It is important that you understand what is required by the state in which you will ultimately practice. Chamberlain limits student enrollment to states where our Master of Science in Nursing degree program Family Nurse Practitioner specialty track is approved to ensure our program meets the state’s education requirement for licensure. Your state may have requirements in addition to graduating from an approved FNP program or receiving national FNP certification. We recommend visiting your state professional licensing board website for details specific to your state. To obtain more information about the national nurse practitioner certification process, visit the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners or American Nurses Credentialing Center.
By completing the Graduate Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner, the student will have the knowledge, skills and ability to care for families in a primary care setting and sit for national certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).
Program Details
Graduate Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) with Practicum
Certificate: Graduate Certificate in FNP
Semesters: 5 Full Time With Practicum (33 credit hours)
COURSES FOR FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER (FNP) Effective Prior to January 2024
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NR-503 | Population Health, Epidemiology and Statistical Principles | 3 |
| NR-506NP | Healthcare Policy and Leadership | 3 |
| NR-507 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NR-509 | Advanced Physical Assessment 1 | 3 |
| NR-511 | Differential Diagnosis and Primary Care Practicum | 3 |
| NR-566 | Advanced Pharmacology for Care of the Family | 3 |
| NR-601 | Primary Care of the Maturing and Aged Family Practicum | 3 |
| NR-602 | Primary Care of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family Practicum | 3 |
| NR-603 | Advanced Clinical Diagnosis and Practice across the Lifespan Practicum | 3 |
| NR-667 | FNP Capstone Practicum and Intensive 2 | 3 |
COURSES FOR FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER (FNP) EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2024
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NR-586NP | Population Health and Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NR-582NP | Leadership and Role Development for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NR-507 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NR-509 | Advanced Physical Assessment 1 | 3 |
| NR-511 | Differential Diagnosis and Primary Care Practicum | 3 |
| NR-566 | Advanced Pharmacology for Care of the Family | 3 |
| NR-601 | Primary Care of the Maturing and Aged Family Practicum | 3 |
| NR-602 | Primary Care of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family Practicum | 3 |
| NR-603 | Advanced Clinical Diagnosis and Practice across the Lifespan Practicum | 3 |
| NR-667 | FNP Capstone Practicum and Intensive 2 | 3 |
- 1
As part of this course, students will attend an on-ground immersion weekend. The purpose of the immersion is to provide students with an opportunity to interact with professors and fellow students as well as to observe, participate and be evaluated on clinical assessment skills. The immersion weekend allows faculty to assess each student’s clinical competency before entering clinical rotations.
- 2
As part of this course, students will attend an on-ground intensive review weekend that focuses on final student preparation for advanced practice.
COURSES FOR FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER (FNP) EFFECTIVE MARCH 2024
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NR-586NP | Population Health and Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NR-582NP | Leadership and Role Development for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NR-507 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NR-565 | Advanced Pharmacology Fundamentals | 3 |
| NR-509 | Advanced Physical Assessment 1 | 3 |
| NR-511 | Differential Diagnosis and Primary Care Practicum | 3 |
| NR-566 | Advanced Pharmacology for Care of the Family | 3 |
| NR-601 | Primary Care of the Maturing and Aged Family Practicum | 3 |
| NR-602 | Primary Care of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family Practicum | 3 |
| NR-603 | Advanced Clinical Diagnosis and Practice across the Lifespan Practicum | 3 |
| NR-667 | FNP Capstone Practicum and Intensive 2 | 3 |
- 1
As part of this course, students will attend an on-ground immersion weekend. The purpose of the immersion is to provide students with an opportunity to interact with professors and fellow students as well as to observe, participate and be evaluated on clinical assessment skills. The immersion weekend allows faculty to assess each student’s clinical competency before entering clinical rotations.
- 2
As part of this course, students will attend an on-ground intensive review weekend that focuses on final student preparation for advanced practice.
For the most up-to-date curriculum grids, visit chamberlain.edu/curriculum.