Family Nurse Practitioner
In an advanced practice role, nurse practitioners practice in private practices, schools and colleges, hospice centers, community clinics, Veterans Affairs facilities, and private and public health departments.
Common job responsibilities:
- diagnose and treat acute illnesses, infections and injuries
- write prescriptions for medications, including dosage and frequency
- order and interpret diagnostic tests
- educate patients about managing their health and design patient treatment plans
General Requirements
The post-master’s certificate family nurse practitioner option is designed for nurses who have completed a master’s degree in nursing.
This program provide healthcare across patients’ lifespan in a family practice setting. In addition to the classroom requirements, you will complete supervised clinical hours in primary care settings caring for adults, children, women, and families.
You may complete all the coursework for this option online. You will need to find your own preceptors in your geographic area.
On completion of the program, you will be eligible to apply for the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification exam (ANCC and/or AANP).
Courses
For students with a nursing master's degree that is not in a nurse practitioner concentration
- NUR 605 Nursing Information Technology (2 credits) – Required if a student does not have a nursing master’s degree from Ball State.
- NUR 681 Primary Care of the Adult 1 (4 credits) (120 clinical hours, 1 day per week average)
- NUR 682 Primary Care of Children (4 credits) (120 clinical hours, 1 day per week average)
- NUR 683 Primary Care of the Adult 2 (4 credits) (120 clinical hours, 1 day per week average)
- NUR 684 Primary Care of Women (4 credits) (90 clinical hours)
- NUR 673 Practicum—Family Nurse Practitioner (5 credits) (180 clinical hours, 1.5-2 days per week average)
Your transcripts and course descriptions from your master’s program will be reviewed to determine what additional courses you will need to complete for certification eligibility as a family nurse practitioner.
Conditional to your transcript(s) the following courses may be required for the FNP Post-Master’s Certificate:
- NUR 630 Advanced Practice Nursing and Role Theory (3 credits)
- NUR 632 Pathophysiology and Nursing Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 634 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits) (*60 clinical hours, 1 day per week average)
- NUR 638 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
For a complete list of courses and their descriptions, see the course catalog.
View Catalog
For students with a nursing master's degree in an adult nurse practitioner or adult/gerontology nurse practitioner concentration.
- NUR 605 Nursing Information Technology (2 credits) – required if a student does not have a nursing master’s degree from Ball State
- NUR 682 Primary Care of Children (4 credits) (120 clinical hours clinical, 1 day per week average)
- NUR 684 Primary Care of Women (4 credits) (90 clinical hours)
- NUR 673 Practicum – Family Nurse Practitioner (5 credits) (180 clinical hours clinical, 1.5-2 days per week average)
Your transcripts and course descriptions from your master’s program will be reviewed to determine what additional courses you will need to complete for certification eligibility as a family nurse practitioner.
Conditional to your transcript(s) the following courses may be required for the FNP Post-Master’s Certificate:
- NUR 630 Advanced Practice Nursing and Role Theory (3 credits)
- NUR 632 Pathophysiology and Nursing Practice (3 credits)
- NUR 634 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits) (*60 clinical hours, 1 day per week average)
- NUR 638 Advanced Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
For a complete list of courses and their descriptions, see the course catalog.
View Catalog
More about Online Learning
Ready to Apply?
Are you interested in pursuing this degree? Then you will need to meet our admissions criteria and apply.
Ball State is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to accept online students from all U.S. states. However, if you are considering a program that leads to professional licensure, some states may have additional regulations. Review our state authorization website if you live outside of Indiana and contact us if you have questions.
More Information
Do you have questions about this program or online learning? We’re here to help! You may request more information using our online form, or feel free to reach out directly to one of our staff.
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