MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — The Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner program at the WVU School of Nursing is now offering students an opportunity to practice their skills hands-on at the WV STEPS Center, a state-of-the-art simulation lab at the WVU Health Sciences Center.
For the past two years, the WVU School of Nursing has been revising all program curricula to align to the 2021 Essentials, curriculum standards set forth by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. This revision includes the incorporation of 10 Domains, eight Core Concepts 45 competencies, and over 200 sub-competencies into MSN-FNP curriculum.
“One of the areas we wanted to improve upon through the curriculum revision was providing simulation opportunities for experiential learning to our nurse practitioner students,” said Dr. Kendra Barker, FNP Track Coordinator. “In addition to the new curriculum standards, we had a lot of feedback from graduating students who would like to have had access to the simulation lab during their training. We strive to be attentive to integrating student feedback into future offerings.”
The MSN-FNP is primarily completed online through WVU Online, but with the curriculum updates, students will now have an opportunity to practice and enhance comprehensive physical assessment skills in the WV STEPS Center during the Spring semester. This will be followed in the Summer semester by a two-day, on-campus intensive focused on experiential, hands-on learning either in Morgantown or Charleston. These updates are effective for the incoming class in Fall 2025.
During these two days on campus, students will complete an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), which is used to evaluate their practical skills and competence. Standardized patients, which are trained individuals who act as a patient in simulated healthcare settings, will be utilized for students to practice their skills and be evaluated.
“Before students go out into their practicum, they will be observed to make sure they meet satisfactory clinical competency in their evaluation,” Barker said. “This is a win-win for everyone — our students, their preceptors and their future patients. It should increase their confidence and competence.”
This experiential learning helps the future family nurse practitioners not only practice their skills but also learn how to work in an interprofessional setting.
“It is a common strategy for online programs to have an in-person intensive,” Barker said. “It gives our students a chance to get to know some of their peers, network, and meet their faculty in person. We are really excited to welcome our students on campus.”
For more information, please contact Director of Recruitment Phillip Engelkemier at phillip.engelkemier@hsc.wvu.edu.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
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