This track prepares the student to practice at an advanced level to provide care to individuals and families across the lifespan (including pediatric through geriatric populations). Family primary care nurse practitioners (FNPs) provide the initial, ongoing, and comprehensive care to patients in ambulatory and outpatient settings. FNPs assess, diagnose, and treat acute and chronic illnesses and are responsible and accountable for providing preventative health care, including health promotion, disease prevention, and health education and counseling. As an FNP, these advanced practice nurses are committed to family-centered care within the context of the community.
The development of the curriculum is based on:
- The National Task Force Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (2016)
- Family nurse practitioner population-focused nurse practitioner (NP) competencies defined by the 2008 Consensus Model for APRN Regulations: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) NP Core Competencies with Curriculum Content (2017)
- The Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (2014), and the Family/Across the Lifespan Competencies (2013)
Certification: Graduates are eligible to apply for certification exams through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certification Program www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications or through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program https://www.aanpcert.org/certs/applications.

