Proposal For a Post Masters Certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner

Curriculum and Application Overview

Dr. Rosalie Mainous, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research

  1. Educational Objectives and Rationale

1.1Program Objectives:

  1. To build on an existing knowledge base obtained in a prior Master of Science in Nursingprogram.
  2. To make Registered Nurses with a Master of Science in Nursing degree eligible for a certification examination as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
  3. To provide essential course content as described by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing .
  4. To prepare Family Nurse Practitioners as primary care providers in a variety of health care settings.
  5. The rational for this program is two-fold. First, Kentucky regulatory guidelines dictate that post-masters students obtaining further training for clinical certification in a new specialty area must obtain a program certificate recognized by the educational institution. Secondly, the certifying bodies now require that simply obtaining coursework to meet the criteria is insufficient, and instead students must obtain a Certificate from a recognized Certificate Program to be eligible for the certification exam. A standard curriculum will enhance student outcomes.

1.2Internal/External Influences

  1. Advanced Practice Nurses are critical in the new health care reform initiative and providing specialty training in a post-masters certificate format is an expeditious way to train nurses who already have a master of science in nursing degree but wish to specialize further. This meets several of the universities goals within the strategic plan.
  2. Nurses who are currently nurse practitioners or those that have a generic MSN degree are candidates for this certificate program.
  3. There is a shortage of primary care providers in Kentucky and across the US.
  4. There will not be an increased need for faculty as current faculty will teach existing courses to both the MSN students as well as the post-masters certificate students.
  5. This certificate program will have no impact on any other program within the university.
  6. This program is supported by the School of Nursing.
  7. This Certificate program is not proposed instead of a degree program, but in addition to a MSN degree, to provide an added level of specialization.
  1. Program Description
  2. Admission
  1. Applicants must currently hold a Master of Science in Nursing degree and have 1 year of experience as a registered nurse. They must also have at least a 3.0 GPA from their Master’s program. They must be cleared by a background check to enter the program and carry liability insurance. Documentation of current immunization to the required immunizations for all professional students that interact with patients must be presented.
  2. Applicants must provide a transcript and complete an application to the SON and the graduate school.
  3. There may be some universities that grant a Master of Science degree (MS) instead of a MSN and these students will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
  4. Initial review of the admission documents occurs in the Office of Student Services. Once the application is complete it is forwarded to the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee for review. This committee makes a determination on admission and the application then goes to the Associate Dean in charge of graduate programs for a signature.
  5. Curriculum

a,b c, d. The required curriculum can be found below. Total Credit hours=21

Prerequisites:
NURS 611 Advanced Pharmacology
NURS 655 Pathophysiology
NURS 656 Advanced Clinical Assessment
SUMMER 1 NURS 601 Primary Care I (3 credits) / FALL 1
NURS 600 Genetics (2 credits)
NURS 661 Advanced Clinical Practice: Family NP (4 credits) NURS 660 Advance Clinical Practice: Family NP (2 credits)
NURS 602 Primary Care II (3 credits) / SPRING 1
NURS 664 Common Health Problems of the Pediatric Client (1 credit), NURS 662 Advanced Clinical Practice: Family NP (6 credits)

e. The FNP track courses run every year. May 2010 a group of 13 FNP students (none post-masters) will be graduating.

f. This program isunique in that it is the only FNP program at a public university in the metropolitan area.

g. Course descriptions attached.

2.3ExperientialComponents

  1. This program has a strong clinical component. Nursing is a practice discipline at the graduate level, advanced practice nurses require at least 700 hours of clinical time to master the skills necessary for advanced practice as a family nurse practitioner to meet the criteria for certification and licensure.
  2. The clinical experiences are in NURS 661—4 credit hours at a 5:1 ratio resulting in 280 clinical hours. NURS 664---6 credit hours at a 5:1 ratio resulting in 420 clinical hours.
  3. The primary clinical sites for this program are in community based primary care offices throughout the metropolitan area.
  4. Students are each assigned to a preceptor for clinical rotations. Over the course of a semester they will each have several preceptors. Preceptors include FNPs and Advanced Practice Nurses and MDs.

2.4Accreditation/Certification

Criteria from the following organizations and agencies guide and direct the curricular components: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, and the Kentucky State Statute on advanced practice nursing.

2.5Evaluation

Evaluation is measured in 3 ways: program completion, the ability to pass the certification exam, and ability to obtain a position in the field. To date, the FNP program has a 100% pass rate on the certification exam and all gradates have found suitable employment.

  1. ADMINISTRATION OF CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
  2. The Program

The office responsible for the administration of the program, record keeping, accountancy and filing annual reports is the office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research within the School of Nursing.

3.2Reviews

All certificate programs will be reviewed in accordance with guidelines established by the University Program Review Committee.

3.3Programs Must be Approved by:

Programs should be submitted by the Unit Dean to the Provost. The Provost’s Office coordinates the review process

  1. RESOURCES
  2. Resources Required
  1. The facilities to be used for this certificate program will the SON classrooms, the Learning Resource Center, the Graduate Assessment Laboratory, local hospitals, the computer laboratory on the fourth floor of the K Building, the Kornhauser Library, faculty offices, and the Office of Student Services.
  2. There are no additional resources required from the library for this Certificate Program. This Certificate Program uses courses from the existing FNP program. The libraries holdings are already sufficient in the area of family nursing and the library liaison, Michel Atlas, is very responsive to the SON’s needs.
  3. No new faculty will be hired. The Family Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator is a FNP and will direct the Certificate program (CV attached.
  4. Budget Request

There are no additional resources required.

4.3Financial Aid

DOE approval is desired for the program.

  1. MAJOR REVISIONS OF CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
  2. Revisions

Revisions that will substantially alter the purpose of the program will be resubmitted as a new proposal.