Family Nurse Practitioner Archives | �ֻ��Ƭ

Shared Dreams: A Mother-Daughter Journey Through Nursing School

�ֻ��Ƭ — Fri, 10 May 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Mothers are often a crucial part of a nursing student’s support network. They serve as cheerleaders and coaches throughout the process. But mother-daughter duo Marcia C. and Emilee C. took it one step further: going to nursing school together. They pursued their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees and graduated in 2024.

Healthcare Roots

Marcia grew up surrounded by healthcare professionals. Her father was a doctor, and her stepmother was a nurse. It seemed inevitable that she would follow in their footsteps. However, her life took an alternate route when she welcomed her first child, Emilee, at only 19 years of age.

Marcia’s healthcare career was put on hold while she prioritized her family. It wasn’t until Emilee was a little older that Marcia pursued a career as an ultrasound technician. While it wasn’t her initial dream of becoming a nurse, it allowed her to remain within the healthcare field. After having two more children, Marcia became a stay-at-home mom. Nursing began to seem an increasingly distant opportunity. That is, until her daughter Emilee began her college education.

Rediscovering Nursing

While in school, Emilee encouraged Marcia to join her in a phlebotomy class. It turned out to be the spark Marcia needed to reignite her passion for nursing. She described getting a strong sense of fulfillment from the class.

“As I studied and researched human anatomy, I realized my deep love for this field. I wanted to pursue what I’ve always aspired to do,” Marcia said.

Emilee, too, found clarity through the experience. “After finishing the class, I realized that nursing was my calling. Nursing allowed me to genuinely express myself through compassion, hands-on care, and taking care of others,” she said.

Following the class, Emilee encouraged her mother to pursue nursing alongside her, knowing it had always been Marcia’s dream. Marcia quickly caught up with the necessary coursework, and their shared journey at �ֻ��Ƭ began.

A Mom-Believable Learning Experience!

Attending nursing school together presented a learning curve for both Marcia and Emilee. Being mother and daughter — and now classmates — had its challenges and rewards.

“We’re so similar that we had to learn how to work together,” explained Marcia.

Emilee, who jokingly calls her mom, “the brain,” faced struggles as she adjusted to the demands of student life, but she eventually found her rhythm. “Nursing school was a major adjustment for me,” she said. “I had to learn discipline and accountability and discover my optimal learning approach.”

As they progressed through the curriculum together, they found their groove and regular mother-daughter study sessions became cherished moments of quality time. From the start, Marcia and Emilee pledged to support each other — a commitment that sustained them through tough times.

“Nursing school is hard. People don’t realize the resilience and strength it demands to persevere. Having a support system — someone who truly understands — is important,” said Emilee.

When thinking back on her decision to pursue nursing, Marcia says her primary motivation was her children, including Emilee. Returning to school at 43, she was determined to demonstrate that there is always time to pursue one’s dreams.

“Success requires hard work and dedication,” she said. “If I can do it, so can you. I wanted to be their role model.”

The experience of nursing school deepened the bond between Emilee and Marcia.

“It’s not that it brought us closer because we were already close,” Marcia said. “But it forged a different kind of connection — enduring something so challenging and overcoming it together. We witnessed each other’s triumphs and struggles.”

Marcia confessed that experiencing this journey with her daughter was emotionally taxing. “As a mom, it was tough,” she said. “I was doing this for myself, but as a parent, you always take pride in your children’s accomplishments. I wasn’t going to leave her behind. We were in this together.”

What’s Next?

Today, Emilee, driven by a passion for acute/critical care, is a surgical nurse in the Intermediate Critical Unit (IMCU) at a local hospital. She aspires to become a flight nurse and attain her Family Nurse Practitioner certification. Meanwhile, Marcia currently works as in a local emergency department and shares Emilee’s ambition of earning her Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) certification.

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Double Alumna Finds Family in WCU Cohort

�ֻ��Ƭ — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 09:30:00 +0000

Sally V. has never worked in a hospital setting. Instead, for the past seven years, she worked at a community clinic, calling public health her “true calling.”

“My passion is community health,” Sally said. “I love establishing relationships with patients and their families.”

Sally might be the first medical professional in her family, but she said she wanted to be a nurse from the time she was young. She was drawn to the expansive nature of nursing, which was also a major draw for her to come to �ֻ��Ƭ. She chose WCU after discovering its cohort-styled learning.

“I chose �ֻ��Ƭ because everyone was geared towards the same goal. I loved that it was a family. It’s the same group of people you stick with the whole journey. You develop bonds and help each other go through it.”
Sally V.

Sally graduated from WCU-Ontario with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014. Now, she encourages others, telling them that they can pursue a nursing degree no matter what obstacles stand in their way.

