Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Driven by the health services demands of an aging population—including baby boomers living longer, more active lives—18 percent growth in health care occupations is projected by 2026.¹ Advanced practice nursing positions are growing even faster, with a 31 percent increase projected.²

Family nurse practitioners are in demand, as health care facilities across the nation lack primary care providers and other critical medical staff. Rural areas are particularly underserved, with a ratio of one primary care provider for every 2,500 people.³ That amounts to 60 million people affected by this shortage.

Program Outcomes

When you complete our 49-credit MSN-FNP, you will be able to:

• Effectively communicate and collaborate with patients
• Perform a focused assessment of a patient across the lifespan
• Use patient and clinical data to formulate health care diagnoses
• Provide an evidence-based, patient-centered plan of care appropriate for individual patients
• Identify and evaluate appropriate therapeutic interventions for the management of individual patients
• Collaborate across health care disciplines with a foundation of interprofessional experience
• Address the social determinants of health in the care of patients and populations

This program also prepares you to sit for certifications from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Meet the Primary Care Demand

As an FNP with a master’s in nursing from George Mason University, you can meet this demand while joining a field with a median annual salary of $110,930.² You will work collaboratively with other primary care providers, and independently, to help patients of all ages prevent disease, promote good health, and treat acute and chronic illnesses.

Launch a new practice in your community or work in an established facility, such as a home health organization, urgent care center, a hospital, or a residential treatment center.

Our Family Nurse Practitioner concentration prepares you to meet the needs of any community in a variety of settings. Graduate with a mix of clinical skills, research-informed insights on community and public health, and interprofessional experience so you can give your patients compassionate and holistic care.

Sources:

¹ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017 May). Healthcare occupations. Retrieved on April 12, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm.
² U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017 May). Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. Retrieved on April 12, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm.
³ Slabach, B. (June 20, 2018). Fixing the medical staff shortage problem in rural areas. Becker’s Hospital Review. Retrieved on April 12, 2019, from https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/population-health/fixing-the-medical-staff-shortage-problem-in-rural-areas.html.