The MSN-FNP degree program in nursing at Carson-Newman University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
Online MSN-FNP Program
Deliver Primary Care to Families and Communities as a Family Nurse Practitioner
Carson-Newman offers an accredited online Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner program (MSN-FNP), taught by experienced faculty who are active practitioners in their own communities. Graduates are prepared with the skills necessary to define their own future as a holistic and confident family nurse practitioner or advanced practice nurse.
This BSN to FNP program is 100% online (not including clinicals or residency), which allows you to earn your MSN on a schedule that supports work-life balance.
Program Breakdown
Program Units Core I: 12 Credits
Program Units Core II: 9 Credits
Clinicals: 19 Credits
Capstone: 6 Credits
Total Credits: 46 Credits
Total Clinical Hours: *660-690
* Depending on capstone choice
Curriculum Sample
Advanced Pathophysiology (3 Credit Hours)
Advanced Pharmacology (3 Credit Hours)
Advanced Health Assessment (3 Credit Hours)
Research Methods and Design in Nursing (3 Credit Hours)
Advanced Primary Nursing Care For Adults (7 Credit Hours)
Admissions Requirements
Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited and NLN- or CCNE-accredited program
3.0 minimum GPA
Two to three letters of recommendation
Active RN license
Letter of personal goals and aspirations
Earn Your MSN-FNP Online For Under $30k
Carson-Newman is one of the nation's most affordable private colleges with a cost of only $29,900 and no application fee. Many of Carson-Newman's students also receive financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans. Access your free MSN-FNP program guide for full tuition and financial aid information.
The program consists of 46 credit hours of nursing courses taught by experienced FNP and DNP faculty who are active nurse practitioners in their communities.
NURS 501 - Advanced Pathophysiology, 3 credit hours Presentation and in-depth analysis of normal physiologic and pathologic mechanisms of disease as related to the provision and management of client care at the advanced level.
avg. job offer rate for nurse practitioners at graduation (vs 46% for new grads across all disciplines)*
95%
job placement 4-6 months after graduation*
96%
certification pass rate for Carson-Newman FNP graduates
600
clinical placement hours placed for you by Carson-Newman**
*2017 American Association of Colleges of Nursing Report
**Total clinical placement requirement is 660-690 hours depending on your capstone course.
Online Family Nurse Practitioner Program Highlights
Incorporate clinicals into your nursing practice. Enhance your nursing skills and advance your nursing career while continuing to work full-time.
Prepared practitioners. MSN-FNP students graduate ready to take the Family Nurse Practitioner National Certification exam.
Independent caregivers. Graduates are prepared to provide holistic primary care to individuals and families across the lifespan and thrive as a family nurse practitioner.
Our online programs provide unrivaled support and a user-friendly online learning system.
Convenient and flexible. Designed for working nurses, with 100% online coursework (not including clinicals, practicum or residency) and no mandatory login times.
Small class sizes. Enjoy an intimate learning environment focused on meeting your needs - we want you to succeed.
Stress-free clinical placement. You will be provided with a clinical site and preceptor, so you can focus on your studies.
Personalized support. A dedicated Student Success Advisor provides guidance and creates a supportive learning environment from registration to graduation day.
Affordable tuition. Our streamlined MSN-FNP program is competitively priced, saving you up to $200 per credit hour when compared with nationwide competitors.
Clinical placement is the required clinical education component of Carson-Newman’s Family Nurse Practitioner degree and Post-Master’s Certificate programs. Clinicals work in tandem with the classroom-based coursework to prepare you for your future as a Family Nurse Practitioner providing primary care in the field.
A few months into your FNP program, you will receive a placement intake form.
Using information from the form and clinical objectives, a dedicated placement specialist will locate an appropriate preceptor and handle the logistics for your clinical rotation.
We source preceptors from our network of providers, but also welcome any referrals if you have a specific preceptor in mind.
We will ensure your clinical sites are qualified to meet program and state-specific requirements, and will handle all of your rotation paperwork.
Your Student Success Advisor will communicate with you regularly to guide you through each step, all the way up to graduation.
In schools where students are left to handle placement on their own, this puts added stress on the student. Intensive research and coordination takes time away from studies and could mean months of waiting for a placement. A lack of support may also lead to miscommunication or rejected placements, which could set a student's studies back for months.
The Carson-Newman Department of Nursing believes you are only as successful as your training, which is why we have taken the stress out of the clinical placement process. With this peace of mind, you can focus on your studies and building competency instead of worrying about clinicals.