“I didn’t know anyone in healthcare. I was a single mom also working almost full-time, over 30 hours a week,” Sally said. “If you want it and you’re motivated and believe in yourself… you’ll make it happen.”

Sally leaned on her mother, who she said supported and cheered her on. At the same time, she balanced life as a single mom to her son, Anthony. She recalled that the flexible class schedules meant she was not on campus every day of the week. She also found her professors were experiencing similar responsibilities.

“You did get to develop a relationship with your professor, who was also a nurse and most of the time also a parent,” she said. “They were always available to provide more assistance.”

After completing an online Master of Public Health program in 2018, Sally began her Master of Science in Nursing program at �ֻ��Ƭ.

“I submitted my final project on Sunday, and I started the Master of Science in Nursing program on Monday,” she said. “It just happened the terms lined up like that. Everyone was like, ‘You’re crazy,’ but once I get my mind set on something, I go for it.”

Sally was inspired to continue in her education after working alongside a practicing physician at the community care clinic. She said the experience made her realize that she wanted to provide that level of care to her own patients.

“I wanted to be the provider where the patients say, ‘Sally takes care of me and wants me to be healthy and is always there when I have questions,’” she said. “In community health, there are so many barriers: homelessness, poverty, drug use, lack of transportation. I decided I wanted to be a provider, so I enrolled and just finished the Family Nurse Practitioner program in May of 2021.”

Sally said her cohort was there for each other, whether through Zoom study sessions, quizzing one another, or sharing flashcards. After finishing the program and passing their boards, Sally remembered how everyone celebrated getting through that challenging final year together.

“I felt so proud of these people I have only seen once,” she said. “Even though we’re hundreds, if not thousands, of miles apart, it was important to make it through together, to get to this point as a cohort, not just as individuals.”

The close, family-oriented cohort is a major reason why Sally advocates for others to consider attending �ֻ��Ƭ.

“I’ve heard from other people that their nursing experience wasn’t as good. They didn’t develop those relationships like I did,” Sally said. “Not every school is the perfect fit for everyone, but this is why I chose West Coast and why I support and advocate for it.”

Now, Sally helps to foster that same bond with her own students. She became a nursing instructor at American Career College in January 2022.

As the president of the Ontario Alumni Chapter, Sally remains highly involved in her alma mater. Her best advice to anyone interested in nursing is to start today.

“Life never stops. It is always full of surprises,” she said. “You can’t wait. When people finally do the program they say, ‘I should have done this earlier and shouldn’t have made so many excuses for myself.’”

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What’s a Family Nurse Practitioner?

�ֻ��Ƭ — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 02:24:49 +0000

All About FNPs, What They Do, Where They Practice, and How to Become One

A family nurse practitioner is exactly what it sounds like: an NP trained to practice family nursing. They provide comprehensive care across the spectrum of patient populations in a wide range of conditions, from preventative to chronic. FNPs assess, diagnose, and treat with a focus on health promotion, disease prevention, chronic disease management, urgent-emergency care, mental health care, long-term, hospice, and palliative care. The role of the FNP also extends into non-clinical settings such as administration, research, and teaching.

FNPs are also classified as advanced practice nurse practitioners (APNPs) and must be certified as such. There are two recognized certification exams. One is administered by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and certifies you as an FNP-C for clinical practice. The second is administered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and is concentrated on research and academia, for an FNP-BC.¹

What Does a Family Nurse Practitioner Do?

As an FNP, you’re responsible for delivering primary care across a range of age populations, providing preventative care and education, as well as assessing and treating acute and chronic conditions that fall within the purview of primary care. Many families opt for an FNP as their PCP, instead of an MD, since FNPs can perform the same primary care treatments.

Depending on your placement, can include:

Routine physical examinations
Assessing illness or injury, both chronic and acute
Ordering and performing diagnostics
Developing treatment plans
Prescribing medications, including controlled substances
Maintaining patient records
Collaborating in care with specialists
Patient education and wellness promotion

Where Do Family Nurse Practitioners Work?

FNPs practice in many types of different healthcare facilities, from large healthcare systems to their own private practice offices (in the nurse practitioners to have independent practices). These , but are not limited to:

Family practices
Internal medicine clinics
Pediatric offices
Specialty clinics
Public health offices
Emergency rooms
Urgent care centers
Home care
Rehabilitation centers
Long-term care centers
Palliative and hospice care facilities
Universities and colleges

Studying to Become an FNP Nurse

Becoming a family nurse practitioner requires an advanced degree that builds on an RN or BSN nursing degree. An accredited nursing school or university MSN-FNP program will offer a rigorous healthcare-focused curriculum of MSN core coursework and family nursing studies that may include such as:

Policy, Organization and Finance
Ethics in Healthcare
Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
Adult and Geriatric Primary Care
Women’s Health Primary Care
Pediatric Primary Care
Care Coordination
Advanced Physical Assessment and Lab
Advanced Pharmacology
Research Utilization
Advanced Healthcare Residency

Once you complete a Master of Science in Nursing to practice as a family nurse, you’ll need to pass two nursing licensure exams:

The NCLEX-RN Exam
An APNP Certification Exam ()

As an FNP, you also have the option to pursue certifications in subspecialties such as cardiology, dermatology, or oncology² to further advance your bona fides and focus your practice.

