Gonzaga’s online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track will prepare you to provide a holistic approach to primary care for individuals and families of all ages, as well as manage a wide variety of acute and chronic health problems.
Family Nurse Practitioners work in independent as well as collaborative practice settings including:
- Private Practice
- Urgent Care Centers
- Health Maintenance Organizations
- Clinics
- Health Departments
- Student Health Centers
Program facts:
- 47 Credits
- 660 Clinical Hours
- Completion Time: 9 Semesters
- Flexible Online Courses
- 6 On-campus Immersions
Questions?
Contact:
Trevor Heilman
Admissions Specialist
Call or Text: (509) 313-6227
Email: heilman@gonzaga.edu
Courses
MSN Core Courses – 15 Credits
Courses are 8 weeks in lengthNURS 561 – Information Technology & Data Management – 3 credits
This course explores the many uses of information technology and data management. The course provides learners with the knowledge and skills in information and healthcare technology needed to enhance communication and interprofessional collaboration in the current healthcare environment. The process of locating, accessing, and analyzing information and data is applied to advanced practice roles, enhancing patient safety, quality and outcomes, and improving population health.
NURS 562 – Theoretical Foundations for Healthcare Improvement – 3 credits
This course provides a theoretical orientation to become change agents in a variety of healthcare settings and diverse practice populations. The online master’s degree in nursing course provides learners with a foundation in theories significant to nursing practice such as complex adaptive systems, organizational and change theory, leadership and team-building models, and quality improvement and care models needed to assess, design, plan, implement, and evaluate a quality improvement project to promote patient-centered care and improve program outcomes.
NURS 563 – Evidence-Based Practice for Quality and Safety – 3 credits
This course provides learners with a theoretical and practical foundation for identifying and critically appraising evidence from qualitative and quantitative research traditions. The emphasis is on the examination of the essential elements of evidence-based-practice, including the formulation of answerable questions to address quality improvement and safety in a variety of advance practice roles and the systematic search for research evidence that can be used to answer researchable questions.
NURS 564 – Contemporary Healthcare Environment – 3 credits
This course explores the ethical and legal principles of healthcare and their impact on accessible, affordable, and quality care. This course provides learners with a framework for discussing ethical and legal issues with an emphasis on the ethical delivery of care to individuals, families, and populations. The scope and standards of advanced nursing roles will be examined along with current issues and policies that address health care disparities, health care organizations, financing, and quality. Strategies for analyzing and influencing public, professional, and institutional policies related to health care and its delivery will be considered.
NURS 565 – Clinical Prevention for Diverse Populations – 3 credits
The focus of this course is on the development of health promotion and disease prevention programs for diverse groups and populations. Selected concepts of epidemiology, broad determinants of health, population health, clinical prevention and cultural competence will be examined as they relate to the design and delivery of equitable clinical prevention and health promotion interventions and/or services to individuals, families, communities, and aggregates/clinical populations.
Nurse Practitioner Core Courses - 10 credits
Courses are full semester | 16 weeks in fall and spring | 12 weeks in summer
NURS 523 – Advanced Pathophysiology - 3 credits
This course seeks to assist learners to understand the cellular pathophysiological basis of disease. The content emphasizes cellular, genetic, and biochemical processes. Pathophysiological and physiological concepts form the basis for critical thinking and decision making when assessing and treating individuals with various disease processes.
NURS 524 – Advanced Pharmacology - 3 credits
The course is designed to prepare the learner for an advanced practice role with prescriptive authority. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles will be applied to the pharmacotherapeutic treatment of disease. Medications will be studied according to therapeutic categories and drug classes within the framework of organ-based pathophysiologic disease state processes. Emphasis will be placed on the medications that are commonly used (top 200 drugs) in primary care settings with special attention given to evidence-based medication selection, patient education, and medication monitoring. Prerequisites: NURS 523
NURS 600 – Health Assessment: Advanced Nursing Practice – 3 credits
This course is designed to extend and refine the assessment skills of the Registered Nurse in preparation for an advanced clinical practice role. The student will learn to perform physical, developmental, mental, emotional, cultural, social, and family assessments. Students will review anatomy and physiology related to each biological system being studied. The course emphasizes in-depth techniques for assessing each body system in individuals throughout the life span. Lectures will focus on the use of a variety of health assessment techniques, including history taking skills, physical assessment, and other diagnostic assessment tools. Application of diagnostic reasoning and patient education to the assessment process will be included in the content. This course incorporates approximately 13 hours of supervised laboratory experience and 60 hours of precepted clinical experience. Laboratory and clinical components of the course focus on helping the student to develop communication, observation, and psychomotor skills to document history and physical examination findings. Satisfactory progress in the clinical setting is required to pass the course. Two, 2-day, on-campus immersions required. Prerequisites: NURS 523 and NURS 524
NURS 601 – Advanced Health Assessment Practicum - 1 credit
This course is the practicum course paired with NURS 600 Advanced Health Assessment. The focus is on the practice of advanced assessment skills within a primary care setting. Students must complete 60 clinical hours in an approved clinical setting while supervised by a nurse practitioner, physician or physician assistant (unless in a state that requires the preceptor to be either an NP or MD). Corequisite: NURS 600
Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty Courses - 12 credits
Courses are full semester | 16 weeks in fall and spring | 12 weeks in summer
NURS 651P - Primary Care: Gender-Based - 3 credits
