Prospective students seeking professional licensure outside of Delaware should verify state licensure requirements before applying. For state-by-state contact information for 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 each Fall and Spring. The Family Nurse Practitioner and Post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate programs offer enrollment at our Dover and northern Delaware campuses every Fall. Spring enrollment is offered at our northern Delaware campuses only.
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 applicants have at least two years’ experience as a registered nurse before entering the program.
All admissions documents 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 holistic evaluation of the completed application materials by the NP admissions committee. Applicants who have met the MSN-NP / PMC-FNP program standards on all of the application materials are invited to the second stage of the admissions application process which includes an interview. An interview does not guarantee placement in the upcoming cohort.
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. Graduates are eligible for national board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board.
Program Competencies:
In addition to the University’s graduate graduation competencies, students will be able to:
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. Design 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
Applicants who have not completed an undergraduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or better will be required to take a statistics course before registering for GRN 8102 and/or before consideration for degree candidacy (completion of 12 credits). If an undergraduate statistics course has not been completed, the following Wilmington University course may be taken:
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 lab/clinical 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 (5) five-year time frame. However, students who have a leave of absence of one year or more will be required to repeat select courses due to the nature of the material.
Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
This program can be completed in seven (7) semesters. Students must complete all courses, consisting of 55 credits while maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Up to 12 transfer credits may be accepted if the course content corresponds to the required courses. Students are required to complete a minimum of 700 clinical hours (including planned simulation experiences). Courses are not listed in the order of completion.
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 24 months. Students must complete all courses, consisting of 55 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 700 clinical hours (including planned simulation experiences). Courses are not listed in the order of completion.
Core Courses ( 16 Credits)
| GRN 7000 | Scholarly Writing | 1 |
| GRN 7102 | Advanced Practice Roles in Nursing Practice | 3 |
| GRN 8102 | Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| GRN 8103 | Epidemiology and Population Health | 3 |
| GRN 8104 | Healthcare Politics and Policy | 3 |
| GRN 8105 | Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
Family NP Courses ( 39 Credits, 700 Clinical Hours)
| GRN 7101 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 4 |
| GRN 7103 | Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan | 4 |
| GRN 7104 | Advanced Health Assessment | 4 |
| GRN 7105 | Differential Diagnosis and Clinical Decision Making Across the Lifespan | 2 |
| GRN 7121 | Family Practicum I | 4 |
| GRN 7106 | Acute and Chronic Care Across the Lifespan I | 3 |
| GRN 7122 | Family Practicum II | 4 |
| GRN 7107 | Acute and Chronic Care Across the Lifespan II | 3 |
| GRN 7108 | Acute and Chronic Care Across the Lifespan III | 3 |
| GRN 7123 | Family Practicum III | 4 |
| GRN 7124 | Family Practicum IV | 4 |