FPNP - Family Planning Nurse Practitioner

Family Planning Nurse Practitioner (FPNP) is a designation for Nurse Practitioners (NPs) specializing in family planning. These healthcare professionals work primarily with healthy women and men to analyze, plan, implement, and evaluate family planning services. 

FPNP’s work in doctor’s offices, private clinics, and government public health facilities. Some job duties that FPNP’s commonly perform include:

• physical examinations and screenings

• gynecologic checkups and pregnancy testing

• birth control counseling

• fitting, insertion, and removal of Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)

• provides education on sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

The field of FPNP is growing because the use of NP’s to diagnose, treat, and counsel families on reproductive health, fertility, and contraception frees physicians to treat more complex patient cases. And it’s helping to alleviate physician shortages.

To become an FPNP, candidates must first earn an associate or bachelor-level nursing degree and become a licensed Registered Nurse (RN).

Here are the requirements for becoming a Family Planning Nurse Practitioner.

1. An active, current RN license in the US or Canada

2. Completion of a master’s or doctoral Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Nurse Practitioner (NP), or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN);

3. Completion of a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical practice hours 

After graduation, a licensed Nurse Practitioner can gain experience in Women’s Health to become more competitive, or go ahead and apply for positions as a Family Planning Nurse Practitioner (FPNP). 

Most FPNP’s have education and experience in Women’s Health. All FPNP positions require a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and an active RN license, but preference is given to NP’s specializing in Women’s Health. 

The nursing boards do not offer accredited specialty certifications for Family Planning, but some organizations offer specialty training or certificates. Essential Access Health offers a Family Planning Health Worker Certification. The virtual certification course is $400, or $300 for Title X Agency Staff. The nationally recognized course for healthcare workers and educators is a 4-day training for NP’s, Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Vocational/Practicing Nurses (LVNs, LPNs), Medical Assistants (MAs), and counselors that covers these topics: 

• counseling patients

• choosing contraceptive methods

• obtaining informed consent

• integrating HIV/STI prevention messaging

There are no prerequisites for this training. Providers can  sign up online anytime.

This certification is one example that allows FPNP’s to demonstrate proficiency in assessment, diagnosis, planning, and evaluation of family planning.

FPNP’s are designated as specializing in Family Planning as long as they work in that field. NP’s, however, must renew their licenses according to state board guidelines and must recertify with their NP board every 3-5 years. 

ANCC, AANPCB, and AACN APRN certifications are valid for five years. NCC certifications are good for three years.

The Clinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health (CTC-SRH) offers resources for FPNPs.

• ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC)

• AANPCB Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C)

• NCC Womens Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC)