Family Nurse Practitioner with patient

Family Nurse Practitioner

(M.S.)

Be the primary care provider for your community.

Designed for nurses with a bachelor of science in nursing degree to elevate their role to an advanced practice nurse, our M.S. program offers 100% online coursework with two campus visits that will sharpen your ability to assess patients, order and interpret tests, establish diagnoses and manage treatment plans. Then use that knowledge to provide family-focused acute, chronic and preventive care to patients across the lifespan on along-term basis.

Program type:
Master's Degree
Format:
Online
Est. time to complete:
8 semesters (part-time)
Credit hours:
49

Why earn your Family Nurse Practitioner (M.S.) degree at UND?

Application Deadlines
Fall:
July 1
Sprng:
Dec. 1

In our online M.S. program, you'll learn to provide patient-focused primary care to individuals and families from childhood to adulthood, spending clinical time in both primary and specialty care settings.

Our faculty will prepare you to develop care expertise revolving around the family unit, which means you understand different conditions at every age — because how illness impacts an 18-year-old patient can vary considerably compared to a patient experiencing the same illness at age 80.

As a family nurse practitioner. you’ll have the knowledge to treat each patient accordingly and counsel them about wellness and prevention, providing treatment for everything from mild ailments to serious conditions. In this role you’ll impact more than one patient at a time — you’ll influence the behavior and lifestyle choices of all members of the family.

While in the online Family Nurse Practitioner program at UND you'll focus your studies on:

  • Developing treatment plans for acute and chronic illnesses.
  • Educating and guiding patients on disease prevention and healthy lifestyle habits.
  • Understanding how the aging process impacts changes in health promotion.
  • Performing diagnostic tests and interpreting results.
  • Managing overall patient care regarding lifestyle and development issues.

By the time you get to graduation you'll be able to:

  • Integrate theories, research, and experiential knowledge into advanced family nursing practice.
  • Demonstrate advanced practice nursing skills in the provision of health care for patients throughout the lifespan.
  • Manage the patient population within a complex healthcare delivery system.
  • Contribute to the development of family advanced practice nursing through evidence-based practice, leadership, policy and education.
  • Integrate relationships between social, cultural, political and economic issues and health care delivery for patients throughout the lifespan.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members in order to provide high quality health care to patients across the lifespan.

Online Family Nurse Practitioner (M.S.) at UND

What can you do with a Family Nurse Practitioner (M.S.) degree?

40%

Projected job growth for advanced practice registered nurses (much faster than the avg of all occupations)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

124K

Average annual salary for Nurse Practitioners

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Patients of all ages require convenient medical care, and they seek someone they can trust who can regularly provide it. As a family nurse practitioner, you could be your community’s main point of contact for all health-related questions and concerns.

Some F.N.P.s work in mobile clinics where they provide health education and screenings on the road because it allows them to better serve low-income and rural populations who have poor access to health care. Other settings where family nurse practitioners provide care to patients include:

  • Private Practice: In private practice, F.N.P.s build enduring relationships with their patients. They provide comprehensive care, addressing a wide array of health concerns while offering personalized attention and guidance. This setting allows F.N.P.s to foster a sense of trust and continuity of care with their patients.

  • Outpatient Clinics: Working in outpatient clinics, F.N.P.s serve as accessible primary care providers. They offer an array of medical services, including routine check-ups, vaccinations, and preventive care. Patients rely on F.N.P.s for ongoing healthcare maintenance and support.

  • Urgent Care Clinics: Urgent care clinics are the front lines for non-life-threatening medical emergencies. F.N.P.s in this setting play a critical role in diagnosing and treating acute conditions promptly. Their expertise ensures that patients receive timely and effective care, reducing the burden on emergency rooms.

  • Emergency Rooms: In emergency rooms, F.N.P.s work alongside physicians to triage and care for patients with acute and severe medical conditions, ensuring that life-saving interventions are administered swiftly.

  • Long-Term Care Facilities: F.N.P.s who work in long-term care facilities provide ongoing care to residents, many of whom are elderly or have chronic conditions. They manage complex health needs, coordinate care plans, and ensure that residents maintain the highest possible quality of life.

  • Schools: In educational settings, F.N.P.s contribute to the well-being of students and staff. They administer vaccinations, conduct health screenings, and provide health education.

Family Nurse Practitioner Online Courses

NURS 532. Family Centered Advanced Practice Nursing. 3 Credits.

Theoretical and scientific foundations for advanced practice nursing care for the family-as-a-unit in health and illness across the lifespan. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate nursing or permission of the instructor. F,S,SS.

NURS 534. Management of Health Conditions in Primary Care I. 3 Credits.

This is the first of a two-course sequence that focuses on evidenced-based primary care diagnosis and management of common episodic/chronic problems encountered by adults, including young adults, middle aged adults and older adults and their social network in ambulatory, inpatient, and community settings. Physiological, psychosocial, and pharmacological interventions are integrated into the holistic care that incorporates age-related, cultural, family, and community variations. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study, NURS 522 and NURS 585. Corequisite: NURS 597 (II). F,S,SS.

NURS 544. Pharmacotherapeutics for Primary Care. 2 Credits.

