Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
Overview
The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program is an advanced practice clinical doctorate, which reflects the evolution and development of professional nursing. The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program is designed with two entry points. At the onset of the program, it is anticipated that the demand for the program will be at the post-master’s degree entry point. However, as the educational preparation for advanced practice nurses changes to a minimum of DPN for practice, it is anticipated that the admission point will be the post-baccalaureate entry point. The post-master’s entry is a 48-credit, two-year program. The post-baccalaureate entry is a minimum of 72 credits, three-and-a-half-year program. Students seeking admission to the DNP Program, who hold a master’s degree, will need to have advanced practice specialization as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist. Students seeking admission at the post-baccalaureate level will, as part of their program, be prepared as either a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist through the educational offerings of the Wegmans School of Nursing.
Program Design
The program’s accelerated weekend format offers both full- and part-time options for study. Four courses will be offered during each 16-week semester - two courses for the first eight weeks, followed by two courses during the last eight weeks. In each eight-week segment, courses will be held on Friday evenings and Saturdays every other weekend. One course will take place on Friday evening and another course will be held all day Saturday. A student who chooses the full-time option—four courses per semester - can complete the 48-credit-hour program in four semesters. A part-time student who takes two courses per semester can complete the program in four years.
It is expected that each student will have completed 1,000 hours of clinical practice in accordance with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2006) DNP Road Map Task Force Report. For the post-master’s student, course work in the program will provide the student with the additional clinical practice hours, building upon the practice hours that were part of the student’s master’s degree, to meet the 1,000 hour requirement. For the baccalaureate entry student, the 1,000 clinical practice hours will be completed within the program.
Clinical placements will occur in interdisciplinary settings with an expert/mentor. Each setting will provide students with the extensive advanced clinical practice experiences and allow students the opportunity to implement emerging science and practice innovations to improve the health care system. Each student will undertake a clinical scholarship project reflecting a practice site and population of interest supported by scholarly evidence.
There is no dissertation requirement.