Family Nurse Practitioner Curriculum
Download MSN curriculum grid
* Students enrolled in GPNG 509, GNFN 500 and GNFN 504 are required to come to campus in November for 40 hours of clinical laboratory course work.
Revisions to courses and curricula are ongoing.
NOTE: Clinical courses in the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner program require students to have hand held devices (ie smart phone, PDA, etc.) to access learning resources materials at point of care.
MSN Program Outcomes
The advanced practice nurse will synchronize the nurse competencies with patient characteristics in facilitating health care delivery as follows:
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Demonstrates clinical judgment within the context of the advanced practice role.
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Assumes a leadership role in creating a compassionate and caring environment to promote comfort and prevent suffering.
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Advocates collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to the design of comprehensive care to individuals/families, communities, and populations.
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Integrates theory, clinical inquiry, and evidence-based nursing practice into the advanced practice role.
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Participates in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health care systems to foster safe passage and excellence in health care delivery.
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Creates a culturally competent practice environment to enhance health care outcomes.
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Champions ethical decision making in all aspects of practice with self, patient/family, community, and health care delivery systems.
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Commits to life long learning for self and consumers.
The Synergy Model for Patient Care, developed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, has been adopted by the faculty and integrated into the undergraduate and graduate nursing curriculums. The core concept of the Synergy Model: the needs or characteristics of patients and families influence the characteristics or competencies of the nurse. Synergy results when the needs and characteristics of a patient, clinical unit or system match those of the nurse.
The Synergy Model describes eight patient characteristics (needs) and eight nurse characteristics (competencies); patient needs drive nurse competencies. Each individual characteristic is further delineated by levels of complexity or intensity. The core competencies of the nurse include clinical judgment, advocacy, clinical practices, collaboration, systems thinking, response to diversity, clinical inquiry and facilitation of learning. These eight competencies provide the basis for program and level outcomes in the undergraduate program. An additional ninth program/level outcome focuses on the synergy between the nurse’s competencies and patient characteristics as it relates to patient outcomes. Similarly, the graduate program outcomes are based on these same nurse characteristics but at a higher level. Underlying all competencies is the unique contribution of nurses to provide safe passage for patients and their families through the health care environment.
The table below illustrates the relationship between nurse competencies of the Synergy Model and the BSN program outcomes.
Nurse Competencies
|
Program Outcomes
|
| Clinical Judgment |
Integrate clinical judgment skills when implementing care for individuals, families, groups, and community. |
| Advocacy |
Justify one’s practice through the implementation of the role of being a moral agent. |
| Caring Practices |
Display a caring attitude in all aspects of one’s practice. |
| Collaboration |
Initiate collaborative efforts for the improvement of care to individuals and for improvement in the health care delivery. |
| Systems Thinking |
Demonstrate the ability to utilize integrated systems analysis for the personal and professional navigation of the health care delivery systems. |
| Response to Diversity |
Integrate cultural sensitivity in caring for individuals/families of diverse populations. |
| Clinical Inquiry |
Engage in evidenced-based practice. |
| Facilitation of Learning |
Incorporate teaching into all aspects of one’s practice. |
| Impact of “synergy” nurse/patient characteristics and patient outcomes |
Evaluate the interrelationship of nurse competencies and the patient characteristics to patient outcomes. |
Links
The AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care
