ELM-MSN: School Nurse Services Credential (SNSC) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

APU’s Entry-Level Master’s in Nursing (ELM) program is designed for students who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees in other disciplines but want to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing.

This combined specialty program prepares nurses to be effective practitioners of school health and provide primary care for people of all ages in a variety of other settings. Students develop theoretical and practical expertise in nursing and education applied to basic health services in public schools (K-12). This prepares nurses to establish, maintain, and coordinate a comprehensive school health program. The advanced practice family nurse practitioner specialty includes direct client assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment, client advocacy, client/family education, consultation, program planning, implementation, evaluation, and research.

Graduates are eligible to apply to the state of California for the School Nurse Services Credential, and to apply for certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. They are also qualified for and may seek national FNP certification by examination through specialty organizations. For details about academic core, advanced practice core, and concluding courses, see the MSN program requirements. Students must also take a state-of-California-approved audiometry course to meet the SNSC requirements.

Contact the School of Nursing for specific program availability and locations. Prelicensure coursework must be completed prior to beginning advanced practice nursing coursework.

Requirements

Academic Core Courses10
GNRS 506Spiritual Concept Analysis in Health Care3
GNRS and/or GSPH XXX Electives7
Advanced Practice Core Courses10
GNRS 610Advanced Pathophysiology3
GNRS 611Advanced Pharmacology3
GNRS 612Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning 14 (3/1)
FNP Specialty Courses24 (12/12)
GNRS 600Nurse Practitioner Clinical Experience 212
GNRS 601Primary Healthcare I: Adult and Aging3
GNRS 602Primary Healthcare II: Population-based Health Interventions3
GNRS 603Primary Healthcare III: Restorative and Palliative Interventions3
GNRS 590DPrimary Health Care of the Young Family3
Other Specialization Courses11
GNRS 510Family Theory in Health Care2
EDUC 537Curriculum Development, Revision, and Evaluation Process3
GNRS 550ATheory and Practice in School Nursing6 (3/3)
APRN Intensives4
GNRS 615APRN Intensive I1
GNRS 616APRN Intensive II1
GNRS 617APRN Intensive III1
GNRS 618APRN Intensive IV1
Concluding Course1
GNRS 597Comprehensive Examination Directed Study1
Total Units 360
1

Numbers in parentheses are classroom/clinical units.

2

Students may enroll in 2-6 clinical units per semester with faculty approval.

3

Students must also take a California-approved audiometry course to meet SNSC requirements.

Admission

University graduate admission and program-specific requirements must be met before an application is complete (see Admission to the University). Program-specific application requirements are available online.

International students should contact Graduate and Professional Admissions for application procedures.