Family Nurse Practitioner

Earn an online MSN in Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner and prepare to advance your career as a primary care provider with expertise to diagnose and develop advanced treatment plans for individuals of all ages and in a variety of settings. Courses include clinical hours that will prepare you for the national Family Nurse Practitioner licensure exam.

When you really get to know your patients, you discover more about who you are as a nurse practitioner. That’s just one of the many rewarding aspects of becoming an FNP.

 

Program Information

The Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner is a three-year online program that prepares you to practice as a primary care provider. You will expand your expertise to diagnose and develop advanced treatment plans for individuals of all ages and in a variety of settings, including independent practice.

Program Type

Major

Degree

Master's

School

School of Nursing

Duration

3 years

Required Credit Hours

44 Credit Hours | 775 Clinical Hours

Modality

Online

Student and Alumni Perspectives

cody garletts family nurse practitioner msn student

Nothing compares to the moment you “connect the dots,” so to speak, when you’re seeing a patient in clinical and are able to diagnose and develop a treatment plan because of the didactic coursework from this program.

Cody Family Nurse Practitioner MSN Student
Molly Garver Family Nurse Practitioner MSN Student

The FNP program has strengthened my ability to assess, diagnose, and manage patients across the lifespan. With my high-acuity ICU background, the program has broaden my perspective beyond critical care to include prevention and long-term management.

Molly Family Nurse Practitioner MSN Student
rachel msn family nurse practitioner alumni

Duquesne prepared us for practice with an excellent educational foundation. The professors truly care about your success. I was able to pass the boards right after graduation and secure a job immediately.

Rachel Family Nurse Practitioner MSN Alumni, Class of 2024

Admissions

Admissions Requirements

To qualify for our online MSN program, you must:

  • Hold a BSN from an accredited college or university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Have at least 1 year of full-time work experience as an RN (prior to registration in clinical or specialty courses)
  • Hold a current, unencumbered RN license
  • Complete an undergraduate-level statistics course with a “C” or higher


The faculty admissions committee may look more closely at nursing and science grades when making admissions decisions.

Admissions Process

  • Resume or curriculum vitae
  • Professional goal statement
  • Official transcript(s)

Transfer Credit Policy for MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Students

  • A maximum of 9 graduate credits, completed within the past 5 years from a previously earned graduate degree, may be transferred.
  • A grade of “B” or higher is required.
  • The Advanced Standing Request form must be submitted during the admissions process for transfer credits to be considered.

Our Faculty Experts

Our FNP faculty are leaders in advanced practice nursing.

Dr. Laura Crimm

Dr. Laura Crimm

Director and Faculty

Dr. Denise Lucas

Dr. Denise Lucas

Faculty of Record for Advanced Pharmacology

Dr. Frank Kosnosky

Dr. Frank Kosnosky

Faculty of Record for Advanced Pathophysiology

Dr. Donna White

Dr. Donna White

Faculty of Record for Advanced Assessment

Dr. Christopher Baker

Dr. Christopher Baker

Faculty

Curriculum

View Course Descriptions

Coursework for Duquesne University’s online MSN-FNP program is designed to enhance your nursing practice, so you can provide outstanding care for people across the lifespan.

Strengthen your Family Nurse Practitioner MSN degree by adding a concentration to your coursework. We offer concentrations in Forensic Nursing, Nursing Education and Faculty Role, or Transcultural Nursing.

Fall
  • GPNG 547 Historical and Contemporary Frameworks for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits)
  • GPNG 534 Advanced Pharmacology Applications (3 credits)

Spring

  • GPNG 533 Advanced Pathophysiology Applications (3 credits)
  • GPNG 548 Evidence Based Practice and Policy for Advanced Nursing (3 credits)

Summer

  • GPNG 535* Advanced Physical Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning Applications (75 total clinical hours include 50 hours precepted and 25 campus residency hours) (3 credits)
  • GPNG 550 Clinical Prevention and Population Health Promotion for Advanced Nursing Practice (3 credits)

*Students enrolled in GPNG 535 are required to come to campus for three days. In addition to the campus residency visit, precepted clinical hours are also required for GPNG 535.

Courses italicized are considered clinical courses. Students must refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for all clinical policies and procedures specific to their program.
Fall
  • GNFN 542  Primary Care I (75 clinical hours) (3 credits)
  • GPNG 549 Nursing and Health Care Ethics in Practice and Policy (3 credits)

Spring

  • GNFN 543 Primary Care II (225 clinical hours) (5 credits)

Summer

  • GNFN 544* Primary Care III (200 clinical hours; 25 residency hours) (6 credits)

 

*Students enrolled in GNFN 544 must also complete the three day on-campus requirement. 

Courses italicized are considered clinical courses. Students must refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for all clinical policies and procedures specific to their program.

Fall
  • GNFN 545 Primary Care IV (Comprehensive Exam) (225 clinical hours) (6 credits)
  • GPNF 546 Transitioning to Role of Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits)

Courses italicized are considered clinical courses. Students must refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for all clinical policies and procedures specific to their program.

Ask a Question

Do you have questions about the Family Nurse Practitioner MSN program?

Manny Bravo

Enrollment Counselor

School of Nursing

Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the discipline of nursing’s distinct perspective and where shared perspectives exist use an intradisciplinary approach applying clinical judgment founded on a broad knowledge base from theory, research, arts, humanities and other sciences.
  2. Distinguish and promote person-centered care that is holistic, compassionate, evidenced-based, and developmentally sound for individuals, families, communities, and populations in their cultural context for optimal healthcare outcomes.
  3. Develop implementation and dissemination strategies to address the social determinates of health including population health, health equity, and health policy through collaboration with community stakeholders.
  4. Identify, differentiate, and analyze evidence-based practice to improve health outcomes while embracing ethical concepts as a life-long learner.
  5. Transform health care delivery through the development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives to mitigate risk and promote safety of the patient and health professionals.
  6. Participate in the development of critical elements used in interprofessional, team based healthcare to address needs of a population with the purpose of increasing positive patient outcomes.
  7. Organize and execute safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations while maintaining cost-effective, just, and responsible stewardship of multiple system resources. 
  8. Embrace various technologies and informatics in safe care and communication to patients, interprofessional team members, and other stakeholders to deliver safe care to diverse populations.
  9. Demonstrate a professional approach in nursing through personal accountability to the individual, society, and the profession incorporating relevant laws, policies, and regulation while recognizing diversity, equity, and inclusion as core to one’s professional nursing identity.
  10. Participate in leadership development activities that foster professional growth and encourage lifelong learning that demonstrate selfcare and reflection by maintaining health and wellness.

Accreditation

The Family Nurse Practitioner MSN program at Duquesne University School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)