It’s a great opportunity to bring to you the list of the 30 best, free and affordable online FNP Programs with certificates that are recommended for distance students.
These include MSN to FNP programs which you can enroll in from anywhere around the World.
Outline:
At the end of reading this article, you will have a better knowledge of the following subjects:
- Online FNP Programs
- Nurse Prac programs
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Free FNP program
- MSN to FNP Programs
- FNP online programs
- Best online FNP programs
- Family nurse
- Masters in nursing FNP
To start with, it is important to educate you that Nursing is not limited to one area; the field is vast, and to succeed in it, you must always add more skills, knowledge, and experience.
Earning a BSN or a registered nurse license is just a step in your nursing career ladder.
It is always advisable to supplement the basic training and certificate with advanced training like an MSN, NP, or get a specialty like FNP.
These advanced degrees will help you specialize in one area. In this article, I will walk you through all the basic information about best Online FNP Programs, Nurse Prac programs, Family Nurse Practitioner career, Free FNP program, how to transition from MSN to FNP.
Also expect additional information like the cheapest FNP online programs, how to choose the best online FNP programs. Before I proceed, let me walk you through some of the terms in FNP.
BSN to MSN to FNP Programs – What are these?
A BSN is a basic undergraduate-level degree for a registered nurse.
The degree introduces nurses to introductory topics or coursework like research, health promotion, patient care, safety, and quality measures in the healthcare industry.
It takes an average of 4 years to earn a BSN degree.
An MSN or Master of Science in Nursing to Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree comes after the BSN.
The degree allows nurses with BSN degrees to advance their skills, experience, and knowledge while specializing in various areas.
To get an MSN to FNP degree, you will spend between a year to three years, depending on the nature of your study (full-time or part-time).
What is FNP?
FNP stands for Family Nurse Practitioners. Getting a Family nurse practitioners (FNP) degree is a way of focusing on a particular specialty while advancing your career.
Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) are nurses with advanced education and training to provide care to all family members irrespective of age; their care expands from infancy through adulthood.
To acquire an FNP degree, you must dedicate time and effort to studying.
First, you must have an active license; then, you must have a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from an accredited institution specializing in any family nurse practitioner specialty.
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Is MSN the Same as FNP?
No!
Completing a Master of Science in Nursing and being certified with an MSN degree does not automatically makes a nurse an FNP.
Although MSN and FNP are interrelated in the nursing profession, they serve different purposes and are treated differently in the medical work field.
What is the Difference Between MSN and FNP?
MSN focus on the general aspect of nursing. It touches the multiple career specialty in nursing, including family practice.
But it would not deeply and solely focus on a specific specialty like the family practice.
In the other hand, FNP is a specialized aspect of MSN that focuses solely on the Advanced Practice of Family Medicine.
FNP are specialized nurses that carry out the special role of primary care health provider.
Their job duties includes primary care, urgent care, outpatient care, community medicine, community health practices and so on.
How Nurses Can Transition from MSN to FNP?
To transition from MSN to FNP, you must first if all earn an MSN in Nursing. After earning your MSN you can change career paths to pursue a family care program.
Below are the some MSN to FNP schools and programs that you can enrol in to transition from BSN to MSN to FNP earn a graduate FNP certificate.
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List of FNP Schools that offer Online FNP Programs in 2023
There are many FNP online programs available for nursing students, but the 30 best FNP schools that offer online FNP programs in 2023 are:
- Western Governors University
- Texas A & M International University BSN to MSN FNP Program
- Georgetown University MSN-FNP Programs
- Stony Brook University BSN to MSN – FNP Program
- University of Southern California BSN to FNP Programs
- Cedarville University MSN to FNP Program
- Samford University MSN to FNP Program
- University of the Cumberlands MSN to FNP
- George Washington University
- Northern Arizona University
- Maryville University
- Duke University
- Ohio State University
- University of South Alabama
- University of Cincinnati
- Norwich University
- Vanderbilt University
- Bradley University
- Purdue University Global
- Drexel University
- Ohio University
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Clarkson College
- Walden University
- Frontier Nursing University
- Rush University
- Regis College
- Simmons University
- Ball State University
- Sacred Heart University
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Western Governors University FNP
This Master of Science Family Nurse Practitioner program is available for nursing students interested in family practice with higher clinical training.
