Program Overview

---

The Valley Foundation School of Nursing

The Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San José State University offers a Master of Science Degree with a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration.

About the FNP Program

The program prepares nurses to assume the highest levels of professional nursing practice in the advanced practice roles via courses which cover advanced theoretical knowledge, leadership development, assessment skills, and advanced clinical practice. Students will have an opportunity to critically evaluate and apply nursing theory and research as a scientific base for nursing practice. The program's position in the heart of the Silicon Valley provides a unique opportunity to serve a diverse population. Many students go on to work for one of the local healthcare agencies.

Upon completion of the Master's of Science in Nursing FNP program, graduates will be eligible to apply for certification.

Admissions Overview

The program accepts applications for the Fall Semester. Key features of the program include:

• Small cohort size
• Hybrid class format (online and in-person)
• Didactic and clinical courses in concentration
• Advanced Practice courses

The program follows a full-time cohort model over 5 semesters. Courses are offered in a hybrid format, which includes online and in-person meetings. In-person, on-campus class attendance is required every Tuesday evening (4PM-9PM), with additional days for clinical practicum courses.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the program, applicants must have:

• Completed a baccalaureate in nursing
• An unrestricted California RN license
• An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (B)
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in physical and psychosocial assessment developed to the level that the applicant can perform and complete a full history and physical exam
• Two years of acute care nursing experience is preferred

Core Courses

For a full breakdown of the FNP program, visit the SJSU Catalog. The FNP Curriculum Roadmap is also available.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

The goal of the MS FNP program is to provide educational excellence in the science and art of professional nursing to empower graduates to be responsible and knowledgeable clinicians, leaders, and scholars who strive to meet changing global healthcare needs. The Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) were developed based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's The Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing (2011). PLOs have been identified as preparing the graduate to:

1. Apply critical thinking and ethical decision-making including the use of the nursing and research processes
2. Provide theory and research-based culturally competent, safe therapeutic nursing interventions for clients in advanced nursing practice
3. Employ advanced interpersonal skills in professional relationships with clients, families/caregivers, and multidisciplinary health care team members
4. Support health promotion and disease prevention activities in developing and monitoring holistic plans of care for well and at-risk clients, considering access, quality, and cost
5. Demonstrate the collaborative and leadership skills required in advanced nursing practice within a multidisciplinary and multicultural (community) health care context
6. Plan, implement, and evaluate advanced nursing practice that promotes and preserves health and healthy lifestyles of individual clients and aggregates
7. Plan, implement, and evaluate advanced therapeutic nursing practice in a rapidly changing, multicultural health care environment
8. Implement care management, including but not limited to case management, resource management, advocacy, and outcome evaluation
9. Employ information technology in advanced nursing practice to evaluate and improve health care delivery and outcomes
10. Actualize the advanced nursing practice role by incorporating professional standards, ethical guidelines, legal mandates, and professional activities

Updated Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) - To be Implemented Fall of 2026

The updated PLOs have been identified as preparing the graduate to:

1. Integrate knowledge for advanced nursing practice along with knowledge from other disciplines, including a foundation in liberal arts, natural sciences, and social sciences, to form the basis for clinical judgment and innovation
2. Employ holistic person-centered care including effective communication with clients, families/caregivers to provide respectful, coordinated, and compassionate care that is developmentally appropriate across the lifespan
3. Promote overall population health by promotion and disease prevention while taking into consideration health policy and the social determinants of health to provide diverse, equitable, and inclusive health outcomes
4. Practice advanced scholarship for the nursing discipline by the generation, synthesis, translation, application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge to transform healthcare through evidence-based practice
5. Demonstrate quality and safety in implementation and improvement science required in advanced nursing practice
6. Foster interprofessional partnerships required in advanced nursing practice to optimize intentional multidisciplinary collaboration to strengthen healthcare outcomes
7. Adopt systems-based practice to proactively coordinate resources to provide equitable care in advanced nursing practice to diverse populations
8. Utilize informatics and healthcare technologies to evaluate and improve health care delivery and outcomes in advanced nursing practice
9. Represent professionalism by incorporating advanced practice standards, policy and procedures, the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses, legal mandates, and high-quality care
10. Embody personal, professional, and leadership development techniques that contribute to lifelong learning, support the acquisition of advanced nursing expertise, and sustain strong leadership

Student Resources

Available resources for students include:

• SJSU Graduate/Master's Future Students
• University-level Graduates Admission details
• SJSU Graduate/Master's Current Students
• Library Guide for Nursing Students
• TVFSON Current Student Resources

Programs Offered

The Valley Foundation School of Nursing offers the following programs:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• RN to BS in Nursing Program
• Master's of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner
• Master's of Science, Nurse Educator Specialization
• Advanced Specializations
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Preceptor CE Course