MSN FNP FAQs

Many students do work full-time and average 20-28 hours of school work each week. Students need the time to read, study, complete assignments, write papers, participate in class discussion boards, watch lectures, prepare for tests/quizzes, and document clinical encounters. Starting a graduate nursing program is like adding a part-time job to your current schedule and is something that should be discussed with your family and employer.

The AG-ACNP, FNP, and PMHNP degree and certificate programs at Ohio University are intended to prepare students for advanced practice nursing and national certification in those areas. State Boards of Nursing set individual standards for licensure in their state. It is highly recommended that students who seek admission to Nursing programs at Ohio University contact their home state’s Board of Nursing to verify that the desired program and its graduates will meet the eligibility criteria for approval for those credentials. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing has contact information for Boards of Nursing on their site, located here: www.ncsbn.org.

Our programs are intended to provide students with the opportunity to acquire the educational eligibility to meet standards for APRN certification or other professional distinctions through examination. A list of examinations and their credentialing bodies are below:

Certification Exams and Credentialing Bodies

The graduate nursing programs at Ohio University are intended to provide students with the opportunity to acquire the educational eligibility to meet standards for advanced practice certification or other professional distinction through examination. For the best information regarding eligibility and standards for these examinations, please visit the website for the credentialing bodies below.

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGACNP-BC)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): www.nursingworld.org/ancc

Family Nurse Practitioner

• Family Nurse Practitioner Certification (FNP-BC)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): www.nursingworld.org/ancc
• Family Nurse Practitioner Certification (NP-C)
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): www.aanpcert.org

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification (PMHNP-BC)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): www.nursingworld.org/ancc

Nurse Educator

• Certified Nurse Educator (CNE)
• National League of Nursing (NLN): www.nln.org

Nurse Leader

• Eligibility is dependent upon experience criteria in addition to education.
• Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP)
• American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL): www.aonl.org
• Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML)

The MSN-FNP program is six fifteen-week semesters in length with students taking courses in the spring, summer, and fall semesters. Semesters are fifteen weeks in length. Students have up to six years to complete the program.

Most students take 2 fifteen-week courses each semester for 5-9 total credits. Students can take fewer courses but it will take longer to complete their program. The definition of a full-time program can differ among financial aid or tuition reimbursement programs. Contact us for more information.

The programs combine online education and in-person education. Students take their courses through an online- format and are only expected on campus for the required On-Campus Intensives. Software applications utilized in nursing classes will work on either PCs or MACs. Office 365 Pro Plus is required and is now available at no charge to Ohio University students.

On-Campus Intensives (OCIs) are brief visits to a campus that may be required for specific instruction and assessment. These OCIs typically occur at the beginning, middle, and end of your program. The Virtual Orientation Intensive for all programs consists of a half-day virtual conference.

The On-Campus Clinical Skills Workshop associated with the first clinical course in our APRN programs is an on-campus visit to receive specific tack-specific instruction and coaching in preparation for the advanced practice role.

The schedule and details for program-specific OCIs will be provided at Orientation.