Graduates of USM Nurse Practitioner Program See 100 Percent Pass Rate on National Exam
Tue, 02/21/2017 - 02:47pm | By: Van Arnold
Recent graduates of the Family Nurse Practitioner program at The University of Southern Mississippi received a 100 percent pass rate on the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) exam.
All 30 students who graduated from the USM College of Nursing's program for 2016 completed the rigorous post-graduate certification requirements. The online program comprises four semesters of academic work with a clinical component that includes than 300 healthcare agencies with which the University has contracted.
“The 100 percent pass rate is a testament to the commitment of our nurse practitioner faculty, and the recruitment of quality graduate students into our Family Nurse Practitioner program,” said Dr. Melanie Gilmore, Associate Professor and FNP director.
Nurse Practitioners are Registered Nurses who serve as primary and specialty health care providers under a physician. Much like a family doctor, Family Nurse Practitioners work with patients throughout their lives, diagnosing illness, conducting exams, and prescribing medication. These nurses can also serve as their patients' sole health care provider and run their own private practices.
Dr. Lachel Story, Assistant Dean for Research and Evaluation, points out that expanding insurance coverage and a growing aging population is increasing the demand for primary care providers. Consequently, physician numbers are not sufficient to meet the healthcare needs in the United States.
“Nurse practitioners are critical to address this shortfall. These are advanced practice nurses prepared to deliver high quality, comprehensive care in a variety of settings,” said Story. “In addition to disease management, NPs focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and health education. More than 900 million visits are made to NPs each year.”
For more information about the Family Nurse Practitioner program in the USM College of Nursing, call 601.266.5445 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/nursing