The Florida A&M University School of Nursing has been notified that all of the May 2019 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) graduates passed their certification exam.
The news came from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Certification Board last week. The class is comprised of five graduate students who are certified to be nurse practitioners (NP).
“We have met and exceeded a crucial nursing program accreditation standard,” said School of Nursing’s Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Uloma Onubogu, Ph.D.
This unprecedented, 100 percent pass rate helps establish the FAMU School of Nursing as a top-tier provider of nursing practitioners, school officials said. It also demonstrates that FAMU graduate students are well prepared to deliver services in the primary care setting with expected competency, quality, safety and attitude.
Although there are a number of advantages for producing advanced nurse practitioners, Onubogu said FAMU is filling an immediate need by training and providing high-functioning practitioners during a time when the health care industry is experiencing a shortage of providers.
“Our graduates are able to fully credential with numerous agencies and enter the workforce at a very critical time,” she said.
As detailed on its website, AANP Certification Board’s nurse practitioner certification provides a “valid and reliable program for nurse practitioners to recognize their education, knowledge and professional expertise.”
It also provides a process for “validation of an advanced practice registered nurse’s qualifications and knowledge for practice as a nurse practitioner.”
Nurse practitioners can prescribe medicine and operate their own clinics without a doctor’s supervision. Millions of patients choose NPs as their health care providers, with visits totaling more than 1.06 billion annually, according to the AANP website.
