A family nurse practitioner (FNP) provides continuing and comprehensive healthcare for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and body systems.

Primary care Primary care is the day-to-day healthcare given by a health care provider. Typically this provider acts as the first contact and principal point of continuing care for patients within a healthcare system, and coordinates other specialist care ...

emphasizes the holistic nature of health and it is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, emphasizing

disease prevention Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, consists of measures taken for the purposes of disease prevention.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental hea ...

and

health promotion Health promotion is, as stated in the 1986 World Health Organization (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, the "process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health." Scope The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for Hea ...

. This history of this role began in the 1960s when health care planners and legislators determined that primary health care was not meeting the immediate demands of the United States' citizens. Medical schools were given money to start family practice programs to meet this need, and the practice movement began to grow.

Education and board certification

Following educational preparation at the

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' l ...

level, FNPs must become board certified by an approved certification body. Board certification must be maintained by obtaining continuing nursing education credits. In the US, board certification is provided either through the

American Nurses Credentialing Center The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), is a certification body for nursing board certification and the largest certification body for advanced practice registered nurses in the U ...

(awards the FNP-BC credential) or through the

American Association of Nurse Practitioners The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is a North American for profit, membership organization formed in 2013 as a result of a merger between the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (founded in 1985) and the American College ...

certification program (awards the NP-C credential).

Becoming a family nurse practitioner

Before becoming a family nurse practitioner, a person must graduate from a four-year college or university nursing program that is accredited by

American Association of Colleges of Nursing The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is a national organization of nurses in the United States that is dedicated to advancing nursing education. It was established in 1969, and represents nursing schools at 840 universities and ...

(AACN) or the

National League for Nursing The National League for Nursing (NLN) is a national organization for faculty nurses and leaders in nurse education. It offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiative ...

(NLN). This would result in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the college or university. Next, a person would need to pass the RN licensing exam, which is the

NCLEX The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States, Canada and Australia since 1982, 2015 and 2020 respectively. There are two types, the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN. Aft ...

(National Council Licensure Examination). After passing this exam, the person is a Registered Nurse and is able to enter the work force. Most nurses work for a few years in the field before pursuing further education. After completion of this prior work, a person can apply to and obtain a Master's or Doctoral degree from a family nurse practitioner program. The program should be accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing The National League for Nursing (NLN) is a national organization for faculty nurses and leaders in nurse education. It offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiative ...

(ACEN). A family nurse practitioner may also select a sub-specialty. The following are some possibilities: Medical-Surgical, Cardiac, Endocrine/Diabetes, Renal/Urological, Perinatal, Long-Term Care, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation, Pulmonary, Pediatrics, Gerontology, ER/Trauma, Post-Partum, Psychiatric, and Critical Care.

Scope of practice

FNPs deliver a range of acute, chronic and

preventive healthcare Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, consists of measures taken for the purposes of disease prevention.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental hea ...

services. In addition to diagnosing and treating illness, they also provide preventive care, including routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunization and screening tests, and personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. FNPs also manage chronic illness, often coordinating care provided by specialty physicians.

References

{{Nursing Community nursing Primary care

Education and board certification

Becoming a family nurse practitioner

Scope of practice

See also

References