“Clinical placement support” can mean various things from school to school. The Carson-Newman advantage is that our clinical placement services are comprehensive, giving give you the support you need to succeed as an FNP student, from start to finish.
Our Network Support – Your Placement Specialist will handle the logistics of securing quality placement sites and preceptors from our network of providers for 600 clinical hours, as well as any referrals from you.
Your Focus – Our support saves you hours, days, months of time, so you can focus on your coursework and core competencies.
Your Success – Our comprehensive clinical placement services will help you stay focused and thrive as you gain clinical competencies as an FNP.
Clinical placement is the required clinical education component of Carson-Newman’s Family Nurse Practitioner degree and Post-Master’s Certificate programs. Clinicals work in tandem with the classroom-based coursework to prepare you for your future as a Family Nurse Practitioner providing primary care in the field.
A few months into your FNP program, you will receive a placement intake form.
Using information from the form and clinical objectives, a dedicated placement specialist will locate an appropriate preceptor and handle the logistics for your clinical rotation.
We source preceptors from our network of providers, but also welcome any referrals if you have a specific preceptor in mind.
We will ensure your clinical sites are qualified to meet program and state-specific requirements, and will handle all of your rotation paperwork.
Your Student Success Advisor will communicate with you regularly to guide you through each step, all the way up to graduation.
In schools where students are left to handle placement on their own, this puts added stress on the student. Intensive research and coordination takes time away from studies and could mean months of waiting for a placement. A lack of support may also lead to miscommunication or rejected placements, which could set a student's studies back for months.
The Carson-Newman Department of Nursing believes you are only as successful as your training, which is why we have taken the stress out of the clinical placement process. With this peace of mind, you can focus on your studies and building competency instead of worrying about clinicals.
“Clinical placement support” can mean various things from school to school. The Carson-Newman advantage is that our clinical placement services are comprehensive, giving give you the support you need to succeed as an FNP student, from start to finish.
Our Network Support – Your Placement Specialist will handle the logistics of securing quality placement sites and preceptors from our network of providers for 600 clinical hours, as well as any referrals from you.
Your Focus – Our support saves you hours, days, months of time, so you can focus on your coursework and core competencies.
Your Success – Our comprehensive clinical placement services will help you stay focused and thrive as you gain clinical competencies as an FNP.
Our Network Support – Your dedicated Placement Specialist will work with you and handle the logistics of securing quality placement sites and preceptors from our network of providers, as well as any referrals from you.
Your Focus – Our support saves you hours, days, months of time, so you can focus on your coursework and core competencies
Your Success – Your placement specialist will ensure clinical compliance for your program and state, to help you prepare for clinicals, supporting your clinical success
Residency Experience
One three-day required on-campus residency experience provides you the opportunity you to meet and connect with your peers and program faculty. During the campus residency, students will come to campus for hands-on skills practice and to complete an advanced assessment physical exam.
NURS 503 - Advanced Pharmacology, 3 credit hours Advanced pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of commonly used drug categories are analyzed in depth with consideration to safe, high-quality, cost-effective drug therapy for client care.
The online Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner program (MSN-FNP) is for registered nurses who hold a BSN degree and are looking to prepare for the role of an advanced practice nurse. Graduates gain the skills necessary to define their own future as holistic and confident family nurse practitioners, ready to impact their communities.
The fully accredited online MSN-FNP degree program is 100% online (not including clinicals or residency), which allows you to earn your MSN on a schedule that supports work-life balance.
Carson-Newman University offers student-centric support, including:
Personalized admissions assistance
Free clinical placement services
Affordable tuition for less than $30k
Flexible, online coursework
No application fee
An efficient path–graduate in as few as 32 months
1:1 support throughout the program from a Student Success Advisor
What is a Family Nurse Practitioner?
A family nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has received the specialized clinical and educational training necessary to practice primary family-focused care. Like a family physician, a family nurse practitioner works with patients of all ages to diagnose medical conditions, treat illness, prescribe medications and maintain health over the lifetime.
The laws regulating family nurse practitioners differ from state to state. Certain states require FNPs to work under the supervision of a physician. In many states, however, family nurse practitioners are authorized to work independently.
What Does a Family Nurse Practitioner Do?
