Online Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Schools and Colleges: How to Choose

Online master's degree programs in nursing are available to professional nurses looking to enter a career in family nursing. Although students receive online instruction, most program require students to complete an on-site practicum.

How to Choose an Online Family Nurse Practitioner Program

Award Levels

Family nurse practitioners (FNP) are advanced care nurses that offer primary, acute and clinical health care to a wide variety of patients that range from infants to the elderly. FNPs require specialized training that includes a master's or doctorate degree, such as the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), as well as an active nursing license. Students will need to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prior to pursuing these degrees.

Program Type

Online programs for nurse practitioners are offered in full online immersion programs that generally don't require students to attend classes on-campus. Students in the program view video lectures, participate in class exchanges though virtual online platforms and engage in discussions by posting to class message boards and chat rooms.

Technical Requirements

Students are required to have access to a computer with a relatively modern operating system and web browser. Students should have some level of competency in the use of administrative software such as Microsoft Office, Word and Excel. In order to download, access and open large media files such as video- streaming, students are advised to have broadband or DSL internet connection.

Popular Online Program for Family Nurse Practitioners

Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Family Nurse Practice

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is a general graduate level nursing degree that prepares students for advanced positions in the nursing profession. The online program typically takes two year to complete and offers a FNP concentration with core requirements such as theories in nursing and ethics in the health profession.
The degree program focuses on diagnosis, treatment and the management of common acute conditions and stable chronic conditions in a primary-care setting. Students develop critical thinking and decision-making skills necessary to evaluate the patient's health risks and recognize functional and dysfunctional health patterns of individuals and family members throughout their life span.
Typical courses include nursing practice with families, primary health care for childbearing patients and health care for middle aged and elderly adults. Students can also take courses such as child and family health, reproductive health and common health problems of adults.
The degree emphasis is wellness and disease prevention, allowing graduates to pursue numerous career options in nursing, education and family practice administration. Unlike research based master's degree programs this program does not require a thesis but a clinical practicum which can take from 1-2 semesters to complete.