Question 1: Do I need to have a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree to apply?
You must have an earned MSN to apply for the Post-Masters's FNP program. A master's in a nurse-related field is not acceptable

Question 2: Do I need to be a Registered Nurse (RN) to apply?
Yes. You will be asked to submit proof of your licensure at the time of application. You must also have a minimum of one year full time work experience as a registered nurse.

Question 3: If I live out of state can I attend?
Yes. The program is ideal for people living in distant or remote areas. Air travel is convenient to the Ontario International Airport, which is 15 minutes from campus. Many area hotels offer shuttle service to the campus. After orientation, many students make acquaintances and share hotel expenses. Distant students enrolled in clinical programs are required to periodically extend their seminar weekends to work with clinical faculty.

Question 4: Do you give preference to California residents?
No. We are a private institution and do not have to meet certain resident enrollment standards.

Question 5: Is tuition the same for in-state and out-of-state residents?
Yes. Tuition costs are the same for all students within the same program.

Question 6: What if I haven't been in school for a long time?
Many of our students have not been in school for a long time. We find that adults do very well with our learning model as it is designed for the working professional who has typically been out of school for a while.

Question 7: After I graduate do I have to take a standardized exam before beginning to practice?
No, not for practice in most states. However, we strongly recommend taking the National Certification Exam due to limited reimbursements of NPs who are not Nationally Certified.

Question 8: Do I need to plan for an interview as part of the admissions process?
No. You will be required to submit a personal statement and a CV as part of your application and that is what is used to gain insight into your motivation for graduate study, and your career goals.

Question 9: When are acceptance letters typically mailed?
Letters of acceptance are sent approximately two weeks after all required documents are received.

Question 1: Do I need to have a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree to apply?
You must have an earned MSN to apply for the Post-Masters's FNP program. A master's in a nurse-related field is not acceptable.

Question 2: Do I need to be a Registered Nurse (RN) to apply?
Yes. You will be asked to submit proof of your licensure at the time of application. You must also have a minimum of one year full time work experience as a registered nurse.

Question 3: Do you require any standardized tests prior to application?
No. We do not require any standardized tests (i.e GRE or MCAT) prior to application.

Question 4: What are the GPA requirements?
The Post-Master’s FNP program requires a minimum GPA of 3.0. GPA is calculated on the last 60 units completed, and an overall GPA of graduate and undergraduate courses.

Question 5: What should I do if my GPA is not at least 3.0?
If you do not meet the required minimum GPA of 3.0, then include in your personal statement an explanation for your low GPA. We will review your personal statement and possibly interview you by phone or in person. Occasionally, we do admit students with a GPA below 3.0 on a probationary status for the first semester. Also, we may recommend retaking courses with low grades to improve your GPA.

Question 6: Can I transfer some of my previous graduate coursework to waive out of some of the courses in the program?
If the courses are determined to be of equivalent content and are focused on the NP role and not on the RN role, then previous graduate courses of similar content can be used to challenge any of Western University's College of Graduate Nursing courses. There is a challenge policy that is outlined in the student academic policy handbook that is to be followed for this process.

Question 7: Can I talk to a counselor about my prerequisite coursework?
Yes. Contact the admissions office by phone at (909) 469-5335 or by e-mail to ask a question.

Question 1: What is a nurse practitioner?
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has received advanced training in diagnosing and treating illnesses, health promotion and disease prevention services. Many are family nurse practitioners, and some specialize in other areas, including:

• acute care
• adult care
• geriatric/elder health
• pediatric/child health
• psychiatric/mental health
• school/college health
• women's/obstetric-gynecologic health

Question 2: What is the difference between a physician assistant (PA) and a family nurse practitioner (FNP)?
Nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) practice in the same settings but with a somewhat different focus. In California, PAs must practice under the direct supervision of a physician. NPs must have a collaborative agreement with a physician but he/she is not required to be physically present in the same facility as the physician. Another difference is that an NP practices under his or her own licenses while PAs practice under the physician's license.

Question 3: What is the pass rate on the National Certification Exam?
All our graduates who have taken the exam have passed!

Question 4: How long does it take to complete the Post-Master's FNP program?
The Post-Master's FNP program can be completed in three, 15-week semesters. Students who are motivated and have the support of employers and family can structure their time to complete the coursework and the 2-3 days per week of clinical rotations that are required in one year. However, many students need to extend one semester to complete the clinical hours, or choose to take the program over a 2 year period of time to maintain more balance in their busy lives.

Question 5: Are Western University's web-based nursing programs as rigorous as traditional programs?
Yes. We maintain professional accreditation standards. The curriculum was developed specifically for the Web, and follows national guidelines and standards from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. Western University is WASC accredited and offers a full range of degree programs in the medical and allied health sciences. The College of Graduate Nursing received full professional accreditation from the Committee on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in October 2006. The college is California Board of Registered Nursing approved. All graduates to date have passed the national certification exam.

Question 6: What are the benefits of learning in a web-based program?
There are many advantages to a web-based program. First, it allows the master's-prepared nurse to complete an advanced degree while living and working in his/her own community. This offers the student a great degree of flexibility in scheduling written coursework around job, personal, and family commitments. Second, the one-on-one nature of web-based class discussion groups allows the nursing faculty to get to know students better than in a more traditional classroom group format. Finally, Western University's program is designed with the adult learner in mind. Students find the course content to be more relevant to their needs, since they are actively involved in shaping their educational experience.

