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Family Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice
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Sacred Heart’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program takes you from BSN to DNP as you earn your practice doctorate and prepare for a career as a nurse practitioner.
What is a DNP Nurse Practitioner?
Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) focus exclusively on providing family-centered primary care to children and adults in a clinical or family-practice setting. Nurse practitioners with a DNP degree are able to practice on their own, without the oversight of a physician in about half the states in the U.S.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a terminal degree for nursing. Graduates are eligible to take a national examination for certification as a family nurse practitioner and to apply to practice in the expanded role in Connecticut or other states based on regulatory guidelines.
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Discover the benefits of earning your DNP-FNP from Sacred Heart University.
DNP vs. MSN: Which Should You Choose?
A DNP is the highest level of education within the nursing practice. Compared to MSNs, DNPs have a more advanced understanding of patient care, disease diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and overall patient wellness, among other core subjects. Additionally, DNPs earn an average of $109,000 annually in the U.S., compared to an average of $100,000 for MSNs.
Nurses who have already earned their MSN have the opportunity to pursue our Post-Master's DNP.
The Benefits of Pursuing A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Degree
Current estimates from The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) predict a shortage of up to 120,000 physicians in the U.S. by 2030. While the DNP-FNP degree does not allow graduates to practice as doctors, many states do allow FNPs to practice autonomously, placing them in an ideal position to help address this shortage. Currently, 22 states, including Connecticut, offer FNPs full practice autonomy — meaning that they can practice without the supervision of an MD or DO.
Patients often seek the care of nurse practitioners over physicians because they find it easier to book an appointment while still receiving the same personalized, professional care. An estimated 1.06 billion patient visits were made to NPs in 2018, according to Joyce Knestrick, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
Why earn your DNP-FNP Degree at Sacred Heart?
Sacred Heart’s Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a Family Nurse Practitioner specialization is specifically designed for graduates of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program who wish to acquire the skills, experience and expertise to work as advanced practice nurses in primary family-centered care.
Sacred Heart as a university really honors and values people who want to help people and want to make a difference in the world.
Students gain a diverse outlook and a sense of support and belonging through interprofessional education with other colleges within the university, service-learning, and campus-community partnerships.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Sacred Heart University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and is recognized among the nation’s best graduate programs, according to U.S. News & World Report’s latest ranking.
Funding for FNP Education
The Davis & Henley College of Nursing, through the HRSA ANEW Advanced Practice Nursing in Underserved and Rural Settings Education (APNURSE) Project, is pleased to offer funding to support students interested in working for underserved patients in community-based care. Grants are available for eligible DNP FNP students in the amount of up to $25,000 for full-time students & up to $15,000 for eligible part-time students.
Read more about APNURSE or contact Cynthia O'Sullivan, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, with questions.
What makes Sacred Heart's program different from other DNP-FNP programs:
Candidates can expect an average of six on-campus classes per semester. This combination of on campus and online coursework allows candidates the opportunity to work closely and build relationships with members of their cohort, as well as SHU’s esteemed faculty.
Flexible learning options are available through our full-time or part-time plans of study. Full-time students complete their degree in three years, and part-time students complete the program in four years. Students in both plans take courses in the fall, spring and summer.
Students begin to take both FNP and DNP coursework in their first semester and continue on throughout the entirety of the program. By the time they graduate, candidates are prepared to provide comprehensive primary health care to patients across the lifespan in primary care settings, private practice or community health centers. In addition, they develop leadership skills including understanding health care policy, finance and regulatory environments.
The versatility of Sacred Heart’s hybrid program fulfilled my time needs. It really allowed me to pay my way through the program, work full time and take classes at my own pace.
What Do You Learn By Earning A Practice Doctorate?
- Apply and translate scientific evidence into practice
- Complete a DNP project that demonstrates practice scholarship
- Use computer information management systems and patient care technology to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of patient care
- Improve collaboration and communication skills and understand how these skills improve patient outcomes
Graduates from Sacred Heart’s DNP-FNP Program Are Prepared To:
- Take histories, perform comprehensive physical exams, make diagnoses, prescribe medications, and order and interpret diagnostic tests, as well as treat acute illnesses and chronic diseases.
- Make clinical judgments based on knowledge and evidence, developed through the process of clinical reasoning
- Become proficient in clinical prevention and population health
- Educate patients on health promotion strategies
Family Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice
Students develop their skills through hands-on learning in the ultrasonography clinic in the Center for Healthcare Education
DNP-FNP students students practicing with the tools in the ultrasonography clinic
Students develop their skills through hands-on learning in the ultrasonography clinic lead by College of Nursing faculty
Students develop their skills through hands-on learning in the ultrasonography clinic lead by College of Nursing faculty
Students develop their skills through hands-on learning in the ultrasonography clinic lead by College of Nursing faculty
Health assessment class in the Center for Healthcare Education skills lab
Health assessment class in the Center for Healthcare Education skills lab
DNP-FNP students practicing skills in their health assessment class
Doctor of nursing practice class at Sacred Heart University
Davis & Henley College of Nursing hosted the annual doctor of nursing practice hooding ceremony at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts on May 21, 2021
Davis & Henley College of Nursing hosted the annual doctor of nursing practice hooding ceremony at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts on May 21, 2021
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