College of Nursing Establishes Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

     The College of Nursing recently announced the opening of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program that responds to the growing complexity of health care delivery systems, increasing educational challenges for advanced practice nurses, and burgeoning demand for clinical leaders. The D.N.P., the highest level of academic preparation for practicing nurses, is nursing’s equivalent to professional doctorates in other disciplines such as medicine (M.D.), dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), and pharmacy (PharmD.). The D.N.P. will position nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives to assume leadership positions in health care organizations and become clinical faculty in nursing education programs.
      Unlike the Ph.D., the D.N.P. program is not designed to prepare graduates to design and build programs of research. Rather, it is designed to prepare scholars to be leaders who translate evidence-based knowledge into clinical practice, have a significant impact on health outcomes, and strengthen system-level health care processes. D.N.P. graduates are prepared to deliver direct patient care, influence health policy, promote patient safety, resolve health care dilemmas, lead interdisciplinary health teams, and reduce disparities in health care.
     “NYU Nursing has a long history of cutting edge graduate programs that prepare outstanding advanced practice nurses who can meet nursing’s social contract with the public,” Dean Terry Fulmer says. “We have an enormous opportunity to improve the quality and safety of patient care.”
     The launch of NYU Nursing’s new D.N.P. program is of particular importance in light of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s recommendation that the educational preparation for all advanced practice nurses transition from a master’s degree to the D.N.P. by 2015. At NYU, the program will be initially offered as a 40-credit post-master’s option in a format designed for busy working nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives. The program can be completed in five semesters (two years) of full-time studies that include on-site classes coupled with on-line and virtual learning experiences. The first D.N.P. cohort will enroll in the spring 2010 semester.
     “The D.N.P. offers an exciting opportunity for advanced practice nurses to conceptualize anew their role as clinical practice scholars and leaders who lead the delivery and evaluation of evidence-based, population-focused, patient centered care,” says Judith Haber, associate dean for graduate programs.