Family Nurse Practitioner FAQ
Curriculum

Can I take the FNP program part-time?
Not at this time.

What non-clinical courses are required for the FNP concentration?
The non-clinical core courses include:

N501 Nursing Theory 3 hours
N503 Nursing Research 3 hours
N505 Health Care Policy 3 hours
N504 Evidence Based Practice in Nursing and Health Care 3 Hours

Are the non-clinical courses offered on the Web?
Yes.

What are the clinical core courses?
The following courses are clinical core courses:

N526 Advanced Pathophysiology 3 hours
N540 Advanced Health Assessment* 4 hours
*N540 Advanced Health Assessment

Advanced Health Assessment has three components, didactic, lab and clinical. In addition to weekly lectures in health assessment students have a lab component for 4 hours a week during the first half of the semester. At about mid semester students then start a clinical rotation, which replaces the lab, for a total of about 48 hours over the remaining 8 weeks (students continue with lecture in the second part of the semester).

N543 Pharmacology 3 hours

Are any of these courses offered on the web?
NURS 543 Pharmacology and NURS 526 Advanced Pathophysiology are offered online. NURS 540 Advanced Health Assessment is taught onsite only. Advanced Health Assessment has three components: didactic, lab, and clinical.

What are the FNP clinical courses?
The FNP clinical core courses are:

N541 Antepartum 3 hours 48 clinical hours
N548 Women's Health 3 hours 72 clinical hours
N542 Ambulatory Pediatrics 4 hours 72 clinical hours

N535 Adult Health I 3 Hours 48 Clinical (Summer)
N536 Adult Health II 5 Hours 96 Clinical (Fall)
N546 Ambulatory Pediatrics II 4 hours 96 clinical hours

What is the total number of clinical hours?
This concentration has a total of 864 clinical hours.

Will I get to visit any rural sites?
We use a variety of sites, including sites in rural areas. All students in this concentration are expected to travel outside of the Albuquerque area for a minimum of two clinical rotations in a 2-year period. It is the responsibility of the faculty to place students. If students are from a rural area, we make every effort to place those students in that area for their clinical rotation; however, we cannot guarantee clinical site rotations.

If I have a MSN, how can I get a FNP?
Students with an MSN will have already completed the core courses. They will be responsible for taking the remaining FNP courses. They must have taken graduate level pathophysiology and pharmacology within the past 5 years. Faculty will review any advanced health assessment courses on a case-by-base basis.