Pace Paw Print

The Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN) recently became the third college in New York to offer the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, the most advanced clinical practice degree in nursing.

The degree is designed to prepare nurses for the highest level of practice and supports practicing nurses in clinical practice administration, organizational management, and leadership and policy development, according to a Jan. 10 press release by Cara Halstead Cea, Vice President of University Relations.

Pace is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2008 program, said Rona Levin, a chair of the graduate department at Lienhard. She said that there were about 200 inquires about the program so far.

The requirements to be accepted are more rigorous than those for the masters program in nursing. For example, the masters program requires a 3.0 grade point average, while the doctoral program requires a 3.3 grade average. In addition, those who meet the application requirements for the doctorate program will also have to have an interview with the DNP Admission Committee.

"Additionally, the students will have a clinical practicum in which they will carry out a clinically focused evidence-based practice project," said Joanne Singleton, a professor in the LSN Department of Graduate Studies and the coordinator for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program (FNP) masters program and the new DNP program.

The DNP program will be built on the current FNP, and will be more advanced, according to Levin. She said the students will also be taught how to negotiate different organizational systems. The program will include advanced courses in evidence based practice, health policy, and finance which are not included under the master's curriculum.

It is starting off as a part time program, allowing the students to earn their doctorate at the end of three years. The degree could potentially be earned in two years for part time students in advanced standing; however, Levin said the part time program would be more convenient for the majority of students.

24 students will be admitted to the program each year. This number is based on the resources of the school, such as clinical sites and the number of faculty members available.

"We have to balance the number of students with the resources we have in order to provide a quality education," Levin said.

Levin said she believes that the DNP program will be popular at Pace. It is also consistent with the call by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to move the level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice (ANP) roles from the master's degree to the doctorate level by 2015, according to Halstead Cea's press release.

The release also mentioned the research based benefits of higher nursing education:

"Research has established a clear link between higher levels of nursing education and better patient outcomes. According to the AACN, changing demands in health care require that nurses serving in specialty positions have the highest possible levels of scientific knowledge and practice expertise."

Interested students can get more information about the DNP program by participating in online chats this February and March, and by attending the campus information session this month.

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