Post-Master Family Nurse Practitioner Program - College of Graduate Nursing

Post-Masters FNP (FNP)

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Post-Master Family Nurse Practitioner Program

About the Program
The Curriculum

Flexible Web-Based Programs Designed for Busy Nursing Professionals

The Western University Post-Master's Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program is designed for master's prepared nurses who wish to continue working in their profession, keep family commitments and live in the same community while pursuing a graduate education. This benefit is especially convenient for students living in rural areas, small communities, or on active military duty. This CCNE-accredited program consists of three integrated elements:

Web-based curriculum
Weekend sessions at the Pomona, California campus twice per semester
Clinical training in your own community under the supervision of an approved preceptor

About the Program
Instructor Diana Lithgow demonstrates the pediatric ear exam

Western University's Post-Master Family Nurse Practitioner program is for nursing professionals who have an MSN. Full-time students complete the program in one year. Part-time tracks are also available.

To provide maximum scheduling and pacing flexibility while eliminating the need to commute daily to campus, the College of Graduate Nursing uses a combination of self-directed learning activities, collaborative projects, and intensive weekend seminars.

Self-Directed Learning Activities

The World Wide Web provides a unique opportunity to offer students individualized learning experiences that would be impossible through other media. Online discussion forums and e-mail also provide important lines of communication and support among distance learners, faculty, and other program personnel.

Weekend Seminars

Twice during each semester, students are required to convene on campus for an intensive weekend of instruction. The weekend seminars provide an opportunity for faculty-student interaction, didactic instruction and demonstrations, student presentations, group project work, and clinical training and testing. The weekend of study begins on Friday morning and ends on Sunday.

Preceptored Clinical Experiences

A clinical component is scheduled during each semester to provide students with an opportunity to apply their learning in the clinical work setting. Students are supervised by a local preceptor who is responsible for assuring that the student is provided with adequate and appropriate learning experiences as close to home as possible. This partnership between the academic and clinical settings not only results in a well prepared family nurse practitioner, but positions the student for employment opportunities as they arise.

Student Assessment

Student performance in each module is assessed through a combination of seminar participation, written and oral presentations, and objective examination.

The Curriculum

With the pre-program module CGN 5000: Communication and Information Management (1 unit) the FNP curriculum consists of 49 semester units. The following shows the courses included in the full-time track for the Post-Master FNP Certificate Program. Unit values for each course are shown in parenthesis. Select the course title to see a description of the course.

Semester 1 (Fall)

Semester 2 (Spring)

Semester 3 (Summer)

CGN 5401:
Primary Care Mgmt I
(2 units)

CGN 5601:
Adv Phy Assess
(3 units)

CGN 5631:
Adv. Pathophysiology I
(1 unit)

CGN 5641:
Clinical Apps I
(2 units)

CGN 5605:
Human Diversity
(1 unit)

CGN 7570:
Clinical Experience*
(5 units)

Elective CGN 5810:
Mgmt Practice Issues
(2 units)

CGN 5402:
Primary Care Mgmt II
(2 units)

CGN 5501:
Pharmacology I
(2 units)

CGN 5632:
Adv. Pathophysiology II
(1 unit)

CGN 5642:
Clinical Apps II
(2 units)

CGN 5602:
Hlth Promo & Disease Prev
(1 unit)

CGN 5603:
Societal & Ethical Issues
(1 unit)

CGN 5820:
Prof Practice Issues
(2 units)

CGN 5102:
Health Systems II
(2 units)

CGN 7570:
Clinical Experience*
(5 units)

CGN 5403:
Primary Care Mgmt III
(2 units)

CGN 5502:
Pharmacology II
(2 units)

CGN 5606:
Compl & Alt Medicine
(1 unit)

CGN 5643:
Clinical Apps III
(2 units)

CGN 5830:
Business Practice Issues
(2 units)

CGN 5691:
Clinical Comps II
(1 unit)

CGN 7570:
Clinical Experience*
(5 units)

* Courses not charged tuition but subject to clinical fee

For more information on the Post-Master Family Nurse Practitioner Program, please contact Diana Lithgow, PhD, FNP-C, RN by email at dlithgow@westernu.edu.

Last Updated:04/17/2008

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