Advanced Practice Specialty

Family Nurse Practitioner

Fall 2025 Applications are now open. Apply now for priority review.

Graduates of Vanderbilt’s Family Nurse Practitioner specialty are highly prepared to serve as primary care providers to patients across the lifespan, from infants to the elderly. The program instills a family-centered approach to care that emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention. Our primarily online curriculum provides students with the essential knowledge and clinical skills to provide preventative care and accurately diagnose and manage a spectrum of acute and chronic conditions in various outpatient practices.

 

Nursing Student
Section Contents

Specialty Highlights

Complete in 4 Full-time Semesters

MN Prespecialty students complete in just 3. Part-time plans are also available. 

Online/Hybrid Learning Format

Online classes with required in-person sessions over the course of the program

Robust Clinical Experience

Over 600 hours of clinical practice

The accomplished faculty, the motivating clinical instructors and experiences, the extraordinary school facilities and the resources Vanderbilt has continued to provide beyond graduation were—and are—invaluable to me.

Emily Kane Emily Kane, FNP-BC
Board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Virginia Ear Nose & Throat, Richmond, VA

Prestigious Program with Exceptional Outcomes

  • One of the nation's oldest and most progressive family nurse practitioner specialty programs
  • VUSN's FNP is ranked the #3 FNP program in the country.
  • Vanderbilt graduates are well-prepared to sit for certification exams and have a 10% higher first-time pass rate than the national averages. 

Curriculum & Objectives 

The FNP curriculum is offered in a hybrid format, thoughtfully blending online coursework with required on-campus experiences that include simulation, skills lab and immersive learning sessions. This integrative approach ensures that students can benefit from the flexibility of digital learning while also gaining hands-on, experiential training. Students learn to provide comprehensive, person-centered care, including preventive health services, chronic disease management, acute illness treatment, health education and counseling across diverse populations and age groups.

The curriculum incorporates the 2021 AACN Essentials, assuring students receive a comprehensive and up-to-date education that meets the highest standards in nursing education and assures they are well-prepared for practice. Explore the MSN full-timeMSN part-time, MN Prespecialty and sample Post-Master's Certificate curriculums.

Clinical Experience 

The School of Nursing’s full-time clinical placement team partners with students and faculty to create enriching clinical practicums, ensuring each student receives robust training in their specialty. Where possible, clinical placements are made in the student’s preferred geographic area. Clinical rotations are offered across a broad range of settings including family and internal medicine practices, pediatric clinics, retail health clinics, urgent care, military bases, nurse-managed and private practices, rural sites, employer-based clinics, correctional facilities, international health centers, public health departments and select subspecialty environments.

Time Commitment

This intensive specialty is best suited for motivated, self-directed learners who can master a large amount of complex material in a short amount of time. Balancing full-time work with the program’s rigorous, full-time, accelerated curriculum is not recommended, although the specialty can be completed on a part-time basis, which may be compatible with a flexible work schedule. Many full-time students continue to work in either part-time, weekend or PRN positions.

Our program aims to equip future FNPs with the ability to navigate the complexities of primary health care with confidence and proficiency. Because FNPs provide care for individuals across the lifespan, many of our graduates are recruited into outpatient primary care settings outside of the hospital environment.

Julia Steed Julia Steed, PhD, RN, APRN, FNP-BC
Director, Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty
Assistant Professor

Take the Next Step

The Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty is available as part of the Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Nursing Prespecialty, Post-Master's Certificate and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. Contact our admissions counselor Stephen White with questions.