The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) clinical specialty prepares the nurse for advanced practice in a primary care setting. The focus of the clinical sequence is on primary care across the lifespan, from newborns to older adults. Primary care includes the assumption of accessible, accountable, comprehensive, coordinated first-contact care, as well as longitudinal management.

Advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning are taught as the basis for nursing management. Emphasis is placed on the development of clinical judgment in health promotion as well as in the nursing management of acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan. The clinical practicum is implemented in a variety of settings, including federally qualified health centers and an autonomous primary care nursing center. Graduates are eligible to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Learn more about this career path in a episode of our Nightintales podcast