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Family Nurse Practitioner Program in Washington - WA

By K'Lee Banks, allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 24 2011

A doctor shortage in the mid 1960s gave birth to a new role: the nurse practitioner (NP).  These registered nurses completed advanced education and clinical training, qualifying them to meet the demand for provision of primary healthcare.  Now that an ongoing nursing shortage exists in the country, pursuing a career in nursing and enrolling in a family nurse practitioner program in Washington is a wise career move.

Advanced practice nurses interested in becoming family nurse practitioners (FNPs) may select nursing programs from among the State of Washington’s half dozen schools, located in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma.  All six of these schools offer the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, two offer the Direct Entry MSN, and one offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.  In addition to regional accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), these schools maintain national accreditation from either or both of these agencies: the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and/or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).

A traditional FNP program consists of 42 credit hours of core courses and electives, along with 600 supervised clinical hours.  Online nursing students also must complete these clinical hours to experience the hands-on application of knowledge and skills.