Think of a family nurse practitioner as a registered nurse who is licensed to perform many of the same roles as a family doctor. A family nurse practitioner sees patients of all ages for scheduled or drop-in health care appointments. Depending on state restrictions, he or she performs physical exams, orders diagnostic tests and procedures, diagnoses illnesses, prescribes and administers treatment, and educates patients on how to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles.
Where Do Family Nurse Practitioners Work?
Family nurse practitioners work in a variety of settings. While many choose to work in private practice, others work in settings such as retail clinics, hospitals and schools.
Private Practice: Many FNPs work in private practice outpatient clinics, where they focus on providing primary care to their supervising physician’s patients or their own patients.
Retail Clinics: It is becoming common for FNPs to work in retail health clinics. Often these clinics are open during regular business hours up to seven days a week and attract a high percentage of walk-in patients.
Urgent Care Centers: Urgent care centers are where patients go for non-emergency urgent care such as minor fractures, sprains and allergic reactions, all of which FNPs are trained to handle.
Hospitals: Some FNPs choose to work in hospital settings. Because their training is in primary care, FNPs who want to work in hospitals often obtain additional certification as an acute care nurse practitioner or emergency nurse practitioner.
Schools: A small percentage of FNPs work in schools where they provide primary care for students.
What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Family Nurse Practitioner?
A family nurse practitioner has many important roles and responsibilities. Just like a primary care physician, an FNP provides diagnosis, treatment, disease management, health education, and preventive health care services. Depending on the state they work in, FNPs have the authority to:
Manage chronic health conditions like hypertension and diabetes
Treat minor acute injuries (such as sprains and strains) and illnesses (such as flu)
Provide health care to people of all ages, from infants and children to adults and the elderly
Conduct health assessments and physical examinations
Oversee women’s health requirements, including preconception and prenatal care
Educate patients about health, wellness and disease prevention throughout the lifespan
Order and interpret diagnostic tests
Prescribe medication
FNPs work with a broad patient population including members of all genders and ages. In many parts of the country, particularly in rural areas, family nurse practitioners are the sole primary care providers in FNP-led care clinics.
How Much Do Family Nurse Practitioners Make?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for a nurse practitioner was $123,780 per year in 2021. This is over $46,000 more than a registered nurse's 2021 yearly median wage of $77,600.
Salaries vary for nurse practitioners based on where they work and their specialty. Overall, nurse practitioners are compensated well, with the top 50% taking home six-figure salaries (U.S. News & World Report).
What is the Job Outlook for Family Nurse Practitioners?
The job outlook for family nurse practitioners is excellent. Since the United States currently faces a shortage of primary care physicians, there is a surging demand for family nurse practitioners.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects over 121,400 new nurse practitioner jobs will be created from 2020 to 2030, representing an employment growth rate of 45% (much faster than the average).
Why Become a Family Nurse Practitioner?
Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) have high earning potential; they typically make more than RN or BSN-prepared nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that a nurse practitioner's 2021 median annual pay is $123,780. Additionally, nurse practitioners are experiencing a job growth rate that is much faster than average.
FNPs enjoy high levels of job satisfaction and more autonomy than RNs. Nurse practitioners are ranked as #1 in Best Health Care Jobs and #2 in 100 Best Jobs nationwide by U.S. News & World Report. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 69.7% of nurse practitioners are certified in family practice.
FNPs fulfill a real need. By earning an MSN-FNP degree and becoming a nurse practitioner, graduates will help bridge gaps in primary care. The shortage of primary care physicians is expected to reach as high as 48,000 by 2034. FNPs are answering the call to make health care more accessible across the U.S., especially in primary care.
NURS 507 - Advanced Health Assessment, 3 credit hours
NURS 507 - Advanced Health Assessment, 3 credit hours
Comprehensive health assessment of the client with advanced application and synthesis of physiologic, psychological and sociocultural concepts as applied to comprehensive health appraisal of individuals, families and community groups. (60 Clinical Hours)
NURS 516 - Research Methods and Design in Nursing, 3 credit hours
NURS 516 - Research Methods and Design in Nursing, 3 credit hours
Exploration of quantitative and qualitative methods and research designs useful in clinical investigation for health-related trends in healthcare delivery.
NURS 537 - Advanced Primary Nursing Care for Adults, 7 credit hours
NURS 537 - Advanced Primary Nursing Care for Adults, 7 credit hours
Exploration and application of advanced nursing theory in the provision of a wide range of health promotion and care services for adults, including the elderly population. (240 Clinical Hours)