Because many MSN (or beyond) candidates are already working nurses, many institutions are offering online study and flexible scheduling to allow for degree advancement while the student is practicing. It’s also possible for nurses to pursue an FNP education through an online Post-Master’s Certificate program.

For more helpful articles about the field of nursing, keep following our blog.

Citations:

¹ https://nurse.org/education/fnpc-vs-fnpbc/

² https://nursejournal.org/nurse-practitioner/certifications-guide/

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WCU Alum Finds Purpose In Uplifting Nurses

�ֻ��Ƭ — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Marianne G. credits her sister for encouraging her to attend �ֻ��Ƭ. Marianne had always dreamed of pursuing a career in medicine.

“My sister calls me ‘Half Dozen,’” Marianne shared. “By the time I’m done with school I’ll have half a dozen degrees.”

While working in the corporate sector, Marianne said she remembered watching her sister return from her nursing shifts at the hospital and wishing she could pursue a similar path. “I would tell her, ‘I just love medicine. It would be so cool to be in medicine.’”

Her sister recommended Marianne volunteer at a clinical care extender program. Marianne thrived during her nearly 300 hours spent serving her community.

“There is a huge value to being in your community and getting exposed to so many things,” Marianne said. “Sometimes it’s the encouraging words you give a person working at a soup kitchen it was a good reminder for me to say, in spite of everything, I am so fortunate.”

Although Marianne realized her passion for community healthcare, life obstacles stood in her way of pursuing a formal nursing education. Marianne said it was another few years before her sister pushed her to consider nursing again.

After her sister suggested WCU, Marianne enrolled and graduated last year from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She called her WCU experience amazing and life-changing for her. She referenced the many available resources and quality education her professors provided.

“I looked into a lot of different programs and then I looked into West Coast and honestly, I can say with confidence, this program brought me this far,” Marianne said. “I felt every confidence I was going to do well not just because of me but the students they shaped us to be. They showed us how to succeed.”

One unique aspect to the program Marianne mentioned was the emphasis on self-care. As a single mom, Marianne said that was an area in which she struggled.

“They really encourage self-care,” Marianne said. “You adopt those methodologies. Here’s how you prepare to succeed I don’t know if other students realize the depth of that and understand how you can get burnt out if you don’t schedule self-care.”

These methodologies included scheduling time with family, getting enough sleep and effectively studying and balancing assignments. She also said she found great value in her mentors within the program. One such mentor was Julie France, the former director of nursing at WCU-Orange County.

She explained that it was France who encouraged her to return to WCU to teach. Today, Marianne has her own group of mentees and said she enjoys giving her time connecting with fellow nursing students. Marianne said she was inspired during her own experience as a new nursing student and that she strives to give back to her own alma mater any way she can. She noted the WCU mindset is one in which nurses uplift one another rather than tear each other down.

Marianne described the WCU call to action as a culture of change.

“It’s a community of nursing professionals coming together to inspire and motivate,” she said.

Marianne said she finds her value in being part of this change and inspiring young nurses to support one another.

“It’s more than being in the profession for the money,” Marianne said. “That won’t sustain you during those tough shifts. You have to be in it because you want to help.” It’s all about knowing the kind of impact you can make on someone else’s life, she said.

“I circle back to the impact all these people and resources had on me,” she said. “Without them, I probably would not have succeeded in the program.”

�ֻ��Ƭ is one place Marianne said she found that kindness, support and encouragement.

“It was every West Coast instructor, every act of kindness, encouragement and piece of feedback telling me ‘You’re going to be fine. Don’t be intimidated,’” she said. “That, to me, was what really made the biggest difference. They gave me the resources needed to succeed. I implemented them and they encouraged me every step of the way.”

Today, Marianne continues her involvement as a WCU alumna and current student in WCU’s Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner program. She said that it was her experience at WCU that made her want to return.

“I don’t know what other people can say about their experience but for me it was something that makes me keep wanting to come back. I keep speaking to students and supporting and being part of that change,” she said. “My son always says he’s extremely proud of me.”

Marianne said it is her mission to continue being part of the WCU culture.

