The focus of the UNBC MScN: Family Nurse Practitioner Stream (MScN-FNP) is general family practice across all life stages.  Family Nurse Practitioners are nurses with advanced education and skills to provide a broad range of health care services from a holistic nursing perspective.  FNPs assess, diagnose, prescribe, order diagnostic tests and manage diseases, disorders and conditions within a professionally regulated scope of practice.  They practice in a variety of health care settings and work in close collaboration with existing health care professionals and service providers.
 
In British Columbia, the goal of introducing Family Nurse Practitioners is to improve client health outcomes by increasing accessibility to health care services, expanding clients’ health care options and filling gaps that presently exist in health care delivery.  Although the role of the Family Nurse Practitioner includes some activities in common with physicians they are not substitute physicians.