Florida Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
As a family nurse practitioner (FNP) in Florida, you can enjoy a high degree of autonomy with a wide scope of practice and the medical authority to treat patients throughout the lifespan. As the pinnacle of your nursing career, your diagnostic skills and advanced knowledge can help Florida communities move forward with the primary care and preventative treatment that they need. According to a white paper by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, FNPs are the hope for a future that provides affordable, timely and effective care. With a Family NP degree, you may practice in exciting areas of care that provide lucrative opportunities and the ability to establish a rewarding practice.
As you begin your search for the Primary Care NP program that will be right for you, take time to investigate your options thoroughly. Below, we have featured schools that offer online and distance learning options to earn your Family Nurse Practitioner degree.
Request information from these schools to learn more about each program. You can also find a full listing of APRN degrees with a family focus by searching in the widget above. As always, if you have additional questions, please contact us!
As an FPN in Florida, your role in advanced practice shifts from the bedside to the management of disease and conditions within your scope of practice. Your responsibilities include prescribing medications, ordering diagnostic tests and providing follow-up care for your patients. Although Florida currently requires the review of a physician for certain FNP duties, according to the Tampa Bay News, nurse practitioners are seeking more autonomy to practice completely independently of physicians with the strong support of new legislation. The shortage of primary care physicians in Florida has made it necessary to increase the autonomy of NPs and provide the necessary care for the overwhelming rise of an aging population.
FNP Program Curriculum
As a registered nurse, your current degree may meet the requirements for admission into several options of completing an FNP course of study such as:
- BSN to DNP program with a Family focus
- MSN to a post graduate certificate in FNP
- MSN to an FNP as a Masters degree program
Whichever path you select, your classes are designed to build on your existing experience and knowledge of advanced nursing practice. The curriculum is devised to provide the support for an expanded scope of critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning and advanced skills in the clinical management of preventative and primary care.
Your curriculum may include classes such as:
- The human experience of health and illness: an introductory course to the integration of nursing theories, health assessment and methods of intervention.
- Advanced health assessment applications: provides the knowledge and support you require to identify high-risk populations and the delivery of preventative care for all ages across the lifespan.
- Advanced studies in pharmacology: prepares you to shift your role from medication administration to the authority of prescribing drug therapy for patients.
- Health assessment for the FNP: provides you with the assessment, diagnostic rationale and implementation of care for chronic conditions, primary care models and clinical reasoning skills.
Most FNP programs in Florida require three semesters of a clinical practicum that permit you to practice the management of an array of conditions commonly encountered in a primary care setting. As a full-time FNP student, you can typically complete your master’s degree in two to three years of studies. Part time programs are also available that vary in length and are designed to meet the needs of your busy work schedule.
Although the costs of your FNP degree may be challenging to fund, the State of Florida has created the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program to encourage FNPs to practice in areas that have limited access to care. In addition to tuition reimbursement, income tax exemptions are also offered as outlined by the Affordable Care Act.
Employment Opportunities for FNPs in Florida
With a high demand for FNPs in the Sunshine State, numerous areas of care are available to the advanced practice nurse that has the medical authority to treat patients of all ages. As reported by Forbes Magazine, FNPs have achieved an unprecedented ranking in the top 20 of the most desired professions by the Merit Hawkins annual review. According to BLS (2017), Nurse Practitioners in Florida commonly practice alongside physicians in office and hospital settings and may expect a mean annual salary of $95,650.
Although the majority of nurse practitioners provide care in medical centers and doctor offices in Florida, your options for practice are expansive, and include both private and public areas such as:
- Hospitals, medical centers and medical groups
- Ambulatory and urgent care centers
- Governmental health departments
- Rural and urban health clinics
- Community-based healthcare
- Indian healthcare services
- Occupational health services for private corporations
As a PCP in Florida, you may play a fundamental role in the evolution of primary healthcare systems and become an important agent of change. The role as a valued health care provider can reward your career with broad opportunities and your life with self-satisfaction.
To learn more about how to advance both your nursing education and your career by becoming a Nurse Practitioner with a Family focus, submit your requests for information to the schools you find on this page.
