Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) make a profound impact in people’s lives. An FNP specializes in primary and family care, and is responsible for diagnosing, treating, managing, and helping to prevent illness in patients of all ages and backgrounds. Their expansive responsibility and reach makes an FNP’s role unique, in that they are able to work with families over an extended period — thus having the time to build strong relationships and bonds with their patients. The wide-reaching capabilities and advanced skills required of an FNP make the need for a quality education that much more important for aspiring FNPs.

Goodwin’s FNP curriculum encompasses the unique skills needed to succeed and make an impact with patients over the lifespan. From leadership theory to current nursing concepts and practices, pathophysiology to pharmacology, Goodwin’s FNP classes will equip aspiring FNPs with the knowledge needed to excel in the role. Here are six FNP courses offered as part of our master’s program, that are fundamental to becoming a skilled Family Nurse Practitioner today.

1. Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice and Leadership
This is an essential FNP class because it lays the groundwork for advanced nursing practice. It also offers students the ability to provide a higher quality and focus of care. The most basic yet important themes and skills are explored in this FNP course, such as: communication, self-awareness, critical decision-making, team building, and interprofessional collaboration. All of these concepts, while foundational, are imperative for FNP professional growth.

2. Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice
This FNP class is necessary for understanding pathophysiology concepts of disease and shows students how to manage and mitigate acute and chronic onset illness. This course examines disease etiology, pathogenesis, and developmental and environmental influences on diseases. Furthermore, this class highlights pathophysiology and symptomatology in the assessment and management of diverse individuals across the lifespan.

3. Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice
The focus of this FNP course is all about Pharmacotherapeutics. Students will study the principles of pharmacogenomics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacodynamics. This course provides an in depth understanding of classes of drugs as they relate to administering in disease states. Beyond the technical classifications of drugs, students also gain insight into modern issues professionals face in regards to prescribing medications such as formulary restrictions, various cultural beliefs, and avoidance of medication errors.

4. Physical Assessment for Advanced Nursing Practice
This FNP class is an advanced building block of the health assessment skills developed in prior nursing education programs. It provides further knowledge for students to conduct a health assessment across the lifespan in diverse populations. This course focuses on acquiring and analyzing relevant data to develop a holistic assessment of the patient and develop an appropriate plan of care.

5. Current Concepts and Professional Roles in Advanced Nursing Practice
The field of nursing is constantly evolving, which is why this FNP class focuses on modern concepts integral to advanced nurse practitioners. This course explores evidence-based practice, population health, quality of care, safety and informatics within the field. Students will analyze factors influencing transition, licensure and current and future roles (locally and nationally) of APRNs.

6. Policy, Politics, and Organization of Healthcare
There are many complex policies within the healthcare system. This FNP course is designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the political and policy making process to empower nurses to help facilitate change within the healthcare system. Students will learn the principles of policy development, political engagement, and advocacy as it relates to issues and trends in the field.

These FNP courses not only hold extreme value and knowledge for aspiring FNPs, but also are offered online. This means becoming an FNP is more convenient and attainable for working RNs than ever. Aside from the program orientation, two immersion weekends, and clinicals practice hours, all courses are offered entirely online. This allows you to focus on your career, education, and personal life without the stress of a commute to campus. Want more information about Goodwin’s FNP classes or the general program? Contact our team of advisors today at 800-889-3282, or visit us online for more information.