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7 Reasons to Become a Family Nurse Practitioner

�ֻ��Ƭ — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 08:00:00 +0000

A Family Nurse Practitioner is someone who offers more in-depth and comprehensive care compared to registered nurses. Being an FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) means added responsibility and a variety of career prospects.

Working toward becoming an FNP might be a natural progression to many practicing registered nurses. For those wondering if this is the right move for their career, read more to understand the reasons why registered nurses aspire to be Family Nurse Practitioners.

Reasons to Become a Family Nurse Practitioner

Greater Autonomy and Responsibility

Family Nurse Practitioners have a few duties that overlap with the duties of registered nurses; such as, examining patients, monitoring patient health, maintaining health records, etc. However, the duties of an FNP go beyond this as they can make a medical diagnosis, develop comprehensive health plans for patients, monitor chronic health conditions and supervise healthcare teams.

Since FNPs generally offer more in-depth and comprehensive care, they can assume greater healthcare management roles.

Prescription Authority

FNPs have greater autonomy when it comes to prescription authority. Currently 22 states and the District of Columbia allow full practice, which means nurse practitioners have similar prescriptive authority compared to physicians. In 16 states, there is reduced practice, where nurse practitioners can prescribe as long as they are in collaborative agreement with the physician, along with staying within the limitations of the medications they are allowed to prescribe. According to a survey by AANP, most nurse practitioners hold some form of prescriptive privileges, which includes controlled substances, in all 50 states and D.C.

Better Career stability

Jobs in healthcare are projected to grow around 36% From 2016 to 2026. With such a high demand, healthcare organizations and hospitals are keen to retain highly qualified family nurse practitioners. This offers greater stability (financial and professional) and growth opportunities in career.

Work While You Learn

Some colleges offer family nurse practitioner courses online. This means that registered nurse practitioners can continue working while studying to be FNPs. This ensures that a registered nurse does not have to take a break to pursue higher education.

�ֻ��Ƭ (WCU) offers an online MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program. The University is institutionally accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). WCU’s online nursing education programs are programmatically accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE.)

Maintain Connections with Patients

Many registered nurses prefer and thrive in the connection with patients that their profession offers. As they obtain higher positions, many nurses lose out on that patient-connection. However, as FNPs, nurses continue to work closely with patients and physicians.

Leadership Roles

Many healthcare settings require FNPs. Apart From independent practice, family nurse practitioners can also look forward to increased leadership opportunities. Extended fields like patient education, research, and academia, and policy advocacy have seen a rising need for qualified healthcare professionals like FNPs to help their causes.

Family nurse practitioners can work actively in developing patient education programs, conduct medical research and have a say in healthcare policy matters. Qualified family nurse practitioners are also essential in academic roles like program administrators and mentoring.

Greater Fulfilment

A Family Nurse Practitioner is able to work across the entire spectrum of patients and assumes a greater responsibility in terms of patient care. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 87.1% of NPs are certified in an area of primary care, and 72.6% of all NPs deliver primary care. This means that most FNPs have a chance at having a greater impact on health communities. As many FNP’s have prescriptive authority, they offer healthcare services which are cost-effective and can be utilized by a larger percentage of the population.

Apart From these core reasons described above, a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner could make a difference in the lives of people.

WCU cannot guarantee employment.

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WCU’s Family Nurse Practitioner Cohort Gets Hands On

�ֻ��Ƭ — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 07:00:00 +0000

�ֻ��Ƭ’s Family Nurse Practitioner cohort participated in their first on-site intensives at the WCU-Center for Graduate Studies this past weekend. Ten FNP students were able to interact face-to-face with their classmates and faculty, and learned how to take a complete physical exam, dissect case scenarios and write medical notes.

“Students were nervous but excited at the beginning of the day and happy to interact with their classmates and faculty,” FNP program director and assistant professor Dr. Michelle Paysan-Modina said. “The experience reaffirmed their commitment to becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner.”

WCU’s FNP program is three years long, fully online, with the exception of six weekend on-site intensives. Each intensive is unique, a workshop designed to bring students and expert faculty together to engage in-person in demonstrations. Students also practice essentials skills and competencies needed by nurse practitioners, as well as clinical evaluations where students perform demonstration of these skills.

“The intensive sessions are dynamic and rich in content, and our highly skilled and engaging faculty makes these experiences enjoyable as well as educational,” Dr. Paysan-Modina said.

After the intensives, students provided feedback through an anonymous survey and shared some great feedback:

“I realized that I needed to practice, practice, practice my physical exam skills.”
“I now feel comfortable using all the different assessment tools and equipment.”
“I’m glad we had an opportunity for hands-on practice.”

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