Centofanti School of Nursing
Certificate Director/ FNP Director
Wendy M. Thomas, DNP, CNS, FNP
3313 Cushwa Hall
(330) 941-2638
wmthomas@ysu.edu
Dr. Patricia Hoyson, Family Nurse Practitioner Coordinator
3112 Cushwa Hall
(330) 941-1440
plhoyson@ysu.edu
Certificate Description
The online Post - Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program at Youngstown State University is designed to prepare the Post-Masters prepared nurse with opportunities to build upon their current knowledge and obtain additional advanced practice knowledge and skill enabling them them to provide direct primary care across the lifespan. The Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program is not a degree program. This certificate program is designed to enhance the professional development of the masters prepared nurse by providing education and training that prepares them for a family nurse practitioner’s role.
The program is delivered in a fully online format.
Youngstown State University online nursing program must meet the standards of the state(s) in which we possess authority to provide education and may only admit students from states in which we have approval. Online nursing program students must complete the program in the state of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, or Florida.
Upon completion of the certificate, graduates are eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center and/or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners FNP certification examinations. Following national certification, graduates are also qualified to be recognized as a Family Nurse Practitioner and is granted prescriptive authority through the State Board of Nursing.
Advanced Standing Program (21 hours)
Applicants who are already have an MSN degree with nurse practitioner qualifications are automatically considered for advanced standing status. The advanced standing program permits students to complete all requirements of the Family Nurse Practitioner option in 21 hours. This unique program blends online coursework and clinical experiences, including a practicum consisting of 600 hours in a variety of primary care settings.
Admission Requirements
Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended
MSN degree with 3.0 undergraduate GPA
Valid, current unencumbered RN license in the state you will complete practicum hours
Minimum 1 year of recent practice as a registered nurse by admission start date
Complete graduate admissions application and pay $45 non-refundable application fee
- MSN degree from an accredited program
- Regular admission requires a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and verification of work experience
- Minimum 1 year of recent practice as a registered nurse by admission start date
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Verification of a current, unencumbered RN license and expiration date in the state in which the student is licensed and practices and will be completing practicum hours
Clinical Hours and Experience
Applicants will complete a Supplemental Employment Verification form as part of the application process. This is used to verify *recent clinical hours and experience.
*Recent clinical experience is defined as clinical RN work experience within 3 years of first practicum course.
- Current BLS certification, immunizations, drug screen and criminal background checks are maintained while in the program annually
The YSU online nursing programs must meet the standards of the state(s) in which authority is approved to provide education and may only admit students from those states. Online nursing students must complete the program in the state of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, or Florida.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Option Curriculum
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| NURS 6902 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 6903 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 6904 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 6917 | Differential Diagnosis | 3 |
| NURS 6918 | Advanced Diagnostics and Technologies | 3 |
| NURS 7003 | Role Development in Advanced Practice | 3 |
| Speciality Courses | ||
| NURS 7045 | Family Nurse Practitioner 1 | 3 |
| NURS 7046 | Family Nurse Practitioner 2 | 3 |
| NURS 7047 | Family Nurse Practitioner 3 | 3 |
| NURS 7048 | Family Nurse Practitioner 1 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7049 | Family Nurse Practitioner 2 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7050 | Family Nurse Practitioner 3 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7051 | Family Nurse Practitioner 4 Practicum | 1 |
| Total Semester Hours | 37 | |
Students will complete 600 hours of supervised clinical practice as part of this certificate option for national certification eligibility.
Advanced Standing Program (21 hours)
Applicants who are already have an MSN degree with nurse practitioner qualifications are automatically considered for advanced standing status. The advanced standing program permits students to complete all requirements of the Family Nurse Practitioner option in 21 hours. This unique program blends online coursework and clinical experiences, including a practicum consisting of 600 hours in a variety of primary care settings.
Courses include:
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 7045 | Family Nurse Practitioner 1 | 3 |
| NURS 7046 | Family Nurse Practitioner 2 | 3 |
| NURS 7047 | Family Nurse Practitioner 3 | 3 |
| NURS 7048 | Family Nurse Practitioner 1 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7049 | Family Nurse Practitioner 2 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7050 | Family Nurse Practitioner 3 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7051 | Family Nurse Practitioner 4 Practicum | 1 |
| Total Semester Hours | 19 | |
Centofanti School of Nursing MSN/Post-Master’s Grade Requirements
Satisfactory academic progress at the graduate level is maintained by satisfying the following criteria:
- A degree-seeking graduate student must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). *Any required course grade of D or F must be repeated and passed with a grade of C or better.
- A degree-seeking graduate student must successfully meet the requirements, including the time requirement, of all comprehensive examinations of the degree program.
- A degree-seeking graduate student must complete with a passing grade any thesis requirements (or the equivalent) of the degree program.
- A non-degree graduate student must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
- *Grades of D and F carry no graduate credit but will be used to determine the student’s grade point average. A student has the privilege of repeating a course once, but the repetition is treated merely as another course, along with the first, in calculating the student’s grade point average.
- *Any required course grade of D or F must be repeated and passed with a grade of C or better. Students may not advance in the program until they have taken the failed course, passed with a grade of C or better and maintain a GPA of 3.0.
For degree programs requiring up to 39 semester hours for completion, a student may count no more than six semester hours of coursework with a grade of C toward the minimum graduation hour requirements. For students in programs requiring 40 semester hours or more for completion, no more than nine semester hours of coursework with a grade of C may count toward the minimum graduation hour requirement.
*Grade Policy – Graduate Nursing Option-specific courses
In the seven (7) FNP courses (NURS 7045, NURS 7046, NURS 7047, NURS 7048, NURS 7049, NURS 7050, NURS 7051), the student MUST earn a grade of B or A. If a student earns a C or lower grade in any of these courses, the course MUST be repeated. The student can only repeat the course once. If a grade of B or A is not earned on the second attempt, the student will not be permitted to progress in the Graduate Nursing program.