Advanced practice primary care nursing involves the ongoing care of patients with a focus on health checkups, patient education, chronic condition management, and preventative care. There are several options available for RNs who are interested in becoming primary care nurse practitioners, and who wish to enroll in an online program. Students of primary care NP programs typically choose one of the four concentrations below:
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) Programs: AGPCNP programs train students to care for adult patients from adolescence on through geriatric age. These programs include coursework in advanced health assessments and diagnostic screenings for adult-onset conditions, management and prevention of chronic diseases, and care coordination for patients in outpatient settings.
Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP) Programs: PPCNP programs prepare students to care for pediatric patients from infancy through adolescence, with a focus on preventative care measures such as immunizations, health screenings, patient and family education, and the prevention and management of pediatric conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and allergies.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Programs: FNP programs prepare students to provide primary care services to patients across the lifespan, from infancy through old age, with a special focus on caring for patients within the context of the family unit. Students of these programs learn how to conduct advanced health assessments, administer immunizations, care for mild to moderate chronic conditions that patients may encounter throughout their development, and educate patients on healthy lifestyles and preventative care measures.
Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) Programs: WHNP programs prepare students to care for the reproductive health of female patients from early adolescence through old age. They conduct gynecological exams and overall physical health assessments, educate patients on family planning and reproductive health issues, provide birth control services (including IUD and Nexplanon insertions), and screen for and help to treat reproductive health problems such as endometriosis, STIs, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and cervical cancer.
While each of these program types focuses on a different population, all types of primary care nurse practitioner programs include courses that cover primary care methods and principles such as advanced health assessment, advanced human physiology and pathophysiology, and advanced pharmacology. For more information about the course content of online primary care nurse practitioner programs, please refer to the sections below.
Types of Online Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Programs
Online primary care nurse practitioner programs are available at the MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate levels. Below is a description of each of these types of degree programs and their general admission requirements. Prospective applicants to these programs should note that all three types of online primary care nurse practitioner programs require candidates to hold an active registered nurse license in their state of residence. In general, applicants must also have completed a nursing program that has been accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Online Master of Science in Nursing Programs in Primary Care
MSN programs in advanced practice primary nursing care are available for RNs of differing educational backgrounds. There are three types of MSN programs: BSN to MSN programs, RN to MSN programs, and RN + Non-Nursing Bachelor's to MSN programs.
BSN to MSN programs, also commonly known as traditional MSN programs, are for RNs who have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a program that has been accredited by the CCNE or ACEN. BSN to MSN programs the most common type of MSN program.
RN to MSN primary care nurse practitioner programs are for RNs who have either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) from a CCNE or ACEN-accredited program or a diploma in nursing program, and who wish to earn their MSN degree without first earning their BSN through a separate program. RN to MSN programs generally require more time and units than traditional BSN to MSN programs, due to the additional bachelors-level coursework that students must complete. However, these programs tend to take less time than it would require to complete a BSN and an MSN program separately. While some RN to MSN programs award students with both a BSN (i.e what is known as a stop-out option) and an MSN, other programs only award an MSN.
Another type of RN to MSN program is the RN + Non-Nursing Bachelor's to MSN program (sometimes referred to as a bridge program), which require students to have completed a non-nursing bachelor's degree in addition to their ADN (or diploma in nursing). These programs generally require students to complete a number of bridge courses before proceeding to the MSN core curriculum and specialty courses. These programs can save students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree some time and units by waiving certain general education requirements that they already completed, and for which they might otherwise have been required to complete in a traditional RN to MSN program.
Online Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs in Primary Care
Online MSN to DNP programs with a new or second specialty, BSN to DNP programs, and RN to DNP programs are three of the main options for students interested in preparing at the doctorate level to become primary care nurse practitioners.
