The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
By Peggy Malikowski, RN, MS
Director of Advancement and External Relations, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
As we enter a new era of health care, we are all challenged to help shape the future of nursing as well as systems of care and quality assurance for patients. The challenges are vast, from managing patients with chronic and complex illness to incorporating technologies into the field of care and designing new delivery systems. Some of the responses to these challenges will come from advanced nursing practice and leadership positions such as the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Nursing is moving in the direction that other health professions have already taken, such as Dentistry (DDS), Pharmacy (PharmD) and Physical Therapy (DPT). The DNP educational level allows nurses to work within the fullest scope of their practice in clinical roles, provider settings and leadership positions to influence change across their organizations. Throughout the DNP program, the focus is on evidenced-based knowledge and application of information to practice in a multi-disciplinary health care environment.
There are currently two tracks to obtaining a DNP: post-master’s-to-DNP and BSN-to-DNP. Master’s-prepared nurses entering DNP programs today bring an exceptional depth of clinical experience. The goal of the DNP curriculum is to build on that knowledge and skill to expand leadership abilities in an organizational setting. The leadership focus is on systems thinking and working with other disciplines to change outcomes on a system basis.
The BSN-to-DNP track prepares graduates for roles such as advanced practice nurses, clinical experts, health care executives, policy experts, and informaticians. The program involves both coursework and a clinical internship.
Science and philosophy, leadership and nursing practice comprise the core curriculum for the DNP. Each program also requires students to complete a Scholarly Leadership Project incorporating practice models, research utilization and translation into practice.
The University of Minnesota School of Nursing offers 14 DNP specialties:
Adult Health/Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist
Adult Health/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
Adult Health/Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner
Family Nurse Practitioner
Informatics
Integrative Health and Healing
Nurse Anesthesia
Nurse Midwifery
Nursing and Healthcare Systems Administration
Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner/Children with Special Healthcare Needs
Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
Public Health Nursing
Public Health Nursing - Adolescent Nursing
A recent DNP graduate commented that she is now better prepared to assess problems, re-frame issues from a systems perspective, and develop integrated plans to influence patient outcomes.
Looking ahead, the DNP program is positioned to enable nursing to effectively contribute in expanded ways to contemporary systems and to emerging fields in health care delivery. The University of Minnesota School of Nursing is leading the way, through nursing-led research and education, to improving health for all generations while building future models of health care delivery.
|
