You cannot underestimate the impact that a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) has on growing families. Annual visits to the doctor become much more like milestones and achievements, when there are compassionate nurses there to receive kids and adults alike, year after year. Baby’s first appointment turns to check-ups before Summer camp, and before you know it, you’re bringing your youngest in for college immunizations! Family Nurse Practitioners are there for it all. For some registered nurses (RNs) with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, they have always known they wanted to go into family practice. For others who might not yet know about all of the benefits and possibilities, here are some reasons why you might want to consider becoming a FNP, through a program like Goodwin’s online FNP. 

Available fully online, this program fits your busy life. Besides clinical practice (which is virtually impossible to accomplish to its full extent, online), orientation, and immersion activities, you’ll never need to step a foot on campus if you don’t intend to. Graduating FNPs find career outcomes that they love, working with populations like women, children, and adults in a variety of settings, including private practice, community healthcare centers, universities and more. 

According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, FNPs might perform job functions such as: 

• Prescribe medications 
• Maintain patient records
• Perform physicals
• Develop treatment plans
• Treat acute and chronic illness, conditions and injuries  

With advanced responsibilities like these, it’s no surprise that FNPs are also required to have an advanced education. Luckily, the Family Nurse Practitioner salary makes up for it!  

FNP Salary Information 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the mean annual wage for FNPs is $111,840 across the nation. Even better news for Connecticut nurses: the average FNP salary in Connecticut is over $115,000 per year. In the CT non–metropolitan area specifically, Family Nurse Practitioners earn an average of $136,580 annually! Whether you plan to stay in CT or move elsewhere, becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner means entering a lucrative profession.  

Once you learn how much you can make, you probably want to know what it’s going to cost to get there. Attractive FNP salaries in the 100k range may have you estimating how long you’ll need to spend in school… six years? Eight? Well, you might be pleasantly surprised see the entire tuition calendar laid out plain and simple, for Goodwin University’s 27-month, flexible, online, year-round FNP program. It seems impossible, but yes, you can make an excellent FNP salary in a little over two years, on a school schedule that makes sense for your life. In addition, the tuition transparency that Goodwin University takes pride in, means that you can budget smart and set off on your career on the right foot.  

Getting Started 

The Family Nurse Practitioner role is, appropriately, an advanced-practice nursing role. This means that there are certain educational prerequisites that you’ll need, in order to qualify for the FNP program. The following are requirements for admission into Goodwin’s FNP program: 

1. You must possess a legitimate and current RN license. 
2. As an RN, you must have performed two or more years of patient care services within the last five years. 
3. You’ll need to submit a transcript verifying that you’ve achieved a bachelor’s degree in nursing. If in the U.S., your alma-mater needs to be accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or the equivalent if you studied internationally. 
4. You must have achieved a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.0 from your most recent degree.  

If you have hit these benchmarks, you’re ready to apply! Included in your application, you’ll need to provide a resume and a personal statement, an immunization report, a formal application, and finally, a $50 application fee. As you assemble your admission requirements, read up on how to become a family nurse practitioner for full information about what it takes. 

If you’re just about ready to jump right into the job search, let us remind you that Goodwin University strives to help students put their best foot forward through our career services department. There is a dedicated specialist for Nursing (at the Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s levels), who is seasoned in the healthcare field. One of the advantages of Goodwin University’s career services is the first-name basis you’ll get on with this specialist. You can call or e-mail Martin Levine at any time!  

Or, take advantage of campus happenings like mock interviews, resume workshops, and personal attention to your cover letter. Can’t make it to campus? There are also off-campus resources for career development and employment that you are welcome to utilize, both as a student and as alumni. Earning the best Family Nurse Practitioner salary that you can, starts with a bit of practice and research as you investigate the work environment that’s right for you. Goodwin University can help you get there.  

Hitting your nursing career out of the park is possible. Goodwin University’s FNP coursework provides the advanced studies that you’ll need to become a leader in this practice, through both theory and hands-on work with patients. You’ll be investing in 600 hours of clinical practice while in the FNP program! Only you, can make the choice to take this rigorous curriculum and turn it into a lifestyle, a career, a passion project, and a healthy salary on which to build your future. Chase your APRN-FNP dreams, by calling 800-889-3282, or by learning more, online today.