Main ContentFamily Nurse Practitioner
Diagnosing illness, conducting physical examinations, ordering labs, performing diagnostic procedures and prescribing medications to patients are just a few of the wide-ranging tasks of a family nurse practitioner. If you are interested in working in one of the fastest-growing areas of nursing and becoming a practitioner educated at the state's flagship nursing school, the University of Mississippi School of Nursing is the right choice for you.
Certification exams for FNP
The Family Nurse Practitioner track prepares nurses to deliver primary health care to adults and families. Often handling duties performed by a physician, family nurse practitioners focus on health promotion and disease prevention. This track's clinical component consists of 630 hours of guided experience under the mentorship of an advanced practice nurse or physician. All clinical hours must be completed in the state of Mississippi. Graduates are eligible to take the ANCC or AANPCP national certification exams and obtain a state advanced practice license as a nurse practitioner. School of Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner graduates typically experience high job placement rates.
Plans of study and course scheduling
The Family Nurse Practitioner coursework is offered through a combination of online, on-campus and hybrid methods. Aside from the clinical practicum hours and the Advanced Health Assessment course, all other courses are either online or hybrid. Online courses may be synchronous, in which both the student and the instructor are online at the same time, or asynchronous. Asynchronous courses are courses in which students can access materials, lectures and assignments at any time. Hybrid courses may meet on campus up to four times per semester.
Flexible plans of study are available and are designed by faculty with individual consideration given to students' goals and geographic locations. Students will be given an individualized plan of study appropriate for their role by their academic adviser upon enrollment, and applicants who already have a nurse practitioner certification in another area will have a shorter plan of study. Note: Post-master's students will be given an individualized plan of study appropriate for their role by their academic advisor upon enrollment.
Certification and Licensure
The University of Mississippi School of Nursing's Family Nurse Practitioner track, a track leading to certification, satisfies the requirements set forth by the governing body in the State of Mississippi. Completion of the Family Nurse Practitioner track also qualifies graduates to take the ANCC or AANPCP national certification exams in order to obtain a state advanced practice license as a nurse practitioner. Please be advised that requirements for nursing licensure vary from state to state. UMMC has not made a determination on whether the degree meets the licensing requirements of states, territories or entities outside of Mississippi. If you are located (presently living) outside of the state of Mississippi and are interested in this track, please contact admissioncounselor@umc.edu immediately and UMMC will make every effort to make a determination of whether it meets licensure requirements for the state in which you are located.
Additionally, Mississippi is a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) state. The Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) is an agreement between states that allows nurses to have one license but the ability to practice in other states that are part of the agreement. However, be advised that ultimately reciprocity of a Mississippi nursing or advanced practice nursing license is determined by individual states and entities. For more information related to how nursing reciprocity works, please visit www.ncsbn.org.
For more information
For additional general information regarding the Family Nurse Practitioner track, you may email admissioncounselor@umc.edu or call (601) 815-0124.
For more specific information please contact the individual track director listed on the graduate contacts webpage.