Nursing@Simmons Online Family Nurse Practitioner Programs – FNP, PMHNP

What to Expect from the Nursing@Simmons Online FNP and PMHNP Programs

Admission Requirements: Applicants to Nursing@Simmons must hold an unencumbered RN license in the United States. Students must have a BSN degree. Online applications must include a current resume, a 1-2 page personal statement, official transcripts, and three letters of recommendation. Proof of English language proficiency is required for students whose first language is not English. No GRE or GMAT is required; however, students may submit test scores if they feel it will strengthen their application. Prerequisites include a 3-credit course in statistics and health assessment with a grade of 83% or higher.

State Restrictions: While Simmons University accepts students from most states into their MSN programs, students from certain states are not accepted at this time (see the relevant table below for the full list). In addition, applicants outside of Massachusetts should check with their state’s Board of Nursing to understand the practicum requirements for their state.

Study Plan: Terms for the MSN last 12 to 14 weeks. Full-time Nursing@Simmons FNP students complete the program in five terms, or about 19 months, and part-time in seven terms, or about 27 months. An extended plan is also available on an eight-term schedule. PMHNP students can complete the program in 24 months on a full-time basis or 38 months part-time. Courses have about 17 students each, keeping class sizes small for better relationship building and learning. Start dates for the MSN – FNP are offered five times per year in January, March, May, September, and November, while PMHNP start dates land three times per year in January, May, and September. Students move through as cohorts.

MSN Curriculum: The online MSN – FNP program comprises a minimum of 48 credits, and the PMHNP specialization comprises 47 credits. MSN students complete at least 672 clinical hours. Courses include foundational, research, and clinical courses. Courses for both specializations include Advance Pathophysiology; Advanced Pharmacology Across the Life Span I-II; The Health Care System: Interdisciplinary Perspectives; Health Promotion: A Global Perspective; Informatics; and Advanced Health Assessment Across the Life Span; Research Methods and Scholarly Inquiry I-II.

FNP specialty courses include Family Theory: Health and Illness; FNP I: Primary Care Nursing of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family; FNP II: Primary Care Nursing; FNP III-IV: Primary Care Nursing; Informatics; FNP Clinical Decision-Making I-II; and Immersion and Clinical Qualification course (campus visit). Students also complete a research project which may be a quality improvement proposal, a medical literature critique, or approved individual research.

PMHNP specialty courses include Clinical Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan; Neurobiology and Differential Diagnosis of Mental Disorders; PMHNP I: Psychotherapy Across the Lifespan; PMHNP II: Diagnosis and Management; PMHNP III: Diagnosis and Management; PMHNP IV: SMI and Addictions Medicine; PMHNP Clinical Decision-Making I-II; and Immersion Weekend (campus visit).

Online Experience: Nursing@Simmons courses are delivered in a live, face-to-face format on a weekly basis. Multimedia assignments and assessments are designed to reinforce the learning at the weekly synchronous sessions and will also prepare students for the next live session. Assignments are interactive and foster student engagement. Should students miss a class or wish to review the lesson, all classes are recorded for 24/7 viewing. Class sizes are kept at a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio to foster more participation and build relationships. Students have access to faculty outside of the live sessions through office hours, email, chat, and phone. Online students have access to 24/7 technical support, academic advising, the online bookstore, online library, and career services.

On-Site Requirements: Simmons NP students are required to come to the Boston, MA, campus for an immersion weekend. During this immersion, students meet their cohort and faculty, which deepens relationships and a sense of community. Students also participate in workshops and seminars that cover several topics, including clinical experience requirements and expectations. FNP students practice suturing techniques and use the Typhon electronic tracking system to log clinical hours and record patient summaries. Students also receive their white coats at the immersion.