Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN FNP)

Family Nurse Practitioner / Individual Across the Lifespan

If you want to take the next step along your professional nursing journey into advanced practice nursing, Drexel University’s online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Family Nurse Practitioner (Individual Across the Lifespan) program is designed with your needs in mind. Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions delivers a carefully crafted FNP curriculum that covers both family and individual primary care across the lifespan from, birth to death. As such, it focuses on wellness care, acute and chronic illnesses management, and clinical strategies/interventions in health promotion, health maintenance, disease prevention and contemporary healthcare issues seen in family medicine. And upon graduation, you will become immediately eligible to sit for your Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam through AANP or ANCC.

Online MSN FNP Program Features

• Ranked #5 in Best Online Family Nurse Practitioner Master's Programs by U.S. News & World Report
• Ranked #12 in Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report
• The MSN Family Nurse Practitioner (Individual Across the Lifespan) program at Drexel University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Upon completion of the FNP program, you will become eligible to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam through AANP or ANCC
• Drexel alumni boast a 100 percent board pass rate on these FNP certification exams
• Synchronous online lectures offer a highly interactive learning format that challenges and engages
• The MSN FNP program is taught by industry-experienced and board-certified faculty from Drexel’s acclaimed College of Nursing and Health Professions

On-Campus Requirements

This high-quality program demands a major commitment of time, including multiple on-campus visits that are essential for transition into the NP role. During your time in the program, you will participate in mandatory on-campus and/or virtual intensives. The required intensives will be held during clinical courses. Students will attend an in-person on-campus intensive in NURS 534 for 4 days during week one of the summer quarter. Dates are subject to change.

Pennsylvania RN licensure is required prior to the start of your clinical components. While this is not a requirement for admission, we recommend starting the process immediately after admission.

Clinicals

The nurse practitioner programs in the Department of Advanced Practice Nursing at Drexel University provide you the flexibility of finding and coordinating your own clinical site and preceptor. The department also offers resources to assist you in this process. Accessibility to clinical sites and preceptors varies from state to state, and you may be required to travel to access clinical sites/preceptors and achieve the necessary clinical hours.

What is Advanced Practice Nursing?

An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) can practice as one of the following four roles: certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and certified nurse practitioner (CNP). Many students who wish to become certified nurse practitioners choose to become a Family Nurse Practitioner because the FNP option allows for practical clinical experience with patients of all ages. Whether the FNPs plan to remain in the position to treat individuals across the lifespan or ultimately aim to specialize in one area, the FNP role is attractive to many nurses due to the vast career flexibility and possibilities.

What is a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)?

Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) work with patients at every stage of their lives. As an advanced practice registered nurse, FNPs can now practice autonomously in approximately 25 states. Typically, FNPs focus on being the primary healthcare provider and have the option of managing their own private practice.

As a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), responsibilities include:

• Diagnosing illnesses
• Treating patients across the lifespan
• Analyzing and developing clinical strategies and interventions for health promotion, health maintenance and disease prevention
• Managing episodic, acute or chronic illnesses

Drexel’s online Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (Individual Across the Lifespan) prepares future FNPs for successful careers featuring a curriculum rich in the following areas:

• Contemporary Healthcare
• Decision-Making
• Quality and Safety
• Healthcare Ethics
• Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning
• Advanced Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
• Primary care of patients across the lifespan

How Do You Become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)?

Family Nurse Practitioners represent about 50% of all certified nurse practitioners in the United States. The reason the FNP specialty is so popular is because it offers a wide range of opportunities to treat patients from birth to end-of-life. To become an FNP and to benefit from the future career potential that comes along with it, nurses must follow an established process.

• Step 1 – Get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). While there are many paths to becoming a BSN, such as starting with your ADN and then completing your BSN after you earn your RN licensure, future FNPs will need to earn their BSN before entering an FNP program.
• Step 2 – Pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) and become a licensed RN.
• Step 3 – Enroll in a regionally-accredited Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (Individual Across the Lifespan) program and graduate to become immediately eligible to take the Family Nurse Practitioner Certification exam through AANP or ANCC.
• Step 4 – Pass the Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam through AANP or ANCC. Drexel University MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner graduates have a 100 percent board pass rate!

Where Can a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Work?

With an aging US population and a growing shortage of primary care clinicians, among other factors, the demand for qualified nurse practitioners continues to boom. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for Advanced Practice Nurses is expected to grow 35% by 2034. This is much higher than the national average.

Earning an MSN FNP and passing the board certification exams officially entitles practitioners to hold the title of Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (CFNP). Completing these steps will open many career opportunities to practitioners in potential workplaces such as:

• Physician’s Offices
• Primary Care Clinics
• Outpatient Clinics
• Long-Term Care Facilities
• Hospice Facilities
• Family Practice and Internal Medicine Clinics
• Private Practice
• Correctional Institutions
• And many more

How Much Does a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Make?

Graduates from Drexel’s online MSN FNP program must pass the Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam through AANP or ANCC to become practicing nurse practitioners. Upon earning their certification, FNPs command competitive salaries, commensurate with their level of experience, location and other factors. 

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 report, the average annual wage for nurse practitioners was $132,050, with the top 10 percent in the FNP profession potentially earning more than $217,720 annually. Nurse practitioners, especially those working in general medical and surgical hospitals and outpatient care centers, tend to earn a higher mean salary of $137,790 (General Medical and Surgical Hospitals) and $137,640 (Outpatient Care Centers). Nurse practitioners working in the Personal Care Services industry typically see a mean hourly wage of $67.05. The state that NPs work in is also a factor in calculating salary expectations. For instance, California NPs can look forward to a mean hourly rate of $60.95, whereas Ohio NPs, should expect rates that are closer to $48.90.

Online Open Houses

Learn more about this and other nursing programs from our previously recorded online open house webinar series.

Questions? We're here to help!

For application related questions:
enroll@drexel.edu

For program related questions:
College of Nursing and Health Professions Program Team
CNHPGraduateDivision@drexel.edu

Online Nurse Practitioner programs are offered only on a part-time basis.
Drexel University offers a variety of Graduate Minors that can be added to any master's degree program.
State restrictions may apply to some programs.
The MSN Family Nurse Practitioner (Individual Across the Lifespan) program at Drexel University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.