Family Nurse Practitioner Program Soars to Top 20 National Ranking

January 23, 2012

Georgia Southern University’s Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner program has been ranked in the top 20 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.  The program also secured top honors among all colleges and universities in Georgia – both public and private.

Georgia Southern’s program is included in the top 20 along with those at Yale University, Duke University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University to name a few.

“To be named among the top 20 in the country by U.S. News & World Report is a major honor not only for our University, but for the state of Georgia,” said Jean Bartels, Ph.D., dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences which includes Georgia Southern’s School of Nursing.  “Georgia Southern continues to be recognized as one of the top nursing schools in the country as a result of the hard work of our faculty and staff and the outstanding students that select Georgia Southern for their MSN degree.”

Georgia Southern’s program, which is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), is designed to prepare registered nurses (RN) with an undergraduate degree in nursing for a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner.  Georgia Southern’s program combines both online and limited on-campus sessions enabling RNs to complete their degree while juggling busy work/life schedules.

According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) are advanced practice nurses who provide high-quality healthcare services similar to those of a physician.  FNPs diagnose and treat a wide range of health problems. They have a unique approach and stress both care and cure. Besides clinical care, FNPs focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling.

Alumni from Georgia Southern’s MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner program are serving in communities across the state of Georgia and throughout the country.In addition to the Family Nurse Practitioner program, Georgia Southern’s School of Nursing offers a bachelor of science in nursing, an LPN-BSN program, a fully online RN-BSN degree, a Post-MSN certificate program, and a fully online Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.  For more information about Georgia Southern’s nursing programs, visit:www.georgiasouthern.edu/nursing.