MS and CAS in Family Nurse Practitioner

Offered in a Hybrid Format – THIS IS NOT AN ONLINE PROGRAM

Master of Science (MS) in Family Nurse Practitioner

View Certificate for Advanced Study (CAS) in Family Nurse Practitioner

The Family Nurse Practitioner program is designed to prepare expert advanced practice primary care clinicians capable of providing care to families in primary care settings. The program builds on the undergraduate foundation and develops advanced assessment, planning, and evidence-based clinical management skills. Family nurse practitioners provide primary and preventive care in such areas as pediatrics, family health, women’s health, and gerontological care. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities.

The SUNY Poly Family Nurse Practitioner program emphasizes clinical competence through theoretical understanding and practical application to primary care practice. Clinical expertise is acquired through clinical experiences in a variety of public, private, and community-based primary care agencies. The FNP student will complete approximately 750 hours of clinical practice in this 45 credit-hour program of study. In addition, the program provides a strong foundation for future scholarship, research and doctoral study.

The MS program accommodates both full-time and part-time students. Full-time students can complete the program in two years; part-time completion typically takes four years.

Program Requirements
The MS in Nursing with a major in Family Nurse Practitioner consists of 45 credit hours distributed as follows:

  • NUR 500 Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice (3 credits)
  • NUR 503 Advanced Nursing, Health Policy & the Health System (3 credits)
  • NUR 531 Family Theory (2 credits)
  • NUR 555 Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
  • NUR 560 Nursing Research Methods (3 credits)
  • NUR 566 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
  • NUR 567 Advanced Health Assessment Clinical (2 credits)
  • NUR 570 Clinical Pathophysiology (3 credits)
  • NUR 572 Family Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
  • NUR 580 Beginning Level Family Clinical (2 credits)
  • NUR 652 Family Primary Health Care I (3 credits)
  • NUR 658 Women’s Health Care (2 credits)
  • NUR 668 Family Primary Health Care II (4 credits)
  • NUR 670 Intermediate Level Family Clinical (3 credits)
  • NUR 680 Advanced Level Family Clinical (4 credits)
  • NUR 692 Culminating Seminar for Nurse Practitioners (2 credits)

Clinical Experiences
Students must have a clear and unencumbered nursing license in order to participate in clinical experiences. Failure to report any license sanction or condition will result in automatic course failure and probable dismissal from the nursing program.

All students are expected to perform clinical duties with the utmost professional, ethical, and caring behaviors. All students, regardless of level, will be expected to adhere to legal and ethical standards as established by regulatory agencies and nursing professional standards. There is a zero tolerance for breaches of ethics or professionalism. Unsafe clinical performance is care that seriously jeopardizes a patient’s well-being, and/or causes potential or actual harm to self or others. No student demonstrating unsafe performance will be allowed to continue in clinical settings. Any acts of omission or commission by a student that are deemed unsafe, unethical or unprofessional are grounds for course failure, and probable program dismissal.

Degree Requirements Overview & Program Notes – Family Nurse Practitioner Program

  • Regardless of overall GPA, students can apply only two “C” grades in courses taken towards the degree.
  • A “C” grade will only be acceptable towards degree requirements in common nursing core courses: NUR 500, NUR 503, NUR 531 and NUR 560.
  • All students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to graduate.
  • Graduate students may repeat a total of three nursing courses that count towards graduation; each of these courses may only be repeated once.
  • Students may transfer up to 12 credit hours, if applicable, from another graduate program.
  • Students must maintain continuous registration, equal to or greater than one credit while completing degree requirements. MS Nursing students can do this by registering for CMT 600 – Continuous Registration.  This only applies to students who have an incomplete in their last semester and it can only be applied once.  Students must be registered at SUNY Polytechnic Institute during the term they intend to graduate.
  • All clinical experiences for the nurse practitioner program must be done only in New York
    State.
  • Applicants must possess and maintain a current unrestricted, unencumbered license as a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) in New York State and report all jurisdictions and/or states in which a license/registration is or has ever been held,
  • All students must satisfactorily complete a culminating examination to graduate

Certificate for Advanced Study (CAS) in Family Nurse Practitioner

Offered in a Hybrid Format – THIS IS NOT AN ONLINE PROGRAM

The Department of Nursing & Health Professions is authorized by the New York State Education Department to offer a post-master’s Certificate for Advanced Study in Family Nurse Practitioner to registered nurses who already possess both baccalaureate and master’s degrees in nursing from accredited programs.

Admission requirements for these post-master’s certificate programs are the same as for the department’s MS nursing program except applicants must have a minimum 3.2 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for all graduate level work completed.

Program Requirements
The CAS in Nursing with a major in Family Nurse Practitioner consists of 36 credit hours distributed as follows:

  • NUR 531 Family Theory (2 credits)
  • NUR 555 Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
  • NUR 566 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits)
  • NUR 567 Advanced Health Assessment Clinical (2 credits)
  • NUR 570 Clinical Pathophysiology (3 credits)
  • NUR 572 Family Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
  • NUR 580 Beginning Level Family Clinical (2 credits)
  • NUR 652 Family Primary Health Care I (3 credits)
  • NUR 658 Women’s Health Care (2 credits)
  • NUR 668 Family Primary Health Care II (4 credits)
  • NUR 670 Intermediate Level Family Clinical (3 credits)
  • NUR 680 Advanced Level Family Clinical (4 credits)
  • NUR 692 Culminating Seminar for Nurse Practitioners (2 credits)

The faculty realize that students in the post-master’s certificate programs will come with a variety of backgrounds and experience. Students will need to meet with an adviser early in the course of study to determine specific clinical needs. Every effort will be made to provide students with both necessary and desired clinical experiences. A Gap Analysis of all coursework and experience will be developed to determine what courses and experiences each individual student will need to satisfy the course requirements.

For updated information about the estimated cost to complete this program and other important information please visit the SUNY Poly website at the CAS in Family Nurse Practitioner webpage.