Earn your Family Nurse Practitioner Certification
What Is a Post-Master’s Family NP Online Certificate Program?
Prepare for advanced practice as a primary care provider by pursuing the post-master’s FNP certificate at Grand Canyon University. Gain confidence in making critical judgments in health promotion, diagnostics and disease management when working with diverse patient populations, from children to seniors. The post-MSN nurse practitioner program is offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions.
Acquire core competencies and apply evidence-based research to optimize patient, family and community health. The management of common, acute and chronic conditions is examined through the lens of culturally and spiritually diverse environments. Students will work through an intensive program of classroom instruction and hands-on, on-campus learning experiences.
The post-master’s FNP program at GCU is designed to align with the standards established by the following entities:
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing
- American Nursing Association (ANA): Scope and Standards of Practice
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC): Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
- National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
Earn an FNP Certificate to Care for Diverse Populations and Age Groups
The FNP certificate program echoes real-world scenarios and encourages stimulating peer discussions within a collaborative and academically rigorous setting. Learners are supported as they embrace the principles of servant leadership, ethical decision-making and sound diagnostic reasoning. This post-master’s program covers a number of core competencies for nurse practitioners, including the following:
- Comprehensive primary care management, including health promotion, counseling, screening and patient education
- Performance and interpretation of head-to-toe health assessments, as well as focused assessments for chief complaints
- The basic concepts and principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and their practical implication in clinical practice
- Advanced physiology and pathophysiology principles, including understanding normal function and interpreting changes in normal function
- Well visits across the lifespan and the development of the nurse-patient relationship for optimum patient education, counseling and screening
In addition to classroom instruction, the program requires experiential learning activities, including a 675-hour supervised clinical practicum. Students complete the supervised practicum within a family health-focused clinical site or community-based primary care setting.
The post-master’s FNP certificate includes two separate on-campus experiences. Students will complete a three-day on-campus experience, followed by a one-day on-campus experience during FNP 690. During the latter experience, students are educated on the scope of practice, prescriptive authority and how to prepare for the National Certification Board exam.
Take Your Nursing Career to the Next Level with a Post-Master’s FNP Certificate
The online post-master’s family NP online program prepares graduates to work with diverse patient populations. Graduates may choose to pursue opportunities in chronic disease management or acute care. The emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention is well-suited to family care practice settings. Graduates may decide to pursue employment in specialized areas, such as pediatrics or geriatrics. Opportunities in postsecondary nursing instruction may be an additional option for post-master’s FNP graduates.
GCU’s Post-Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate may prepare graduates to take the Family Nurse Practitioner board certification exam through the AANP or the ANCC. Additional requirements may apply to graduates planning to practice in certain states.
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course focuses on advanced physiology and pathophysiology principles. This course is used to guide the advanced nursing practice student in understanding normal function and interpreting changes in normal function that result in symptoms and diagnostic markers indicative of illness. Emphasis is placed on the following systems: cellular environment and inflammatory changes; fluids, electrolytes and acid-base balance; genetics, genetic diseases, and the role of the environment; stress, disease, and the development of neoplasms; hematology and alterations in immunity. In addition, the physiology and pathophysiology of the endocrine, pulmonary, renal, digestive and integumentary, cardiovascular and lymphatic, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and neurological systems, including mood disorders, are addressed. Prerequisite: Admission to the graduate nursing program or college approval.
Course Description
This course focuses on the basic concepts and principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and their practical implication in clinical practice. This course also places an emphasis on the strong influence of physiological variables (age, ethnicity, or pregnancy) and pathological conditions (hepatic or renal insufficiency, cardiac dysfunction) on drugs’ pharmacological response. An in-depth understanding of the relationship between patient’s physiological/pathological variables and pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics can provide additional insight for practitioners in predicting potential drug interactions, and thus will provide additional guidance in prescribing strategies. This course also includes clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; clinical toxicology; and pathology and pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular, psychiatric, endocrine, respiratory, gastrointestinal, bone and joint, infectious, reproductive, and dermatological disorders. Prerequisite: NUR-631.
Course Description
This course builds upon the student's undergraduate and clinical assessment skills, offering advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for the advanced practice nursing role. This course addresses the completion and interpretation of a head-to-toe assessment in addition to focused assessments for chief complaints that include physical, psychosocial, spiritual, risk, and functional assessments in diverse populations and across age groups. Students learn a systematic method of diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision making to establish differential diagnoses. Prerequisites: NUR-631, and either NUR-632, NUR-633, or NUR-635.
