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Online MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner

An accredited online FNP that prepares you for patient primary care.

Complete 2 Residencies Locally

ANCC or AANP Exam Prep

40% Job Growth1

Learn More Today

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Rise in the ranks to be the patient’s source for primary care. Sacred Heart’s online FNP program will teach you the skills and provide the training to care for people of all ages. Graduate ready to conduct examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, and help patients improve their well-being.

For students with an RN who are looking for a fast track to their MSN FNP or MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree, Sacred Heart offers an RN-MSN FNP and an RN-MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.

Sacred Heart University also offers a Post-MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate designed for RNs who have an interest in advancing their nursing career. This online 24-credit program helps students prepare for certification exams required to become a family nurse practitioner after graduation from an MSN program. Graduates will also be eligible to obtain licensure as an APRN.

What Makes Us Unique?

Nursing expertise at every level. Sacred Heart University is known for its excellence in nursing education. With programs at all levels of study, from BSN to DNP, Sacred Heart has the resources, expertise, and pathways that can propel you to continued career advancement and longterm success.

The Human Journey. Sacred Heart believes in a whole-person approach to patient treatment and nurse leadership. We call it The Human Journey. You’ll explore what it means to be a human being through literature, philosophy, religion, sociology, and more.

  • Duration 2.5 years
  • Cost per Credit $955
  • Credit Hours 42

Program Benefits

  • One start per year
  • Advance to become a primary care provider
  • Hands-on learning focused on evidence-based practice

Sacred Heart’s Online FNP Program Delivers Advanced Skills Without Pausing Your Career

Family nurse practitioners are in demand – with an expected 40% job growth over the next decade1 – and deliver the highest level of patient care allowable under a nursing credential. This role is essential to solving modern health care challenges.

If you’re wondering how to become a nurse practitioner online, Sacred Heart is ready to help you through the process and prepare you for a successful FNP career. Gain skills to conduct physical exams, diagnose diseases and injuries, and treat common illnesses. Prepare to provide health care guidance within diverse family systems and empower patients to make lifestyle choices that benefit their long-term health.

Sacred Heart’s CCNE-accredited program offers a flexible online format so you can study when it’s convenient. Graduate ready for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) certification exam.

FNP Online Curriculum

Through 42 total credit hours, gain the skills to diagnose and treat patients over their entire lifespan through the use of health assessments, statistical data, and the diagnostic reasoning process. You’ll also learn to communicate health plans to diverse patients with varied family systems, understand the various drug groups, and manage drug therapy to avoid adverse reactions.

As part of your degree, you’ll complete a clinical component. To meet this requirement, you’ll need to secure your own clinical placement and may be required to travel significant distances to access clinical sites and achieve the necessary clinical hours.

You’ll graduate qualified to sit for national certification exams offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

PREVIEW COURSES

Career Outlook: 40% Growth Through 2031

Demand is high for quality primary care providers. As a primary care nurse practitioner, you could expect to earn a median income of $108,488 and find job growth of a staggering 40 percent over the next decade.1 That’s more than 7x the national average.

In addition to a specialty hospital setting, nurse practitioners can often be found providing personal care services, as well as primary care services in business, professional, labor or political organizations.

CAREERS AND SALARIES

Graduate Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the program, the student will be able to: 

  • Translate into action knowledge from the philosophical and theoretical traditions of nursing science and other disciplinary perspectives to facilitate the ethical integration of evidence-based practice to advance nursing scholarship.
  • Lead collaboratively within the interprofessional team to develop and evaluate plans of care with evidence-based, person-centered care principles promoting quality and safety outcomes.
  • Collaborate with strategic partners to implement health policy while advocating for equitable and sustainable population health care.
  • Integrate complex systems-based practice to develop innovative and evidence supported equitable solutions to improve health outcomes across the lifespan of diverse populations.
  • Apply best practices of informatics and communication technologies in diverse care settings to collect, analyze, and synthesize data to promote quality and safe health care outcomes.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviors reflecting current regulations, policies, and practice integrating professional concepts including ethics, compassion, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Model leadership within the nursing profession that embraces self-care, a spirit of inquiry, advocacy, change, mentorship, and service to others.

Admission Requirements

To apply for the MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program from Sacred Heart University, you need:

  • Completed application
  • BS in Nursing from an accredited college, and official transcripts demonstrating a minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Unencumbered RN license in your state and a copy of any other state license, including advanced practice licensure and certification
  • Individual and professional liability insurance coverage that meets current state requirements
  • Criminal background check
  • Statement of professional goals
  • Résumé
  • Two letters of recommendation (one from a supervisor from a recent health care position and one from a nursing peer)
  • Undergraduate courses in statistics and health assessment (30 hours or greater) required
  • Undergraduate research course recommended
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Tuition Details

This 42-credit-hour program costs $955 per credit hour. Affordability and transparency are priorities at SHU. We want you to have everything you need in order to make a decision about investing in a high-quality education.

TUITION AND FEES

Faculty: Personal Connection With Experienced Mentors

Sacred Heart University’s online FNP faculty possess years of clinical experience in their nursing specialties and are recognized as experts among their peers. Most remain engaged in clinical practice either in direct care or consulting.

Our team places a high value on creating a personal atmosphere, and we encourage a spirit of mentorship and collaboration between students and faculty.

Why Learn Online?

Flexible Learning: Study at your own pace and on your schedule, fitting education into your busy life.

Expert Faculty Support: Learn from the same accomplished faculty as on-campus students, with personalized, one-on-one guidance.

Equal Opportunities: Access the same resources and opportunities as on-campus students, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching experience.

ONLINE AT SHU

Financial Aid

At Sacred Heart University, we strive to offer competitive tuition and encourage you to explore all financial aid options, including federal aid, U.S. military benefits and available scholarships.

FINANCIAL AID

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question we don’t cover here, request more information or call 877-791-7181.

Sacred Heart University’s online MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency that ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing. It demonstrates to potential students and future employers that their school meets specific high standards and adequately prepares nurses for practice at a particular degree level.

For nurses who are evaluating prospective programs, the accredited status tells them that the education they receive will provide them with the knowledge to practice at the next level in their nursing career. It’s also significant for students who may want to continue to further education, as most master’s degree programs will not accept candidates whose BSN has not been conferred from an accredited university or program.

The deadline is four weeks prior to the start date unless the program has reached capacity. We encourage you to apply early and secure your spot in the program if you’re considering the upcoming term.

There is no licensure for this program. The online MSN in Clinical Nurse Education will make you eligible to sit for the Nurse Educator Certification from the National League for Nursing.

You’ll complete 36–39 credits to earn your MSN, depending on the specialization you select.

We like to keep our class sizes small. Sacred Heart’s nursing programs typically have 15-28 students per online course.

You can earn a Master of Science in Nursing with Sacred Heart University within two years.

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Source

  1. Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight™. Retrieved October 15, 2019.