MSN to DNP programs with primary care specialties, are for RNs who already hold a Master of Science in Nursing, and who wish to earn their DNP while training to work in primary care nursing for a specific population. These programs are a combination of DNP courses with MSN level nurse practitioner specialty courses. They are available for students who want to earn their first APRN certification or a second APRN certification in a different specialty. These are different from traditional MSN to DNP programs that only offer the DNP curriculum.
BSN to DNP programs are for RNs who wish to earn their DNP with a concentration in primary care nursing for a specific patient population. These programs are essentially the combination of a BSN to MSN program and an MSN to DNP program. Prospective students of online primary care nurse practitioner programs should note that the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has recommended that the new academic entry-level requirement for nurse practitioners be the DNP rather than the MSN. However, at present, no set date has been established for when this new requirement will be implemented and new nurse practitioners will need to hold a DNP in order to practice.
RN to DNP programs, while rare, allow RNs holding an ADN to earn their DNP through an accelerated program. The majority of these programs require students to have completed a non-nursing bachelor's degree in addition to their ADN. These programs tend to have rigorous admission requirements, as students must demonstrate that they are prepared for the advanced academic and clinical work involved in the program.
Online Post-MSN Graduate Certificate Programs
Online post-MSN certificate programs in advanced primary nursing care are for RNs who hold an MSN or a DNP and who wish to obtain additional training and certification in a new APRN specialty. Some post-graduate primary care nurse practitioner programs require applicants to have earned their MSN in a clinical specialty, while other post-MSN programs allow candidates to hold an MSN in any specialty, including non-clinical concentrations such as nursing leadership or education. Post-graduate certificate programs that accept applicants who have earned any type of MSN may require students to complete courses in Advanced Health Assessment, Human Physiology, and Pharmacology, if they did not complete them during their first MSN program.
Curriculum Details for Online Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Programs
As mentioned previously, primary care nurse practitioner programs in adult-gerontology, pediatric, family, and women's health nursing tend to have the same core courses that train students in advanced clinical skills, such as health assessments, diagnostic reasoning, advanced human physiology and pathophysiology, and pharmacology. Below are descriptions of courses that are typically common to all types of primary care nurse practitioner programs:
Advanced Health Assessment: How to complete a thorough medical history and physical examination, bringing together patients' biological, psychological, cultural, and social circumstances to create an accurate and comprehensive understanding of their health.
Advanced Human Physiology and Pathophysiology: How the human body functions and develops at the organ systems, organ, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. How to diagnose common health conditions affecting different organ systems, and understand their origins and development.
Advanced Pharmacology: The different classes of drugs and their effect on the body at the organ, organ systems, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. How to determine proper dosages for different patients and conditions, and how to measure patient responses to different drugs based on their physiology, age, and metabolism.
Clinical Reasoning and Decision Making: How to interpret findings from patient physical assessments and medical histories to make diagnoses, and develop treatment plans that address patient needs.
Nursing Research: The principles of nursing research, the research process, and how to apply research findings to nursing practice. The different types of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and how they are relevant to different types of medical and nursing studies.
Health Policy and Advocacy: The history and current landscape of health care politics, and how they impact patients' access to and quality of care. How nurses and nursing students can get involved at the grassroots, state, and national levels in advocating for patient care and the advancement of the nursing profession.
Concentration Courses in Online Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Programs:
Concentration courses for online primary care nurse practitioner programs vary depending on a student's desired population focus. Below are descriptions of the courses that are common to different types of online primary care nurse practitioner programs.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Programs
Advanced Practice Primary Care Nursing for the Adolescent and Adult Patient: Health considerations and challenges that patients ranging in age from adolescent to middle aged adult tend to encounter, and how to address them through a combination of patient education, preventative care, and treatment, if applicable. Important diagnostic screenings and immunizations that patients in this age group should receive, and how to develop a comprehensive and ongoing care plan that supports patients' physical and mental health.
Advanced Practice Primary Care Nursing for the Geriatric Patient: The common chronic and acute health issues that geriatric patients tend to encounter, and how to address them in primary care environments through outpatient treatment measures, patient counseling, and monitoring of chronic conditions.