Overview

The 42 credit Family Nurse Practitioner Program educates advanced practice nurses to practice primary care, which includes health promotion, health maintenance, disease prevention, and diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illness, in a variety of settings (e.g., community clinics, private offices, urban areas, rural areas, school-based clinics, prisons) throughout the patient’s lifecycle. The program is designed for professional nurses who have a B.S. in Nursing degree or a M.S. in Nursing degree.

Degree Requirements

Requirements for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program include:

Family Nurse Practitioner Curriculum

All courses below require a grade of B (3.0) or better to progress.

Admission Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or an M.S. in Nursing from an accredited college or university.
2. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
3. GPA of 3.0 or above required.
4. Applicants with international education are required to have their earned credits evaluated by NACES to be comparable to  United States standards. 
5. Copy of currently registered and unencumbered New York State RN License.
6. Resume or CV.
7. Personal Statement (500 word essay)
8. One Professional or Academic Reference

For any additional Admissions Requirements, please refer to the general requirements for admission and matriculation in the Admissions  section of this catalog. 

Transfer Credits 

Graduate courses taken at other institutions prior to admission at Mercy College may, if pertinent to the plan of study, be credited to the graduate degree. Transfer credit is limited to 6 credits for applicants without a M.S. in nursing degree and 12 credits for applicants with a M.S. in nursing degree or an internationally-trained medical graduate (a physician who graduated from a medical school outside of the United States) with a B.S. in nursing.  The nursing program will transfer courses taken within ten years (individually assessed by the School) in which the student received a grade of B or above. Transferring courses taken more than 10-years ago will be at the discretion of the program director. Transfer courses taken prior to admission will not be computed in the quality point average.

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Program Design

The program is designed for part-time students taking up to six credits per semester. 

Program Requirements

Requirements for matriculation and admission into the Master of Science program- Family Nurse Practitioner, include the following:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or a M.S. in Nursing degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Official transcripts from all colleges / universities attended. 
3. Applicants with international education are required to have their earned credits evaluated by NACES to be comparable to United States standards. 
4. Copy of currently registered and unencumbered New York State RN License. 
5. Personal Statement (500 words about why you want to become a Family Nurse Practitioner).
6. Professional or Academic Reference

Practicum Requirements

Practicum is a 200 hour precepted experience each semester for three semesters. Students should be in touch with the Practicum advisor at least one semester before they are scheduled to begin. Students must be in good academic standing with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and have completed the required prerequisites to enroll in Practicum. 

Requirements: 

All students must have the following in order to start the practicum. Copies must be submitted to the Nursing Clinical Coordinator in one email. 

1. Current malpractice insurance that extends through the practicum period.
2. Current BCLS.
3. Copy of current NY State RN license verification from New York State Office of Professions website or any other state within the U.S.A. in which you will engage in the practicum experience. 
4. Completed background check and drug screen: See clinical coordinator for website and detailed instructions.
5. Associated fees for these clearances must be paid by the student. 
6. Lab report with titers for MMR Varicella Hepatitis B,C.
7. Vaccination for seasonal flu (current season)
8. The agency may require the following additional documentation prior to starting the onsite practicum that is not requested by Mercy College:
   1. Proof mask fitting; Vaccination for seasonal flu, T-Dap, Hepatitis B, pneumonia or declination, color vision screening. Note: Some agency policies require mask use with flu declination.
   2. Recent (within 6 months of practicum) PPD or Quantiferon, or Negative Chest X-Ray.
   3. HIPAA, infection control &/or corporate compliance education verification.