This course focuses on the role of the Family Nurse Practitioner in the care of women and men with common pathophysiological alterations in gender related health. Focus is on clinical management of preventative, acute and chronic health problems in women and men who present for care in primary care settings. Emphasis is placed on the FNP’s role in performing comprehensive health assessment (including ordering and interpretation of appropriate diagnostic tests), diagnostic reasoning (differential diagnosis), and prescription of pharmacologic and non-pharmacological interventions. One 3-day on-campus immersion required. Prerequisites: NURS 523, NURS 524, NURS 600
NURS 652P - Primary Care: Infant, Child & Adolescent - 3 credits
This course focuses on the role of the Family Nurse Practitioner in the clinical management of preventative, acute and chronic health problems in infants/children/adolescents who present for care in primary care settings. Emphasis is placed on the NP’s role in performing comprehensive health assessment and treatment (including ordering and interpretation of appropriate diagnostic tests), diagnostic reasoning (differential diagnosis), and prescription of pharmacologic and non-pharmacological interventions. The FNP’s role in management and referral to other healthcare professionals and community resources for individuals and families will be emphasized (e.g., coordination of care transitions within and between health care systems for children with developmental delay). One 3-day on-campus immersion required. Prerequisites: NURS 523, NURS 524, NURS 600
NURS 653P – Primary Care: Adult/Geriatric I - 3 credits
This course focuses on the role of the Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the clinical management of chronic and complex health problems in adults and elders who present for care in primary care settings. Emphasis is placed on the NP’s role in performing comprehensive health assessment (including ordering and interpretation of appropriate diagnostic tests), diagnostic reasoning (differential diagnosis) and treatment, prescription of pharmacologic and non-pharmacological interventions, patient education, follow-up, co-management, or referral. One 3-day on-campus immersion required. Prerequisites: NURS523, NURS 524, NURS 600
NURS 654P – Primary Care: Adult/Geriatric II - 3 credits
This course focuses on the role of the Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the clinical management of chronic and complex health problems in adults and elders who present for care in primary care and other settings. Emphasis is placed on comprehensive health assessment ad treatment (including ordering and interpretation of appropriate diagnostic tests), diagnostic reasoning (differential diagnosis), prescription of pharmacologic and non-pharmacological interventions, and patient education. The course also emphasizes the NP’s role when referring to other health care professionals, community resources, and interdisciplinary teams. One 3-day on-campus immersion required. Prerequisites: NURS 523, NURS 524, NURS 600
Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum Courses - 10 credits
Courses are full semester | 16 weeks in fall and spring | 12 weeks in summer
NURS 661P – Primary Care Practicum: Gender-Based - 1-3 credits
This course is the clinical course paired with the didactic course Primary Care Gender-Based. It is designed to allow Nurse Practitioner students to apply concepts of Advanced Practice Nursing. Students must complete from 60-180 clinical hours in an approved clinical setting while supervised by a nurse practitioner, physician, or physician assistant (unless in a state that requires the preceptor to be either an MD or a NP). The focus of this clinical experience is on the development of skills in caring for the adult male and female population with health concerns.
NURS 662P–Primary Care Practicum: Infant, Child, and Adolescent - 2-3 credits
This course is the clinical course paired with the didactic course Primary Care Infant, Child and Adolescent. It is designed to allow Nurse Practitioner students to apply concepts of Advanced Practice Nursing. Students must complete 120-180 clinical hours in an approved clinical setting while supervised by a nurse practitioner, physician, or physician assistant (unless in a state that requires the preceptor to be either an MD or a NP). The focus of this clinical experience is on the development of skills in caring for the population of infant through adolescent with health concerns.
NURS 663P–Primary Care Practicum: Adult/Geriatric I - 3-4 credits
This course is the clinical course paired with the didactic course Primary Care Adult/Geriatric I. It is designed to allow Nurse Practitioner students to apply concepts of Advanced Practice Nursing. Students must complete 180-240 clinical hours in an approved clinical setting while supervised by a nurse practitioner, physician, or physician assistant (unless in a state that requires the preceptor to be either a physician or NP). The focus of this clinical experience is on the development of skills in caring for the adult/geriatric population with health concerns in primary care settings.
NURS 664P – Primary Care Practicum: Adult/Geriatric II - 2-4 credits
This course is the clinical course paired with the didactic course Primary Care Adult/Geriatric II. It is designed to allow Nurse Practitioner students to apply concepts of Advanced Practice Nursing. Students must complete 120-240 clinical hours in an approved clinical setting while supervised by a nurse practitioner, physician, or physician assistant (unless in a state that requires the preceptor to be either a physician or NP). The focus of this clinical experience is on the development of skills in caring for the adult/geriatric population with health concerns in primary care and other settings.
On-campus Immersions
6 on-campus Immersions:
You are required to participate in a minimum of 6 on-campus immersions throughout the program. The timing of immersions is dependent on your course progression plan. You will also have one site visit.
During on-campus immersions, you will participate in Culminating Objective Structured Clinical Evaluations or OSCEs – a cornerstone for student success. In these structured scenarios, you will obtain a focused history and complete a focused exam of a scripted model patient, identify differential diagnoses, the most likely diagnosis, and determine a plan of care based on the most likely diagnosis. The OSCEs are guided by practicing faculty who bring real-world scenarios and practical advice to life for the student.
Students residing in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana also have at least one site visit from a clinical faculty during each practicum course.
Students living outside of this four-state region are required to arrange for an additional on-campus day in conjunction with one of the immersions during each practicum course in order to complete the faculty site visit requirement.
Gonzaga prefers students have a bachelor's degree in nursing, but it is not required. Students who are admitted with a bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing, may need to take some foundational nursing courses before completing master’s level courses. Students without a bachelor’s degree are eligible for our RN to MSN program.
Program information subject to change.