Post-Master’s FNP Certificate

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Overview

Take Your Healthcare Skills to the Next Level

Prepare for advanced practice as a primary care provider by pursuing the online and evening post-master’s FNP certificate at Grand Canyon University.1 Gain confidence in making critical decisions in health promotion, diagnostics and disease management when working with diverse patient populations, from children to seniors. 

This certificate can be well-suited for aspiring advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who are interested in sharpening their clinical skills and broadening their nursing knowledge in preparation for pursuing board certification as an APRN.2 The family nursing certificate program is offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, with in-person evening class options available.

Woman smiling while earning GCU nursing certificate online
Why GCU

Complete an FNP Program at GCU 

Combining the convenience of online learning with select on-campus experiences,1 GCU’s post-master’s certificate echoes realistic patient care scenarios and encourages stimulating peer discussions within a collaborative setting. GCU’s mission-oriented healthcare college offers a curriculum built from the Christian worldview. As you work through faith-integrated courses, you will be encouraged to reflect upon how best to serve your community as a principled and ethical servant leader. 

GCU has designed higher education with the needs of modern learners and working professionals in mind. You’ll use GCU’s intuitive e-learning platform to access course materials and connect with peers.

Pursue a Post-Master’s FNP Online

This certificate program is available with online coursework to enable you to work through nursing classes on a schedule that is convenient for you.1 

Online Learning
Coursework

Examine Advanced Nurse Practitioner Concepts and Principles 

Examine 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. You will work through a well-rounded program of classroom instruction and hands-on, in-person learning experiences.

You will be empowered to embrace the principles of servant leadership, ethical decision-making and sound diagnostic reasoning. 

This FNP certificate program covers several 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 implications 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

Program Requirements

In addition to classroom instruction, the FNP certificate program requires in-person experiential learning activities, including a 675-hour supervised clinical/practicum. You will complete the supervised clinical/practicum within a family health-focused clinical site or community-based primary care setting.

The certificate program also includes two separate on-campus experiences. During these experiences, you will be educated on the scope of practice, prescriptive authority and how to prepare for the National Certification Board exam.

Female post-MSN: FNP certificate student examines dummy in hospital
Careers

Career Paths for FNP Certificate Holders

This certificate program aims to prepare you to take the Family Nurse Practitioner board certification exam through The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).3 Additional requirements may apply to graduates planning to practice in certain states.

This program is designed to prepare you to work with diverse patient populations. Graduates may choose to pursue opportunities in nursing specialties such as:4

Chronic disease management

Acute care

Family care

Pediatrics

Geriatrics

Postsecondary nursing instruction

Accreditation

Earn Your Certificate From an Institutionally Accredited Nursing College

The online and evening post-master’s FNP certificate program at GCU is designed to align with the standards established by the following entities:

  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  • American Nursing Association: Scope and Standards of Practice
  • Interprofessional Education Collaborative: Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
  • National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties 
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center 
  • American Association of Nurse Practitioners 

GCU is proud to be an institutionally accredited university that maintains a focus on academic excellence. The Higher Learning Commission has continually accredited GCU since 1968. The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.

The baccalaureate degree programs in nursing, the master’s degree programs in nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and the post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Grand Canyon University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.ccneaccreditation.org). For more information on the accreditation of nursing programs and other university approvals, please visit our nursing accreditation page

FAQ

Post-Master’s FNP Certificate FAQs

The following frequently asked questions and answers may prove helpful to you as you reflect upon your career options and academic intentions.

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Further Your Nursing Education at GCU

Take a convenient combination of online or evening classes and hands-on experiential learning.1

Apply Now

While all courses are completed online, you will need to attend clinical, practicum and immersion hours in person locally.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, Sept. 6). How to become a nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, or nurse practitioner. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved March 20, 2024. 

Deering, M., J.D. (2023, Sept. 21). How to become a nurse practitioner. NurseJournal. Retrieved March 20, 2024.

4 NurseJournal. (2024, Feb. 26). How to become a nurse educator. Retrieved March 20, 2024.

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