Loyola University New Orleans

Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing offers both a BSN to MSN and a BSN to DNP program in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty. These programs prepare RNs who wish to become advanced practice registered nurses for work in primary care settings with patients across the lifespan, within the context of the family unit. After completing either program, students will be eligible to sit for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board and/or the American Nurses Credentialing Center examinations for national certification as aa family nurse practitioner.

Loyola University New Orleans’ Online BSN to MSN Program

Loyola University’s Online BSN to MSN program with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner is comprised of 48 credits and requires 720 clinical practicum hours, which students can complete over the course of two years of full-time study or four years of part-time study. This online MSN program requires a BSN for admission, as well as current RN licensure.

Classes in the program include Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics, Primary Care of Pediatrics, Primary Care of Adults, Advanced Research Methods, and Population Health Management. Instruction is delivered using an asynchronous online format which allows students to access lectures and course material anywhere at any time, and students interact with faculty and classmates through online discussion boards and forums. Students fulfill their 720 clinical practicum hours over the course of four 180-hour clinical practicum rotations spread out over four semesters. Students must complete their practicums in a variety of primary care settings that allow them to work with pediatric patients, adult patients, childbearing women, and elderly patients.

In addition to the online curriculum and clinical practicums, students must attend an on-campus orientation at the beginning of the program and one on-campus intensive for each year they are enrolled in the program. These on-campus intensives give students the opportunity to interact with course faculty and fellow students, and to engage in hands-on learning activities that reinforce the concepts they learn and discuss during class.

Loyola University New Orleans’ Online BSN to DNP Program

Loyola University’s online BSN to DNP program with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner consists of 78 credits and requires the completion of 1,260 clinical practicum hours. Students can complete the program through three years of full-time study or 5 years of part-time study.

Classes in this program include courses that are part of the MSN core curriculum, including Advanced Health Assessment, Primary Care of Adults, and Advanced Research Methods, as well as doctorate-level courses such as Health Policy and Economics, Leadership of Systems Change and Innovation, and Integrating Behavioral Health in Primary Care. As with the MSN program, classes in the online DNP program are delivered in an asynchronous online format, with 24/7 access. Students interact with course instructors and classmates through online web forums.

Students fulfill their 1,260 clinical practicum hours over the course of seven 180-hour practicum rotations, during which they must work with patients across the lifespan in a variety of primary care settings. They must also visit the campus four times throughout their enrollment–once for an on-campus orientation at the beginning of the program, and subsequently once each year that they are enrolled in the program.

Admission Requirements for Loyola University’s Online FNP Programs

Applicants to Loyola’s online BSN to MSN FNP program must hold a BSN from a CCNE or ACEN-accredited institution. Candidates must have maintained a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 during their undergraduate career, and also hold an active registered nurse license in their state of residence. Applicants are required to have completed at least 1800 hours of clinical nursing experience in the past year.

Candidates for the BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program must hold a BSN degree from an institution that has been accredited by either the CCNE or ACEN, and have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. They must also have completed a minimum of 1800 hours of professional experience as a registered nurse within the last year, and hold a current unrestricted registered nurse license in their state of residence. After their submission of application materials, candidates will be expected to undergo a web interview with one or more School of Nursing faculty members.

No GRE scores are required for either the MSN or the DNP application. All applicants, whether they are applying for the MSN or the DNP program, are required to submit three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, a curriculum vitae, and transcripts of their recent academic work. All applicants who are admitted must also undergo a certified background check.

Overview: Loyola University New Orleans: School of Nursing

Loyola University New Orleans Online FNP Programs