If you are a licensed registered nurse you may well be able to enroll in a new online Master of Science in Nursing degree program with a strong focus in Family Nurse Practitioner. This program, offered by Herzing University Online, is available in 27 states in the USA. The University says it is an opportunity for a licensed registered nurse to become a family nurse practitioner.

Dr. Todd Rickel, campus president of Herzing University Online, said:

“With the ongoing shortage of skilled nursing professionals and physicians specializing in family practice medicine, we believe this high quality, convenient learning option will help make it possible for more nurses to fill many of the roles in the healthcare continuum where talent shortages are the most critical.”

The course is available for applicants who live in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) in Family Nurse Practitioner program is designed for busy nursing professionals to advance their careers through convenient online classes that give them the flexibility to fit classes around their work and family schedules.”

A nurse practitioner might prescribe drugs, order them, interpret and also perform diagnostic tests, including x-rays and lab work. The nurse practitioner diagnoses and treats chronic, episodic and chronic illnesses. All these duties are performed as part of a medical team or independently.

MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner degree graduates can work in family medicine, gynecology, urgent care, pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics, cardiology, and several other medical fields.

Janet K. Noles, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, chair of graduate nursing at Herzing University Online, said:

“The program will allow students to advance their knowledge and clinical skills in order to develop a more independent nursing practice, particularly in under-served rural and urban areas where healthcare professionals are in short supply. Nurse practitioners have many, varied employment opportunities with higher salaries than registered nurses, and we expect these opportunities to grow over time, along with the evolving needs of an aging population.”

Herzing University Online says it is currently accepting applications for the new MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program. The program lasts 20 months and requires at least 48 semester credit hours.

For more details go to www.herzingonline.edu or telephone 866-508-0748.

Written by Christian Nordqvist