DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner Track

Take primary care to a higher level with Franklin’s online DNP-FNP program

Family medicine needs more than caregivers – it needs leaders. Specifically, leaders who can translate community factors, social determinants and health risks into delivering the highest quality patient care. If you’re an advanced practice nurse committed to optimizing patient care through data, technology and other clinical and evidence-based practices, then Franklin’s Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) track is the right choice for you. 

If the DNP-FNP is not available in your state, see availability for our DNP-Leadership Track offering

Program Overview

Gain the advanced knowledge and practical skills required to innovate, lead, and impact patient care and outcomes at the highest level. As a busy nurse, Franklin’s DNP-FNP track combines learning and practicum hours to accelerate your degree program – a program you can complete in about 3 years.

For the DNP with FNP concentration, you’ll apply and demonstrate your competency for a total of 1,100 practicum and clinical hours, starting with your major area courses, continuing through your DNP seminar courses and FNP clinical hours. You may be able to achieve 500 hours from transfer credit or residency. Eligible students may be able to transfer up to 12 credit hours in coursework in addition to these 500 clinical hours. Plus, BSN to DNP students who complete the required bridge courses can earn up to 125 practicum hours for those courses.

Program Outcomes

Curriculum & Course Descriptions

Major Area Required
NURS 810 - Foundations of the DNP (3)

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the role of the DNP as a leader and change agent in healthcare. Skill development includes identification of a gap in practice, conducting a needs assessment, and describing the scope and significance of the problem. [Practicum hours: 50]

NURS 820 - Evidence-Based Prac & Qual Improvement (3)

This course focuses on advanced nursing practice as a form of inquiry, integration, and application of evidence into practice. Skill development includes evaluation of evidence-based practice methods, and use of information systems and patient technology for quality improvement.

NURS 830 - Clinical Prevention and Health Care Outcomes (3)

This course prepares students to assess, design, implement and evaluate evidence-based quality healthcare practices for individual and aggregate patient populations. Skill development includes defining outcomes linked to measures, variables, and data sources; and appropriate data collection and evaluation methods. [Practicum hours: 50]

NURS 840 - Leadership, Policy & Interprofessional Collaboration (3)

This course focuses on principles of leadership in relationship to change policy, and membership in high functioning teams to improve health care outcomes within complex systems. Skill development includes assessment of organizational culture, quality and safety data, and exploration of principles for effecting change as a member and leader of a team. [Practicum hours: 50]

Project Courses
NURS 850 - DNP Seminar I (3)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the support and direction needed, in collaboration with the sponsoring facility and preceptor, to develop a proposal for a comprehensive, site-specific DNP Project, including an evaluation plan. Skill development includes application of theory, review of the literature and population data to frame the DNP Project to drive cost-effective safe care. [Practicum hours: 125, PLO 1, 2, 3]

NURS 851 - DNP Seminar II (3)

In this course, the student secures school approval and implements the approved project plan. Skill development includes managing time and resources, assessing and managing implementation issues, data collection, and utilizing communication, and leadership and collaboration strategies. [Practicum hours: 125]

NURS 900 - DNP Seminar III (4)

In this course, the student completes and disseminates results of the project. Final projects reflect the student?s ability to employ effective communication and collaboration skills, take a leadership role, influence quality and safety, transform practice, lead innovation, and successfully negotiate change in health care delivery.

Family Nurse Practitioner Core
NURS 644 - Advanced Pathophysiology (3)

This course provides an in-depth study of the physiological changes and responses to altered health states and their impact on the functional status of patients. Students will focus on the essential knowledge of human health and disease across the lifespan. Pathophysiological theories and evidence-based research serve as a basis for applying content to population groups.

NURS 648 - Advanced Pharmacology (3)

This course focuses on the concepts, principles, and application of pharmacotherapeutics used in the management of health problems encountered in primary care. Emphasis is placed on theories and principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics, which provide a foundation for critical thinking, and the application of research finding. The focus on pharmacology is aimed at the treatment of acute and chronic health problems in populations over the lifespan. Prescriptive authority for nurses is explored.

NURS 646 - Advanced Physical Assessment (3)

This course builds upon the student?s previous health assessment knowledge offering more advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for advanced professional nursing roles. This course emphasizes knowledge of health assessment, including physical, psychosocial, spiritual health assessment, risk assessment, and functional assessment in diverse populations in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. To maintain a nursing focus on patient responses to health, illness, or the threat of illness, the nurse must exhibit effective communication and client teaching, which is incorporated throughout the course. The importance of effective documentation and health record keeping is included.

NURS 698 - Diagnostic Methods for the Nurse Practitioner (2)

This course will provide students with content regarding common diagnostic tests applicable to APN practice, the rationale for these tests, expected results and common abnormal results. Topics include selection of appropriate diagnostic tests, procedures for collecting specimens, analyzing selected tests and evaluating results. The role of the APRN is to be knowledgeable about evidence-based support for the choice of diagnostic testing and use critical thinking to evaluate the significance of this testing in the context of the test?s sensitivity specificity the disease prevalence and the patient?s likelihood for the condition. The APRN is an advocate for the patient when weighing the risk/benefit factors for testing while also being a good manager of resources and avoiding unnecessary testing which contributes to the high cost of medical care. The APRN needs to be familiar with legal implications of testing such as protecting the privacy of medical information, timeliness of providing test results, and laws concerning mandatory reporting. The ethics of autonomy and the right to refuse a test need to be considered as the APRN shares decision making with the patient. Socioeconomic factors and social determinants of health can influence create barriers to access to care and also need careful consideration.

NURS 700 - Foundations of Nurse Practition Practice

This course introduces the practice of primary health care. Principles of safety, quality, and the art of diagnosis and treatment influencing care delivery will be addressed. These include fundamentals in the art of diagnosis and treatment, population health, cultural competency, oral and written communication, and billing and coding. This course has a required basic office procedure skills and assessment lab of 16 hours.

NURS 701 - Primary Care I (4)

This course provides the nurse practitioner student with advanced theoretical knowledge in the principles of health promotion, disease prevention, and management of common acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours where students will complete appropriate focused and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients? health records.

NURS 702 - Primary Care II (4)

This course provides the nurse practitioner student with advanced theoretical knowledge in the principles of health promotion, disease prevention, and management of common acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours where students will complete appropriate, focused, and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients? health records.

NURS 703 - Management of Multidimensional Health (4)

This course focuses on the health care concepts specific to the application of assessment and management of common conditions with special emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction, and disease detection, with a focus on pediatric and geriatric populations. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours where students will complete appropriate focused and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients' health records.

NURS 790 - FNP Capstone (4)

This course focuses on the health care concepts specific to the application of assessment and management of physical and mental health with special emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction, disease detection, and gender-related well-being. Students will advance understanding of core concepts related to well-being and gender-related health in diverse populations. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours, where students will complete appropriate focused and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients? health records.

NURS 704 - Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Prep (1)

This course is designed to prepare the student to successfully pass the national certification exam. Emphasis will be on best test-taking practices and professional and independent practice in primary care for individuals and families.