This course will help prepare the advance practice nursing student for prescriptive authority. Topics will focus on decision making regarding the pharmacological management of common acute and chronic illnesses encountered in primary care settings. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, adverse drug reactions, and contraindications will be discussed. Ethical and legal principles of writing prescriptions will also be covered. Students will synthesize research findings related to various medications using case study and discussion. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate nursing and NURS 505, or consent of the instructor. F,S,SS.

NURS 553. Role Development of the Nurse Practitioner. 2 Credits.

This course emphasizes professional role development of the nurse practitioner. Students will compare and contrast the various roles of the nurse practitioner and evaluate those roles as they relate to the student's individual planned area of practice. The multi-dimensional role of the nurse practitioner as a clinician, advocate, educator and member of the health care team is explored from a historical and current perspective. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study. F,S,SS.

NURS 559. Maternal and Child Health in Primary Care. 2 Credits.

This course focuses on advanced practice nursing care of obstetric and pediatric clients within a primary care setting. Health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention are emphasized. Prerequisite: NURS 522, NURS 523 and NURS 585, or consent of the instructor. Prerequisite or Corequisite: It is strongly recommended that students complete or are currently taking Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), PALS, and Advanced Trauma (ATLS). F,S,SS.

NURS 597. Advanced Clinical Practicum: FNP. 1-4 Credits.

This clinical practicum course provides the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) student with the opportunity to obtain advanced practice clinical experience in their area of specialization. The course focuses on the integration of theoretical knowledge into clinical practice and gaining increasing competency in the skills integral to the nurse practitioner role. Prerequisite: Admission to FNP track & NURS 505, NURS 544, NURS 559, NURS 585; successful completion of NURS 534 & NURS 597 FNP (I) to proceed to 2nd clinical; successful completion of NURS 540 & NURS 597 FNP (II) to proceed to 3rd clinical. Repeatable to 12.00 credits. S/U grading. F,S,SS.

Online Family Nurse Practitioner Degree

#2

best online graduate programs

EDsmart

#1

best online college in North Dakota

Forbes

UND is a top choice for an online Master's of Nursing Practice degree for flexibility and affordability. We’ve designed the online Family Nurse Practitioner degree to incorporate 100% coursework, clinical experiences and two campus visits.

During your campus visits you'll meet others in your cohort while learning higher level techniques related to suturing, joint injection simulation, and developing treatment plans among other topics.

Flexible Online M.S. Courses

You will be able to earn the majority of your degree attending classes asynchronously, however at times there will be occasional synchronous (live) meetings for information sharing and student presentations.

With asynchronous classes, you do not attend class at a set time. If you need to balance work, family, and other commitments, this flexible format allows you to learn anywhere at any time.

Depending on your instructor, you’ll learn online through:

  • Lesson modules
  • Streaming video content
  • Virtual libraries
  • Posted lectures
  • Online simulations

There will be times when you interact with your instructor and classmates through online discussion boards, polls, and chat rooms.

Your learning revolves around materials that can be accessed on your own time within a set time frame. However, this is not a self-paced course. You’ll have structure and deadlines.

Campus Visit

While the majority of your courses are offered online, you’ll come to campus to complete portions of the program. Here, you’ll extend and apply the knowledge you’ve learned online through hands-on activities. Our students find tremendous value in having the opportunity to personally interact with their instructors and fellow students.

Top-Tier Online M.S. Program

Over a third of UND's student population is exclusively online; plus, more take a combination of online and on campus classes. You can feel reassured knowing you won't be alone in your online learning journey and you'll have resources and services tailored to your needs.

No matter how you customize your online experience, you’ll get the same top-quality education as any other on campus student.

  • Same degree: All online programs are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Your transcript and diploma are exactly the same as our on-campus students.
  • Same classes: You’ll take courses from UND professors, start and end the semesters at the same time and take the same classes as a student on campus.
  • Real interaction: You can ask questions, get feedback and regularly connect with your professors, peers and professionals in the field.
  • Your own academic advisor: As an invaluable go-to, they’re focused on you, your personal success and your future career.
  • Free online tutoring: We're here to help you one-on-one at no cost. Plus, get access to a variety of self-help online study resources.
  • Unlimited academic coaching: Need support to achieve your academic goals or feeling stumped by a tough course? We'll help with everything from stress and time management to improving your memory to achieve higher test scores.
  • Full online access: Dig into virtual research at UND's libraries. Improve your writing skills with online help from the UND Writing Center. Get online access to career services, veteran and military services, financial services and more.
  • 24/7 technical support: UND provides free computer, email and other technical support for all online students.
  • Networking opportunities: Our significant online student population means you’ll have a large pool of peers to connect with. UND has numerous online events and activities to keep you connected.

Best Online College

Our high alumni salaries and job placement rates, with affordable online tuition rates make UND a best-value university for online education. UND's breadth of online programs rivals all other nonprofit universities in the Upper Midwest making UND one of the best online schools in the region.

UND ranks among the best online colleges in the nation for:

  • Affordability
  • Student satisfaction (retention rate)
  • Academic quality (4-year graduate rate)
  • Student outcomes (20-year return on investment per Payscale.com)

100+ Years of Care

Strengthen your in-demand health care skills at the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines.

Explore More Options

Learn more about the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines or discover similar programs.

UND Office of Student Services, Nursing
P 701.777.4174
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