At the end of this program, students can comprehensively evaluate patients, diagnose diseases, give out prescriptions, and offer the best healthcare.
Western Governors University designed this program to last 2 years and 6 months, although students can finish earlier.
The program has 16 courses, including Adult Primary Care for the Advanced Practice Nurse, Pediatric Primary Care for the Advanced Practice Nurse, Special Populations Primary Care for the Advanced Practice Nurse, Health Promotion of Patients and Populations Across the Lifespan, and others.
Texas A & M International University FNP Program
The Texas A&M International University offers this FNP program to help nurses focus on health promotion and the total well-being of many populations through research, policy, and practice.
With this degree, you can work in institutions like clinics, hospitals, health departments, medical centers, universities, colleges, etc.
Requirements:
To be admitted, you must meet specific requirements like having a BSN degree from an accredited institution with a minimum of 2.7 overall GPA and 3.0 upper-level GPA, an active RN license, and a minimum of one year experience as an inpatient nurse.
Georgetown University MSN-FNP Programs
Georgetown University School of Nursing (GUSON) has an FNP program to prepare students to provide primary care for the whole family regardless of age in any clinical setting.
This online program is for registered nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree who wish to major in primary care.
Requirements:
The curriculum for this program comes with 44 credits and must be completed within 27 months.
Admission requirements include a valid RN license, a BSN degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA, and at least a grade C in all courses.
Stony Brook University FNP Program
Stony Brook University designed the Master of Science – Family Nurse Practitioner to teach students the foundational, practical, and research in nursing.
Students can major in nurse practitioner specialties like family health, pediatric primary care, psychiatric mental health, adult-gerontology primary care, and others.
Requirements:
To be considered for admission, applicants must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with a minimum of 3.0, a current RN license, and at least a year of clinical experience and practice.
University of Southern California Online FNP Programs
The FNP program is for students who wish to provide integrative care to infants, children, adolescents, and adults in any healthcare setting.
At the end of the program, students can diagnose and treat various health problems, interpret lab results, prescribe medications, provide healthcare education and make referrals to other healthcare professionals.
Some of the courses in the curriculum include Health Care Policy, Pharmacology, Community-Based Research, Pathophysiology, Health Care Management, and others.
Requirements:
Admission requirements include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with a minimum of 3.0 GPA, a valid RN license, and a minimum of one year of clinical experience.
Cedarville University MSN to FNP Program
Cedarville University is a Christian school that offers FNP programs to prepare students with the knowledge of assessing and diagnosing illnesses, managing and treating common and acute health conditions, and providing health education.
Requirements:
To be admitted into this institution for your FNP degree, you must believe in Jesus Christ.
Other requirements include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with a GPA of 3.0 from any regionally accredited institution, a valid RN license, Christian and professional recommendations, and personal resúme.
Samford University MSN to FNP Program
With the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree from Samford University, you will be prepared to provide primary healthcare to individuals and families of all ages.
The school has online and offline FNP programs depending on their schedules and choices.
Requirements:
Some admission requirements from the school include:
- Valid licensure as a registered nurse
- A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with a 3.0 GPA from any accredited institution
- An undergraduate health assessment course with a grade of B (3.0) or better
- American citizenship or permanent residency, and a video submission.
University of the Cumberland’s FNP
The University of the Cumberland designed this FNP program for nurses to gain additional knowledge about providing primary health care to family members, from babies to adults.
Family nurse practitioners can assess and diagnose common and acute health conditions, prescribe medications, and promote primary health care like family doctors.
The school has admission requirements like a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0, a report of English language fluency test, a personal statement, and a valid and active Registered Nurse license.
How long does it take to Earn an FNP Certificate?
1 year (12 months)
You will need a maximum of 1 year (12 months) to earn an FNP Certificate. But you can speed up the process and take lesser time by following theses steps:
- Secure some credits: you can secure some credits by enrolling in programs that award credits for prior learning
- Transfer the credits: look for FNP program that permits the transfer of your prior learning credits. Most online FNP programs accept transfer credits
By doing this, you can lessen the duration you’ll need to complete your FNP certificate program and get certified in less than 12 months.
Bottom line
In nursing, earning more skills, knowledge, and experience is a way of advancing your career. The first step is to either get an RN license or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
After that, you have to go for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) before deciding to acquire an FNP degree. Although all these steps need money and time, the results are worth it.