AMNFP - Nursing - Nurse Practitioner

The Master of Science in Nursing program is an online asynchronous program that prepares nurses for advanced nursing roles.  The Nurse Practitioner program prepares advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in three specialty tracks: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Adult Gerontology (ACNP-AG), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Each Nurse Practitioner track is a 45-credit hour program of study. Post-Master’s Certificate (PMC) programs are available in each of the tracks for individuals who hold a Master of Science in Nursing in another specialty area.  The certificate will prepare students for national certification as an ACNP-AG, FNP, or PMHNP. Refer to each certificate by searching programs.

Graduates of the MSN Nurse Practitioner tracks are provided education and experience for eligibility and successful completion of national Nurse Practitioner certification examinations.  The program additionally prepares graduates from the specialty tracks, Nursing Education, and Healthcare Systems Leadership for advanced nursing roles in their respective areas of study. Graduates from MSN Nursing Education and Healthcare Systems Leadership tracks are eligible for certification exams although are encouraged to take additional preparation, such as a certification preparation course, before pursuing certification.

Mission
The mission of Norwich University’s School of Nursing is to prepare our students to be globally minded nurse leaders and scholars through innovative and diverse experiential education and research.

Purpose
The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares visionary nurse leaders who demonstrate advanced critical thinking, communication, decision-making skills to ensure quality outcomes within the complex systems of the health care continuum.  Graduates initiate and effectively utilize research findings to improve outcomes, as well as utilize knowledge of health promotion, health care policy and systems, change and finance to effectively manage available resources in the changing health care environment.  Masters prepared nurses utilize this knowledge base integrated with theories from nursing and related disciplines to create and implement ethical practices and policies to improve the environment in which health care is delivered.

The Masters prepared nurse engages in an expanded scope of practice that is characterized by critical analysis of problems and creative problem solving, and application of theories in the decision-making process.  The graduate manages change effectively and utilizes communication skills and technologies to create collaborative partnerships within nursing and across health care disciplines.  Graduate education prepares the nurse to identify and evaluate personal and organizational values and to implement ethical decisions and strategies to improve outcomes.

Goals
The program is designed to achieve the following academic goals:

1. Prepare graduates with education and experience to meet eligibility for successful completion of national Nurse Practitioner certification examinations

2. Provide a curriculum of study with logical course sequencing and concurrent didactic and clinical experience

3. Provide high-quality clinical track distance-learning opportunity for Bachelor's prepared nurses to advance to Master’s level/Advanced Practice competency.

4. Provide didactic and clinical population-focused education experiences meeting national education standards for advanced nursing education and core competencies.