Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (DFNP) - Post-Master’s DNP

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39 credits

3.0 GPA required.

A Plan of Study is available on the Doctor of Nursing Practice website.

Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs

Grounded in an environment of scholarship, the mission of the WSU Department of Nursing is to educate knowledgeable caring, ethical, creative, and accountable nurse leaders who provide person- and relationship-centered care for individuals, families, groups, communities and populations in a diverse society. This mission is based on the beliefs that:

a caring, diverse, and respectful community provides the best environment for students to learn how to care for themselves and others
optimal learning to care for self and others occurs in a caring, diverse and respectful community
faculty and students are accountable for maintaining and modeling professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct
recognizing and valuing human diversity is essential to person- and relationship-centered care
individuals have different ways of knowing and learning about the world
creativity and innovation contribute to continuous quality improvement and sustainability
an enriched learning environment is the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students
effective nurse leaders engage in continuous professional development and lifelong learning

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs offer programs for nurses interested in post-nursing masters DNP education. Post-Master’s DNP Programs are in the following areas: Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist ; Family Nurse Practitioner ; Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner ; Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner ; Nursing Leadership: Nursing and Organizational Leadership ; or Nursing Leadership: Practice and Leadership Innovations .

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) - MS to DNP

This option provides nurses who already have a Master’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited graduate program with the opportunity to obtain Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) preparation with eligibility for National certification with the DNP education preparation. The Clinical Scholarship Project is completed with the guidance of a clinical mentor by all DNP students and involves demonstration of knowledge and skills to enhance the quality and safety of health care in a variety of settings and for a variety of populations.

Students who elect the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) DNP program are prepared to perform an expanded nursing role as primary health care providers. In addition to the nursing science core courses and the direct care core courses (content may have been obtained in prior Master’s degree), content includes comprehensive assessment of the health status of adults, children and families; diagnosis and management of common acute and chronic health problems; provision of counseling and teaching in areas of health promotion and disease prevention; and collaboration with other health professionals. Clinical practicums are under the supervision of qualified nurse practitioners or other primary care provider preceptors will focus on primary health care in a variety of settings. The Clinical Scholarship Project is completed with the guidance of a clinical mentor by all DNP students and involves demonstration of knowledge and skills to enhance the quality and safety of health care in a variety of settings and for a variety of populations. Graduates with the DNP award are prepared for eligibility for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Family NP exam or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner Certification Program’s FNP exam.

Admission Prerequisites

Graduation from a nationally accredited graduate program in nursing with a Master’s degree required. Applicants will need to show evidence of the following content from the Master’s program or take these courses.

STAT 601 - Statistical Methods for Health Care Research (3 credits)
NURS 606 - Nursing Information Management & Decision Making (3 credits)
NURS 608 - Organizational and Systems Leadership (3 credits)
NURS 612 - Advanced Health Promotion (3 credits)
NURS 613 - Advanced Health Promotion Clinical (1 credit)
NURS 616 - Molecular, Genetic and Immune Mechanisms in Disease (3 credits)
NURS 617 - Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
NURS 618 - Advanced Pathophysiology (2 credits)
NURS 619 - Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
Optional: Nursing Research Review (modules) (not required), Other reviews (e.g., Theory, Stats) as needed (not required)

Required Courses (39 credits)

NURS 640 - Primary Care of Adult and Gerontology Clients (3 credits)
NURS 641 - Primary Health Care Clinical I (4-5 credits) (5 credits required)
NURS 642 - Primary Care of Children I (2 credits)
NURS 643 - Primary Care Clinical II (5 credits)
NURS 644 - Primary Care of Adult and Gerontology Clients II (3 credits)
NURS 646 - Primary Care of Children II (2 credits)
NURS 701 - Applied Biostatistics (4 credits)
NURS 703 - Epidemiological Approaches to Population Health (3 credits)
NURS 714 - Translation of Evidence to Practice (3 credits)
NURS 747 - Primary Care Procedures for APRNs (3 credits)
NURS 780 - DNP Project I - Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 781 - DNP Project II - Clinical (2 credits)
NURS 782 - DNP Project III - Clinical (2 credits)

Clinical Hours

A total of 1000 clinical/practicum hours are required for all graduates of a DNP program. This program provides 960 hours, (6 scholarship credits, 360 total clinical hours, 10 role clinical credits, 600 hours total of 960 hours). The remaining 40 hours needed for 1000 clinical hours for a DNP degree may come from your master’s degree. (1 clinical credit = 60 hours of contact time)