Take the next step after your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and pursue a post-graduate Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate. CTU's FNP Certificate program is designed to help nurses with an MSN degree prepare to become advanced practice Family Nurse Practitioners.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of advanced practice nurses, including nursing practitioners, is expected to grow 40 percent from 2023 to 2033.¹ Prepare for your advanced licensure and national certification exam with the FNP certificate program at CTU.

¹ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners, visited November 5, 2024. These job titles do not reflect specific degree program outcomes, but are provided as general industry career paths. This data represents national figures and is not based on school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.

• Program Credits: 52
• Each Course Length: 5 Weeks

Program Overview

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) post-graduate certificate program will help the MSN prepared nurse prepare to become an advanced practice Family Nurse Practitioner capable of managing the health care of individuals across the lifespan by providing preventive and primary care, promoting optimal health and wellbeing, and management of chronic illnesses.

Nurse practitioners are involved in patient history taking, physical examination, diagnostic testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Nurse practitioners are educated at the graduate level, prepared to take the national certification exam, and then licensed by the state to practice at an advanced level.

The FNP certificate integrates a foundation of evidence-based practice, population health, health policy, informatics and nursing theory, with concentration courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment, to help the student prepare for rigorous FNP didactic and clinical coursework. The program’s 630 direct-care clinical hours are designed to provide the student with the clinical experience needed to develop in their new role and deliver primary care for families. Combining didactic coursework with direct care clinical experience, students study how to manage care that is interdisciplinary, collaborative and culturally appropriate as well as provide primary care to diverse, underserved, and vulnerable populations across the lifespan.

FNPs work independently as well as collaboratively with other clinicians and health care and social service professionals in a variety of settings, such as clinics, schools, hospitals, homes, workplaces and community-based organizations.

The PGC-FNP prepares nurses for advanced licensure and to sit for the national certification exam. Certification exam applicants may be denied exam eligibility based on a past criminal record.

College of Nursing Mission Statement

Through an innovative curriculum and student-centered teaching, the nursing faculty teaches, supports, and inspires students to become competent, caring, and accountable professionals who serve a diverse client population within a dynamic health care environment.

Learning Outcomes

FNP Certificate Program Outcomes:

• Integrate technology in patient care management to improve health outcomes.
• Operate as an independent practitioner in the management of healthcare for patients across the lifespan.
• Formulate ethical plans of care which incorporate knowledge from current research, clinical guidelines, practice and assessment to improve health outcomes.
• Employ complex and advanced leadership skills in guiding change to improve health outcomes.