The United States is currently facing a severe shortage of nurses and nurse practitioners, particularly in primary care areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, and women’s health. The Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) track from Saint Mary’s College equips you with the expertise and leadership skills to meet this growing need.
Our DNP-FNP program is designed to be one of the most accessible and rigorous online nurse practitioner programs in the country. Our comprehensive nurse practitioner curriculum blends online instruction, immersive clinical rotations, and stimulating coursework to empower you to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare and pursue diverse career paths working with patients throughout the lifespan.
Advance Your Career as a Family Nurse Practitioner
Whether you dream of opening your own practice or becoming a family nurse practitioner within your current organization, there’s no better pathway to achieving your career goals than the Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family Nurse Practitioner track from Saint Mary’s College:
- Our unique combination of online courses and immersive in-person learning experiences help make us one of the most respected online nurse practitioner programs in the country. You’ll never have to sacrifice time in the lab to take accessible classes on your own schedule.
- In addition to your nurse practitioner classes, you’ll also take courses covering critical thinking, effective leadership traits, and social entrepreneurship — all of which can help you become a truly inspiring family nurse practitioner.
- As an FNP student at Saint Mary’s, you can add an optional area of focus in the quickly growing field of geriatric neuropsychiatry to increase your expertise as a nurse practitioner and help elderly patients live safe and active lives.
- Our Doctor of Nursing Practice program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education .This means you will graduate from a DNP-FNP program that is respected across the country for meeting the highest expectations of academic excellence and career preparation.
An Immersive Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
At Saint Mary’s, we are committed to providing hands-on clinical training to every one of our FNP students, regardless of where they live or work. Three times each year, our nurse practitioner students travel to campus to work in our cutting-edge labs and classrooms. These include realistic clinical exam rooms and simulation labs, as well as high-tech medical mannequins and observation rooms.
As you earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice, you’ll complete at least 780 clinical hours of direct patient care and 400 DNP Practice Innovation Project practicum hours. This invaluable real-world training will help you gain the expertise and confidence to become a family nurse practitioner who can inspire others and provide high-quality care.
Want to learn more about what makes us one of the most respected online nurse practitioner programs in the nation? Check out our Center for Integrated Healthcare Education.
A high-quality DNP-FNP Program with International Connections
Saint Mary’s has a huge footprint internationally, and they partner with the Sisters of the Holy Cross. I was interested in global health and felt that would be an avenue for me to explore a bit more [at Saint Mary’s] versus the local program here in North Carolina. Honestly, I thought it was a great program. It was challenging. You have to put the work in, but it’s well worth the time and effort.
– Kayla Wilkerson, DNP-FNP, Class of 2020
Careers for Doctor of Nursing Practice — FNP Graduates
As the fields of medicine and healthcare continue to evolve, there’s an unprecedented need for caring and adaptive nurse practitioners who can lead others and improve the healthcare system through thoughtful innovation. Saint Mary’s focus on patient-centered, interdisciplinary healthcare that looks at patients as individuals sets us apart from other online nurse practitioner programs.
Graduates of our Doctor of Nursing Practice program can go on to open their own practices or pursue other entrepreneurial endeavors throughout healthcare and related fields. Our FNP students qualify for elevated positions in hospitals and other healthcare settings in the private sector, government, or nonprofit spheres.
As an FNP student, you will be part of an extensive alumni network of other nurse practitioners and professionals. Additionally, you will receive dedicated career services for life as a graduate of Saint Mary’s College.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that career opportunities for nurse practitioners will grow by 38 percent by 2032. That’s more than seven times the national average for all other occupations. Specializing as a Family Nurse Practitioner could lead to even more opportunities throughout the country.