Nursing is among the most respected professions in the US. In fact, according to Gallup’s survey, nurses ranked as the most respected professionals for 16 consecutive years. 

Nursing is also one of the fastest-growing fields in the US. In fact, according to Healthline, the US healthcare system has been experiencing a severe shortage of nurses for almost a decade. One of the subfields experiencing the shortage is that of primary care. To counter this, healthcare organizations are paying lucrative salaries to secure the services of competent nurses like family nurse practitioners. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the need for advanced practice nurses to grow by over 30% by the year 2026. 

In this article, we discuss what An FNP is and how you can become one. Let’s get into it.

What is a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)?

FNPs are similar to nurse practitioners. They provide care to patients for their entire life. The responsibilities of FNPs include identifying and treating health conditions, disease management, and prevention. Additionally, FNPs work in varied settings and treat patients of all ages. Their job role and experience enable them to provide some of the same services doctors provide. Hence, FNPs are crucial in closing healthcare gaps among the population and addressing staff shortfalls.

How to become an FNP

Becoming an FNP is a four-step process:

• Become a Registered Nurse.
• Complete an accredited MSN program concentrating on family care. You can acquire your degree online for added convenience. If you have any questions about an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Degree Online, search the internet for answers. 
• Get certified through ANCC or the AANPCB.
• Apply for FNP/APRN state license. However, not all states require nurse practitioners to carry a license. So do your research.

Become a Registered Nurse

The first step to becoming an FNP is to become a licensed registered nurse. To do so, you will have to complete an associate degree in nursing, a bachelor’s of science in nursing, or get a diploma in nursing from an accredited nursing program. Afterwards, you will have to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. After passing the exam, you can apply for your nursing license. 

Complete an accredited MSN program for FNP

After getting your license approved by the state you live in, you will have to enrol in a master of science in nursing (MSN) program concentrating in FNP. Be sure to choose a program the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) has approved.  

FNP programs are usually very tough. You will be required to gain expertise in:

• Advanced health assessment: In this course, you will learn to examine your patients, gather crucial biological, psychological, genetic, and cultural data, and analyze medical data to have an accurate and extensive understanding of your patients’ health.
• Primary health care for the family: In this course, you will learn about the best patient care practices across your patients’ lifetimes. Additionally, you will learn to educate your patients about their health conditions and implement medical treatment and lifestyle changes to help them manage said conditions.
• Advanced physiology/Advanced pathophysiology: In this course, you will learn about human development throughout life and physiological changes that occur in human bodies. Additionally, you will learn about how organs are affected by certain conditions. Lastly, you will learn about diseases and how genetics and the environment play a part in their occurrence.
• Biostatistics and research for healthcare providers: In this course, you will learn about research methods to evaluate your patients’ health and how to manage and analyze data. Lastly, you will learn about statistical concepts to help you understand medical research.
• Advanced pharmacology: In this course, you will learn about different medicines and their use to treat various health conditions. You will also learn about drug metabolism, drug-dose relations, how drugs move inside your body, and their effect on the body.
• Health care ethics: In this course, you will learn about ethics in the medical workplace. In addition, you will learn about how you can handle different types of ethical problems that occur in medicine.
• Health systems and Policy: In this course, you will learn about the structure of the healthcare system and how different policies affect it. You will learn about important issues like affordability and access to healthcare, rights of patients, health care quality, and protecting employees in the workplace.
• Crisis health care for the family: You will learn about providing healthcare and support to family members in this course. You will also learn about bedside manners, providing professional yet compassionate care, and teamwork.
• Advanced practice nursing: In this article, you will learn about analytics, leadership, and educational skills you need to become an FNP. You will also learn to educate people about healthcare and understand research and clinical evidence. 

Additionally, whether you take your FNP program online or on-campus, you will have to complete a certain number of clinical hours under the supervision of your preceptor. (Preceptor: a professional medical serving as a mentor)

Typical academic pathways

Once you have become a registered nurse, there exist several academic pathways you can take to become an FNP:

• BSN to MSN program: If you already have a CCNE/ACEN accredited bachelor’s of science in nursing, you can enrol in an MSN program. In addition, if you have a Bachelor’s in a non-nursing field, you can also enrol in an MSN program.
• RN to MSN program: As a registered nurse, you can directly enrol in an MSN program. It will allow you to complete your BSN and MSN together.
• Certificates Post MSN: If you have earned your MSN in a different specialization than FNP, you can earn Post-MSN certificates

Get certified through the ANCC or the AANPCB

After completing an accredited MSN-FNP program, you will have to take a certification exam administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB). 

Getting certified through the ANCC

The exam administered by the ANCC has 200 questions divided into three categories: 

• Foundations for Advanced Practice
• Professional Practice
• Independent Practice

These categories test you on subjects like pharmacotherapeutics, developmental physiology, pathogenesis, and advanced health and physical assessments across a lifetime. To be eligible for this exam, you must have:

• an active RN license in a state or territory of the US. You can also qualify if you have a credential that is equivalent to the RN license
• completed a master’s, doctoral, or post-graduate program for nursing accredited by CCNE or ACEN
• finished at least 500 hours of clinical practice under the supervision of your mentor
• expertise in advanced pharmacology, advanced health assessment, advanced physiology/pathophysiology, differential diagnoses, and health promotion and maintenance

Getting accredited through AANPCB

The exam administered by the AANPCB has 150 questions. It tests your clinical knowledge in family/individual care across the life span (prenatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, older adult, and elderly primary care). To be eligible for this exam, you must have:

• an active RN license in the US or a Province/Territory of Canada
• completed or about to complete a master’s degree, a doctoral degree, or a post-graduate certificate in nursing accredited by the CCNE or ACEN. The degree must specialize in adult, family, or adult-gerontology.
• over 500 hours of clinical practice under supervision
• expertise in advanced physical assessment, advanced pharmacology, and advanced pathophysiology

After you pass the exam, you can apply for the FNP license in the state you live in. 

Conclusion

Family Nurse Practitioners are in high demand across the US. Healthcare organizations are paying top-dollar to competent professionals to secure their services. If you are interested in becoming a family nurse practitioner, you will have to complete certain requirements like becoming a registered nurse, graduating from an MSN-FNP program, passing the ANCC or the AANPCB program, and finally, applying for your state FNP license.