Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
Professional Licensure Information
Prospective students seeking professional licensure outside of Delaware or New Jersey should verify state licensure requirements before applying. For state-by-state contact information for inquiring about individual state licensure requirements, please visit NC-SARA's Professional Licensure Directory.
Admission
Please refer to "The Graduate Admissions Process" section for general graduate admissions information. Students are admitted twice per year for courses starting each Fall or Spring semester. The Family Nurse Practitioner and Post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate programs offer enrollment at our southern and northern Delaware campuses every Fall. Spring enrollment is offered at our northern Delaware campuses.
All applicants must satisfactorily submit or complete the following:
1. Wilmington University graduate application form by March 1st for consideration of admission to the Fall semester and September 1st for consideration of admission to the Spring semester.
2. Current unencumbered RN licensure (electronic verification acceptable).
3. Official transcripts reflecting the following:
- Graduation from a regionally accredited baccalaureate program in nursing;
- Completion of an undergraduate statistics course, with a grade of "C" or higher;
4. Written statement of career goals and explanation of reasons for applying to the program as directed by the application packet.
5. Professional resume.
Faculty recommend that applicants have at least two years’ experience as a registered nurse before entering the program.
All of the documents indicated above should be sent directly to Wilmington University, Office of Admissions. The MSN-NP & PMC-FNP programs have a two-stage admissions process. The first stage consists of an in-depth evaluation of the completed application materials by the MSN-NP admissions committee. Applicants who have met the MSN-NP / PMC-FNP program standards on all of the application materials will then be invited to the second stage of the admissions application process which includes an interview. However, an interview does not guarantee placement in the upcoming cohort. Decisions regarding final acceptance are made by the admissions committee following these interviews.
Program Purpose
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Family Nurse Practitioner Program is designed to prepare professional nurses for advanced roles. The curriculum emphasizes relationships among advanced nursing practice, theory, and scholarly inquiry. Nurses educated at the Masters level demonstrate competency as leaders, teachers, and researchers while influencing health policy. Graduates will be eligible for national board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board.
Program Competencies:
Through completion of the Master of Science in Nursing program, graduates will:
1. Examine evidence-based practice and clinical judgment to improve quality, safety, and clinical outcomes for professional nursing practice;
2. Evaluate social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical principles for professional nursing practice;
3. Analyze health policy, fiscal, and information technology implications for professional nursing practice;
4. Assess the impact of social determinants of health for professional nursing practice;
5. Utilize effective leadership strategies with interprofessional teams to enhance systems-based professional nursing practice;
6. Demonstrate effective communication, compassionate care, personal health, and professional maturity.
Pre-Requisite Course Requirements
All students are required to have prerequisite knowledge of statistics. If the student has not completed a course in statistics with a grade of "C" or better, he or she will be required to complete statistics prior to registering for MSN 6620 and/or prior to consideration for degree candidacy (completion of 12 credits). If an undergraduate course in statistics has not been successfully completed, the following Wilmington University course is appropriate:
MAT 308 - Inferential Statistics
Nurse Practitioner Program Design
The Family Nurse Practitioner program emphasizes the direct caregiver role while combining nursing and related theory, advanced nursing practice, and scholarly inquiry. Nurses prepared as nurse practitioners have advanced health assessment skills; the ability to determine, implement, and evaluate a plan of health care; and the ability to implement strategies aimed at both health promotion and health restoration.
Several courses contain laboratory and/or clinical experiences in conjunction with a didactic experience. Selected courses have an associated fee. To participate in clinical experiences, students must show verification of current cardiopulmonary certification and registered nurse licensure for the state in which the clinical experience occurs. The University, under a group policy, carries professional liability insurance coverage for students.
The program is to be completed within a five-year time frame. However, students who miss more than one year of study are required to repeat select courses due to the nature of the material.
Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
This program can be completed in 32 months. Students must complete all courses, consisting of 48 credits, while maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Up to 12 transfer credits may be accepted if the course content corresponds to required courses. Students are required to complete a minimum of 600 clinical hours. Courses are not listed in the order of completion.
Core Courses (12 Credits)
| MSN 6502 | Contemporary Concepts in Advanced Practice Roles | 3 |
| MSN 6620 | Application of Research for Evidence Based Practice | 3 |
| DNP 7104 | Politics and Policy in the Healthcare System | 3 |
| DNP 7101 | Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
Related Courses (6 Credits)
Primary Care Courses (30 Credits)