A Family Nurse Practitioner’s Tips for FNP Education Success
In the university setting, family nurse practitioner (FNP) education is comprehensive and thorough, so students are prepared for success.
FNP education is also highly rewarding, both emotionally and financially, and worth all of the effort you invest. Sometimes, however, the arduous nature of nursing graduate school can be challenging.
Many professional FNPs who have been through the nurse practitioner graduate degree process have some helpful tips to help you along your way.
What to Expect in Family Nurse Practitioner Training
First, expect never to experience a dull moment.
Both the DNP/FNP degree program and the FNP certificate program include class time and testing, as you might expect. You will learn advanced anatomy, pharmacology and physiology. Specialized clinical rotation is also a big part of the FNP degree and certificate programs.
Because your FNP education is designed to prepare you for a position in clinical leadership and advanced practice, you can expect a comprehensive overview of multiple areas of specialty. These typically include pediatrics, adult care (including older adults) and gender-based health specialties.
In the DNP/FNP degree program, education will conclude with a scholarly project. This is your opportunity to pull all of your coursework together and demonstrate leadership and vision in your community.
Once you begin the family nurse practitioner program, you won’t have time to be bored!
The Importance of Self-Care While in Your FNP Program
Your prior nursing degrees likely taught you the importance of taking care of yourself.
Effective self-care is one of the most important components of thriving in the rigors of graduate education and doing well on the national certification exam.
Once you begin practicing as an FNP, you will benefit by having already established good habits of self-care — and your patients will benefit as well. We often use the analogy of first securing your oxygen mask on an airplane, otherwise you won’t be able to help others.
Family nurse practitioner education and practice are a lot like that. You must take care of your health and well-being first, so that you can help others with theirs.
Find the Right Family Nurse Practitioner Program for You
Professional nurse practitioners are quick to point out the importance of selecting the right FNP educational resources to ensure future success.
Because the demand for specialty nurse practitioners is growing rapidly, all kinds of schools and training facilities are adding FNP curricula to their offerings. Today, choosing the right program for you can seem overwhelming.
Start by looking at which type of advanced nursing program might best fit your career goals. Although a master’s degree is still sufficient to practice in most locations, that standard is changing. In fact, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners has recommended that the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree become the standard for all nurse practitioners.
By pursuing a DNP/FNP degree program, you will have access to a variety of career opportunities that you otherwise might not be able to pursue.
The Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions offers a CCNE-accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice degree/Family Nurse Practitioner program, and Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate program. Both programs were designed in accordance with guidelines established by the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, for the most effective development of core competencies.
For additional information on nursing education (including doctoral degrees and certificates) or to earn a DNP at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, visit:
