Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Family Nurse Practitioner (BSN to DNP, MSN included)

• Admission Criteria

  1. Baccalaureate degree in nursing from an institution of higher education that is fully accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency, and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), or the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CHEA).
  2. A current valid and unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse in the U.S.  In addition, an applicant must not have had a previous revocation, denial, suspension, or restriction of their license from any state or country. Current unrestricted licensure as a Registered Nurse in the state where the clinical and immersion experiences, as well as the practice project will be conducted.
  3. Minimum of one (1) year paid clinical work experience within the past three years as a Registered Nurse before the application deadline, documented on the submitted resume.  Clinical work experience must include direct care in a public health, community, hospital, or ambulatory care setting that serves patients across the life span.
  4. Evidence of capacity for graduate study.
     • A blended cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all previous course work on the submitted transcripts;
     • A Science GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale comprising grades in anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, microbiology, statistics, and chemistry courses.
     • Completion of an undergraduate- or graduate-level statistics course with a grade of B or better.
     • Positive professional recommendations.
  5. Ability to articulate one’s professional goals, evidenced by the Admission Essay and faculty interview, with applicant's goals congruent with the objectives and resources of the Otterbein University Department of Nursing.  The essay should:
     • summarize the applicant’s professional background;
     • describe the role of the Family Nurse Practitioner and clinical areas of interest;
     • discuss professional and career goals, and how these goals can be achieved in the educational program, including the applicant’s ideas for the final scholarly project; and
     • describe past experiences and reflections that have influenced these goals.

     The essay should be carefully planned, written, and edited by the applicant.

  6. After review of the written materials, a selected pool of applicants will be required to participate in a faculty interview.

  The following experiences are not criteria for selection, but are highly recommended:

  1. Demonstrated facility with computer-based office productivity tools, including word processing, electronic mail, and spreadsheet manipulation. This may be achieved by completing one or more of several online tutorials and face-to-face workshops; and
  2. Demonstrated facility with the most recent version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (aka APA style). This may be achieved by taking one of several available tutorials, including the APA Tutorial available at the APA Website.

• Application Process

  1. Complete the online application. Indicate Summer Semester 2020 start date.
  2. Submit to grad@otterbein.edu the following documents, preferably as an MS Word or a PDF file:
     • A resume with all professional experience documented. Also include leadership activities, scholastic awards, nursing organizational memberships, and community service, as applicable.
     • The Admission Essay.
  3. Request from all institutions of higher education where you have earned credit, irrespective of number of courses taken, that an individual, official transcript be sent to The Graduate School, Otterbein University. They may be sent directly from the institution electronically to grad@otterbein.edu
  4. Request from three individuals who can support your potential academic ability, clinical competency, and personal character that they complete and submit a recommendation form. At least one should be from a clinical preceptor or person who has evaluated your clinical ability. Otterbein University reserves the right to contact persons providing recommendations and to acknowledge receipt of recommendations. Request that they be sent electronically to grad@otterbein.edu

  Students must submit documentation of meeting health requirements – including completion of the American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) curriculum – prior to starting classes, and must submit documentation of keeping health requirements current throughout their course of study.

• Curriculum Requirements

  Total of 69 graduate credit hours. All courses are required.

  Note: A minimum grade of B– is required in all courses. Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 throughout the program.

  A.  Advanced Practice Core Courses

  • NURS 6810 Advanced Pathophysiology for the Advanced Practice Nurse - 3 hrs
  • NURS 6820 Advanced Pharmacology for the Advanced Practice Nurse - 3 hrs
  • NURS 6830 Advanced Physical & Health Assessment for the Advanced Practice Nurse - 3 hrs

  B.  Doctor of Nursing Practice Core Courses

  • NURS 7210 Knowledge Building for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - 3 hrs
  • NURS 7220 Evidence-Based Practice & Informatics for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - 3 hrs
  • NURS 7230 Biostatistics & Epidemiology for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - 3 hrs
  • NURS 7240 Quality Practice for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - 3 hrs
  • NURS 7250 Policy & Politics for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - 3 hrs
  • NURS 7260 Leadership for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - 3 hrs

  C.  Family Advanced Practice Nursing Core Courses

  • NURS 7520 Procedures, Skills, & Prescribing for the Family Nurse Practitioner - 3 hrs
  • NURS 7530 Common & Acute Illnesses for the Family Nurse Practitioner - 5 hrs
  • NURS 7540 Complex & Chronic Illnesses for the Family Nurse Practitioner - 6 hrs
  • NURS 7550 Advanced Practicum & the Family Nurse Practitioner Role - 4 hrs

  D.  Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Courses

  • NURS 7920 Final Scholarly Project for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Supervised Study - 1-10 hrs
        NURS 7920 is taken multiple times for variable credit.
  • NURS 7940 Final Scholarly Project for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Proposal - 3 hrs
  • NURS 7950 Clinical Immersion for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Advanced Practice Nurse - 6 hrs
  • NURS 8000 Final Scholarly Project for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Dissemination - 3 hrs

• Sample Curriculum Grid

• Application Deadline