Today, career advancement requires analytical and evaluation capability, administrative ability, and a depth of professional knowledge that can be obtained through education. A chronic shortage of nursing professionals across the country in recent years has led health care organizations to offer record salaries and benefits in this dynamic field.

FSU offers a graduate nursing program that leads to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Educator role specialties. Courses are offered through web based instruction methods. The Panama City Master's Program seeks to increase career opportunities in Bay County and the surrounding area.

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER

Nurse Practitioners traditionally practice in primary care settings. Nurse Practitioners provide primary care to healthy families and families experiencing acute health problems and/or chronic health problems in ambulatory care, sub-acute care, long term care, or acute care settings.  Courses in advanced health assessment, disease management, advanced skills, and pharmacology is required. The curriculum has all the components of the nurse practitioner advanced practice role as recommended by the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) and is consistent with that defined by the Florida Board of Nursing requirements and regulated by Florida Statutes for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs).  Clinical experiences are structured to meet prerequisites for writing certification examinations as Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).

NURSE EDUCATOR

This nursing education sequence is designed to take the myth out of teaching, conceived to approach the Teaching-Learning process in a systematic, orderly fashion, and to assure that educational outcome is directly related to nurse educator input and preparation. Based on andragogy and mastery learning as philosophical constructs, these courses allow Nurse Educators to enhance the teaching of adults in all health-related environments. Nurse Educators are prepared to function as faculty in schools of nursing, educators in health care facilities, patient educators, community educators, or entrepreneurs. Advanced practice experience in the realm of acute adult health care is provided in order to enhance the experiential knowledge needed of any basic educator position. With this specialty experience, the graduate from the Nurse Educator role specialty will be eligible for national certification in accordance with Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) guidelines.

Students may set their own pace of study by selecting the number of hours they take each term. Enrollment is available in fall, spring and summer terms for the nurse educator track. Clinicals may be completed locally with skilled mentors.  Pending approval, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program is planned to begin in fall 2009 and will replace the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Program.

Career Opportunities with this Degree

The Florida State School of Nursing prepares you for advanced practice positions in hospitals, community health agencies, clinics, and educational institutions. Read the descriptions above for the Family Nurse Practitioner and the Nurse Educator for more detailed career descriptions.