Question 7: How does the program work?
The program consists of three core components:

• Self-directed web-based courses accessed over the Internet. These courses include asynchronous discussion sessions (each class member making contributions over a period of several days) in which students and faculty collaborate to achieve learning objectives.
• Intensive three-day seminar weekends on campus (6 total: 2 per semester x 3 semesters). These classes provide valuable time for you to interact one-on-one with the nursing faculty and peers. The schedule for the intensive weekends includes: clinical skill building laboratories and testing, selected clinical experience with faculty, lectures, student presentations and content assessments.
• Preceptored clinical experience in your own community. Students practice in supervised settings, with regularly scheduled site visits from one of our clinical coordinators-who will work with both you and your preceptor to ensure that the quality of your clinical experience meets Western's rigorous standards.
• What computer skills will I need?

Question 8: What computer skills will I need?
Students need word processing skills for typing papers, discussions and written clinical cases. Students must also be familiar with using e-mail. Some student presentations will be done using Microsoft Power Point. While new students do not need this skill on admission, applicants will benefit from familiarizing themselves with this computer program.

Since the computer skills required to navigate and complete our curriculum are not difficult, beginners do very well with some focused skill training. We recommend that applicants find a personal computer mentor, or complete the basic software tutorials prior to beginning the program. All students will need an Internet Service Provider (ISP) prior to registration and will be given a Western University e-mail account during registration.

Question 9: Will I be on campus at anytime during the program?
Yes. In addition to the pre-program orientation, students attend two three day seminar weekends per semester. Skills training is the focus of the first two semesters. Students are expected to validate their learning through oral presentations, skill demonstration, testing and clinical presentations. Students attend lectures and are able to meet with faculty, fellow students and prepare for group assignments. Classes usually begin on Friday morning and end on Sunday.

Question 10: Will I have any kind of training before starting the program and/or clinical work begins?
Yes! During the summer prior to beginning your first semester, you will attend a pre-program consisting of a course called "Communication and Information Management" (CGN 5000). This course orients you to the web-based format of all subsequent online courses. During the pre-program, your computer skills will be assessed and computer skill training sessions will be conducted. Instruction will include critical skills such as how to post comments on a discussion board, submit a paper on-line in APA format with references, access Internet resources, and use electronic logs of your clinical hours.

Question 11: Once a student, if I ask a question about the coursework, how quickly can I expect a response?
Our standard is that a response will occur within 72 hours. Faculty are available via phone and e-mail to clarify any questions.

Question 12: As a Post-Master's FNP student, when and where will I do my clinical work?
You will begin clinical training with your preceptor in the first semester of the curriculum following completion of advanced physical assessment. Preceptors are master's-prepared, certified family nurse practitioners or primary care physicians who are approved by the clinical coordinator. You must complete 675 clinical practice hours with a program-approved preceptor in your place of residence and, in addition, may work in a clinical setting with faculty. Faculty members guide student learning through interaction during seminar sessions, periodic site visits, and review of detailed student reports of patient care via electronic logs. While most students secure their own preceptors in their local community, the clinical coordinator is available to assist students with clinical placements. Clinical settings may include primary care clinics, private practice, urgent care, women's health, and pediatric ambulatory settings.

Question 13: As a student, how will my progress be assessed?
All courses include scholarly papers, case studies, presentations, and group participation for problem solving or research. While knowledge is considered the foundation of decision-making, knowledge alone does not assure correlation understanding. Thus, through problem-based learning exercises, online clinical cases, oral presentations, and interactive topical discussions, nursing faculty are able to measure and monitor the acquisition of knowledge, values, self-reflection, and ethical decision making. You must achieve at least a B (80 percent) in each didactic course in order to receive credit.

Question 14: Can I work and attend graduate school at the same time?
Yes. You are encouraged to continue working in your RN role. However, this is a rigorous program and students are encouraged to work part time if possible. Students who work full time have been successful in our program, but they need to have a strong support system (at work and at home) and extremely good organizational skills.

Question 15: How can I learn more about your graduate nursing programs?
There are a number of ways to learn more about us. You've taken the first step by coming to our website! For further information or to request an application packet, please contact admissions at (909) 469-5335 or contact us by e-mail. For specific program or clinical questions, please contact the MSN/FNP Director Dr. Diana Lithgow by email at dlithgow@westernu.edu.

Question 17: What financial aid or scholarships are available?
Most students are eligible for student loans. There are also some other financing options for your graduate nursing degree. For details, please visit our financial aid site.

Question 18: Can I talk to a faculty member about the curriculum?
Sure! Feel free to contact the MSN/FNP Director Diana Lithgow, PhD, FNP-C, MSN by email at dlithgow@westernu.edu.

Question 19: Do you have any information sessions on campus?
We do not offer information sessions for the Post-Master's FNP program. For your convenience, information about the Post-Master's FNP program has been captured in this Powerpoint presentation which will provide information including career trends, program options and design, curriculum and the admissions process. If you have any further questions, please contact Diana Lithgow, PhD, FNP-C, MSN by email at dlithgow@westernu.edu.