Course Description
This course covers preventive health care practices and integrates cultural and spiritual considerations, environmental factors, genetic influences, and national public health objectives. Emphasis is placed on development of the advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship to enhance the effectiveness of patient education, counseling, and promotion of healthy lifestyle changes. Students explore concepts relevant to primary care, including family systems theory and developmental theory. Students are also introduced to well visits across the life span and build upon advanced health assessment skills in assessing the well child, adolescent, woman, and man. Specific emphasis is placed on clinical diagnostic reasoning and interpretation and the development of differential diagnoses based on clinical practice guidelines. Students examine professional and patient community resources and evaluate the use of integrative healing strategies in assisting patients to achieve health goals using evidence-based research. This course includes a required 3-day, on-campus experience. Prerequisite: NUR-634.
Course Description
This course covers preventive health care practices and integrates cultural and spiritual considerations, environmental factors, genetic influences, and national public health objectives. Emphasis is placed on development of the advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship to enhance the effectiveness of patient education, counseling, and promotion of healthy lifestyle changes. Students explore concepts relevant to primary care, including family systems theory and developmental theory. Students are also introduced to well visits across the life span and build upon advanced health assessment skills in assessing the well child, adolescent, woman, and man. Specific emphasis is placed on clinical diagnostic reasoning and interpretation and the development of differential diagnoses based on clinical practice guidelines. Students examine professional and patient community resources and evaluate the use of integrative healing strategies in assisting patients to achieve health goals using evidence-based research. This course includes a required 3-day, on-campus experience. Prerequisite: NUR-634.
Course Description
This course focuses on the three levels of prevention and comprehensive primary care management of individuals with common, acute, and chronic conditions across the life span within a culturally and spiritually diverse environment. Evidence-based research is utilized to develop comprehensive, cost-effective, least invasive, quality health care. Care includes health promotion counseling, screening, and patient education to optimize patient and family health. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning to guide clinical decision making. Management of patient illness includes ordering diagnostic tests, prescribing pharmacological and nonpharmacological integrative healing therapies, collaborating with other health professionals and community agencies, and pursuing appropriate follow-up. Practicum/field experience hours: 225. Prerequisite: FNP-630.
Course Description
This course deepens its focus on the three levels of prevention and comprehensive primary care management of individuals with common, acute, and chronic conditions across the life span within a culturally and spiritually diverse environment. Students integrate evidence-based research in the development of comprehensive, cost-effective, least invasive, quality health care. Care includes health promotion counseling, screening, and patient education to optimize patient and family health. Students further advance their critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning skills to guide clinical decision making in the management of patient illness. Students also further develop their competence in ordering appropriate diagnostic tests, prescribing pharmacological and nonpharmacological integrative healing therapies, collaborating with other health professionals and community agencies, and pursuing appropriate follow-up. Practicum/field experience hours: 225. Prerequisite: FNP-652.
Course Description
This practicum course is the final synthesis of the theoretical and clinical foundation of advanced practice nursing in the primary care management of individuals and families across the life span. Emphasis is placed on scope of practice, roles, contract negotiation, prescriptive authority, licensure, certification, and credentialing. Updates on legislation and health policy are incorporated utilizing multidimensional clinical case studies. Students also examine ethical issues that arise in clinical practice. This course includes a required 1-day, on-campus experience. Practicum/field experience hours: 225. Prerequisite: FNP-654.
Course Description
This practicum course is the final synthesis of the theoretical and clinical foundation of advanced practice nursing in the primary care management of individuals and families across the life span. Emphasis is placed on scope of practice, roles, contract negotiation, prescriptive authority, licensure, certification, and credentialing. Updates on legislation and health policy are incorporated utilizing multidimensional clinical case studies. Students also examine ethical issues that arise in clinical practice. This course includes a required 1-day, on-campus experience. Practicum/field experience hours: 225. Prerequisite: FNP-654.
Program Locations
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.
Grand Canyon University’s evening programs cater to the demands of working professionals who prefer an in-person learning environment. Our night classes meet just once per week and offer the interaction and discussion of a typical college classroom.
Online and Evening program disclosures (2.333 years)
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.