FNP/DNP Program Coordinator

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.

AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples’ lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work.

We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

At AU we believe that continuous learning is a fundamental part of working life, and our goal is for all colleagues on our campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support our community by providing all employees with opportunities to engage in professional development activities, as well as a range of tuition and employee benefits that can be found here.

Position Purpose:

The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Program Coordinator is a faculty member who provides academic and specialty leadership for the Family Nurse Practitioner program within the School of Nursing. The Coordinator receives reassigned workload time to support curriculum leadership, student success, clinical education, accreditation activities, program assessment, and continuous quality improvement efforts while maintaining faculty teaching responsibilities. The Coordinator serves as the specialty content expert and collaborates with the School of Nursing leadership, faculty, students, clinical partners, and community stakeholders to ensure excellence in FNP education and alignment with AACN Essentials (2026), NONPF competencies, NTF guidelines, certification standards, and accreditation expectations. The successful candidate will contribute to Aurora University’s strategic commitment to expanding flexible, high-quality educational opportunities through innovative face-to-face, hybrid, and online learning experiences, as appropriate, that support diverse learners and evolving workforce needs.

Core Competencies:

• Represents Aurora University in the most positive manner with prospective, former, and current students, clinical partners, faculty, staff, and the community served.
• Supports the mission, vision, and values of Aurora University with the Mission Statement being: At Aurora University, our singular goal is to empower students to achieve lasting personal and professional success. We do this by being an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching-centered institution, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes to build meaningful and purposeful lives.
• Handles all information with discretion and professionalism and recognizes the confidential nature of university business.
• Supports student learning and success through excellence in teaching, advising, leadership, and service.
• Demonstrates collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates adaptability, innovation, and a commitment to continuous learning through the effective use of instructional technologies and teaching practices that support student engagement across multiple learning modalities. Promotes inclusive excellence and equitable educational experiences.

Essential Job Functions:

• Instructs students in face-to-face, hybrid, and online modalities as assigned.
• Monitor alignment with AACN Essentials (2026), NONPF competencies, NTF guidelines, certification standards, state regulations, and CCNE requirements.
• Participate in curriculum mapping, assessment, and program evaluation activities.
• Recommend curricular revisions based on outcomes data, workforce needs, certification performance, and emerging healthcare trends.
• Maintain current knowledge of FNP practice standards and healthcare trends.
• Monitor developments in primary care, telehealth, population health, policy, and evidence-based practice.
• Serve as the specialty content expert for the FNP track.
• Participate in recruitment and outreach activities.
• Assist with applicant review, interviews, and admission recommendations.
• Participate in adjunct and student orientations and onboarding activities.
• Advise students regarding progression, clinical readiness, and certification preparation.
• Monitor student performance and collaborate with faculty to support student success and remediation plans.
• Collaborate with clinical placement personnel and preceptors regarding clinical education needs.
• Assist with recruitment and retention of preceptors and clinical partners.
• Monitor clinical experiences to ensure achievement of program outcomes, course outcomes, and competencies.
• Evaluate clinical education quality and recommend improvements.
• Maintain relationships with healthcare organizations and community partners.
• Monitor program outcomes, certification pass rates, graduation rates, retention rates, and satisfaction data.
• Participate in annual program assessment and quality improvement activities.
• Support accreditation documentation, reporting, and site visit preparation.
• Review outcomes data and recommend action plans for continuous improvement.
• Maintain active licensure, certification, and clinical expertise as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
• Participate in professional organizations and specialty activities.
• Engage in scholarly and professional development activities.
• Support innovation and excellence in graduate nursing education.

Essential Job Requirements:

• Doctoral degree in nursing (DNP, PhD, or equivalent) from an accredited institution.
• Current unencumbered RN and APRN licensure.
• Current national certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
• Experience teaching in graduate nursing education.
• Knowledge of AACN Essentials, NONPF competencies, NTF Standards, and graduate nursing accreditation standards.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience coordinating or leading graduate nursing programs.
• Experience with curriculum development and program evaluation.
• Experience with accreditation and assessment activities.
• Minimum of three years of Family Nurse Practitioner clinical practice experience.
• Preferred candidates will have teaching experience or demonstrated interest in hybrid and online instruction, instructional technology, and student-centered pedagogy.

Skills:

• Excellent written, oral, and presentation communication skills.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, students, clinical partners, and stakeholders.
• Proficiency with instructional technologies and learning management systems.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work with a computer for extended periods of time.
• Ability to attend off-campus meetings and university events.
• Office and laboratory setting including standing, walking, and sitting.

Work Hours: Expected equivalent of 40 hours per week; days and hours may vary based on instructional and departmental needs. Flexible or hybrid work arrangements may be considered in alignment with instructional responsibilities, student engagement expectations, and university policies supporting effective teaching and learning across modalities.

The pay range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted amount the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The final pay rate will not be below the lowest pay rate listed herein.

Benefit-eligible positions offer excellent benefits including health, dental, life, vision, long term disability, a 403(b) retirement plan through TIAA, and tuition remission.

Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.