History of the MSN/FNP Program at CSUB

The Department of Nursing at CSU Bakersfield opened the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program in 1987 with a graduate degree in Nursing Administration. The FNP option was introduced in 1996 and granted accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in 1998.

Between 1996 and 2010, the MSN program graduated 114 FNPs and 35 Clinical Nurse Leaders, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Educators, Nurse Administrators, Nursing Case Mangers, and School Nurses. CSUB is the only public university in the region that offers a Traditional BSN, RN-BSN, or MSN degree.

During a period of statewide budget cuts, the difficult decision was made to suspend admissions to the CSUB MSN program. In 2010, the remaining FNP students completed their degrees.

Between 2010-2014, leaders within our community and on campus monitored the trends within the healthcare system, our community's needs, and the professional goals of our current and prospective students. A feasibility study was conducted, which indicated a tremendous need for more FNPs; a healthy MSN/FNP program is a critical resource for the Central Valley.

The MSN/FNP program reopened in Fall 2014 with full approval by the California Board of Registered Nursing. The MSN/FNP Program at CSUB has reestablished accreditation from the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through the routine new program process. Please see our Accreditation section for more information.

How Will CSUB's MSN/FNP Program Help Our Community?

Nurse practitioners play a critical role in the delivery of primary healthcare services. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Health Policy Workforce has concluded that access to primary care is in jeopardy:

• The U.S. population and healthcare workforce are aging, setting the stage for shortages and a sweeping loss of experience in all health fields.
• The Affordable Care Act has resulted in a dramatic increase of Americans with healthcare insurance, exacerbating access barriers in regions where primary care services were already scarce.

In the Central Valley, our communities have additional challenges:

• A shortage of primary care providers. In Kern County, there are more than 2,000 patients for every primary care physician, which is nearly double the national average. CSUB can help ease this shortage and improve healthcare access by preparing FNPs to work in a variety of local settings.
• Poor health outcomes. According to Kern County's Health Status Profile for 2015, residents in our community are experiencing serious health problems. Our county ranks 2nd highest in the state of California for deaths related to diabetes and coronary artery disease. Several other key indicators — including the high rates of chlamydia, teen pregnancy, low birthweight infants, and low rates of breastfeeding initiation — show that health education is desperately needed.

The mission of the FNP Program is to prepare advance practice nurses for primary care practitioner roles to improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of primary care services in Kern County. In addition, MSN program graduates are qualified to serve in leadership positions in healthcare organizations, and as faculty members for local RN programs.