Family nurse practitioners work with people of all ages and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health care and lifestyles. As providers of direct care, nurse practitioners perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat health problems, order laboratory work and prescribe medications and other treatments. They work directly with physicians and other health care professionals and can enhance a physician s practice by handling routine visits then referring complicated cases to the physician. WJU s family nurse practitioner program is a master s program which prepares registered nurses for advanced practice. The program began in the fall of 1998.
Students can take classes on a full or part-time basis.
A total of 48 credits is required for the master s degree. Approximately 20 students are currently enrolled in the WJU program. The nurse practitioner program at WJU will focus on educating its graduates to meet the health care needs of underserved populations, especially those of rural Appalachia. According to Rose Kutlenios, Ph.D., chair of the nursing department at WJU and the project director for the grant, the funds will be used to provide two additional faculty members, computer hardware and software, a consultant for the program and additional equipment. Nurse practitioners make a real difference in the quality of life for their patients.