The certificate program for the family nurse practitioner specialty is an advanced nursing practice program. It prepares graduates to provide holistic, client-centered primary care to individuals of all ages within traditional, nontraditional and culturally diverse families. The program is designed for board-certified nurses in a different advanced practice registered nurse specialty area who seek additional certification as a family nurse practitioner and for doctorate-level nurses who seek to become a family health nurse practitioner. It prepares nurses to meet the physical, psychological and social needs of individuals and families across the lifespan.
This is a hybrid program, a blend of in-person and online learning. Students are required to travel to campus for orientation once and for immersions two or three times per semester.
Core courses include pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology and advanced health assessment. Any deficiency courses determined by the student's unique gap analysis must have been completed in the past five years to be eligible for credit.
Specialty courses focus on assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based management of common, chronic and complex health conditions in individuals from infants to geriatrics within traditional, nontraditional and culturally diverse families. Content that includes epidemiology, differential diagnosis, and sociocultural variations in evidence-based treatments, including health promotion, is emphasized.
Focused clinical experiences are arranged for students residing in Maricopa County, Arizona. Students should expect to travel throughout Maricopa County and, in some cases, surrounding counties to complete their assigned clinical placement.
Students residing outside of Maricopa County, Arizona, are responsible for identifying the required number of clinical sites in their area of residence and for identifying preceptors and sites willing to accommodate clinical rotations, and Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation must approve these sites before starting any clinical experience; the doctoral program office does not guarantee a clinical placement site for any student outside Maricopa County. If, during the program, faculty determine the student needs additional supervision for clinical progress in the program, the student must complete clinical experiences in the Phoenix area.
The program offers practicum experiences (clinical rotations) in health profession shortage areas throughout the state, both in urban underserved and rural areas, that provide students multicultural experiences to enhance professional development.
As a participating National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements member, Arizona State University is authorized to offer distance education to persons located in individual state authorization reciprocity agreement member states in accordance with the council's established policies and standards. California is not a state authorization reciprocity agreement member and the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education does not regulate out-of-state public institutions. ASU may offer educational activities in California. There are some exceptions for specific programs at Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. These exceptions are noted on the ASU state authorization website.
Arizona State University nursing practice programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.