Very soon, a post-graduate Doctor of Nursing Practice (DBP) degree will effectively be the base qualification for clinical nurses, so if you’ve got your Bachelor of Science in Nursing and you want to step up the career ladder, now’s the time start one of the many BSN to DNP Programs Online that are offered throughout the U.S.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. – Benjamin Franklin
By 2015, all universities that belong to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing will have converted their advanced practice Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs into DNP programs. This is in line with data from a groundbreaking study by Dr. Linda Aiken published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003 that showed higher education levels for nurses correlated directly with better patient outcomes. Many studies conducted by other researchers have confirmed these findings.
There has been a historic shift towards baccalaureate degrees – examinations intended to prepare candidates for further education – as part of continuous efforts to improve the nurse education standard in the U.S. and lift still further the quality of nursing care available to patients in hospitals and other health facilities.
A baccalaureate degree is already seen as the desirable standard for Registered Nurses (RN) in a number of states. And although it is not yet a requirement for RNs, the AACN has made the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree the new standard for advanced practice nurses – Nurse Practitioners (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) and, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA).
The DNP is designed for nurses seeking a final-qualification degree in nursing practice. It is an alternative educational and career path to research-focused doctoral programs and specifically appeals to nurses who want to stay in patient-care oriented jobs. While nursing and medicine are and will remain distinct health disciplines, DNP programs prepare nurses for the highest level of nursing practice in an environment of rapid advance in medical and health technology.
Wide Choice of DNP Programs Fully Online
More than 70 BSN to Doctorate programs have been established in the U.S. since 1995, according to the AACN, and figures published by U.S. News & World Report show there are 32 fully online DNP programs available. While the DNP course requires high intensity academic study, the facility to study online means many nurses who want to upgrade their skills and advance their careers can do so from home. This is especially useful if there is no DNP program available locally.
Students on innovative online-only programs generally visit their campus at the start of the program for orientation and then occasionally throughout the program to meet with advisors, but complete the bulk of their coursework online. They’ll still need to complete clinical hours, but often these can be arranged somewhere that is convenient for the student.
Admission requirements for BSN to DNP programs online are strict and require graduate-level statistics as a standard prerequisite. Many programs also require an undergraduate health assessment class. But as a rule a student can complete any missing prerequisites after being admitted to the program.
Candidates must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and hold licensure as an RN. As the DNP program is intense and academically rigorous, universities usually require prospective students to have an undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0. Sometimes the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), a standardized test, is also an admission requirement. Students taking DNP degree programs online may be required to submit evidence of nursing scholarship/research.
Online DNP Makes Sense in an Era of Change
Rapidly advancing medical and health technology means that nurses along with all other health professionals need to acquire greater skills – just as rapidly, in fact, or they risk being left behind. Two of the emerging imperatives that make change essential in nursing education at the graduate level are the rapid expansion of knowledge underlying practice and the increased complexity of patient care in terms of applied technology. Add to this national concern about the quality of care and patient safety, shortages of nursing personnel and doctors, and increasing educational expectations for other health professionals, and the picture is clear: In-career further education is crucial. The AACN has a useful Doctor of Nursing brief available online.
To meet these new requirements in the health care delivery system the Institute of Medicine, Joint Commission, and other authorities have called for a re-conceptualization of health professions’ education. Nursing is answering that call by moving to educate Advanced Practice RNs for evolving practice. In an 2005 report (Advancing the Nation’s Health Needs: NIH Research Training Programs) the National Academy of Sciences called for nursing to develop a non-research clinical doctorate to prepare expert practitioners who can also serve as clinical faculty. Today nursing is moving in step with other health professions which have doctorate-standard higher degrees, in offering the DNP.
DNP Online Programs in Nursing: Specialization
BSN to DNP programs online must offer curriculums that align with standards set out by the AACN in the Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice Nursing. As a rule, a BSN to DNP program requires between 70 and 90 credits, and takes three to five years to complete. The course curriculum includes nursing theory classes, which train students to be leaders and patient advocates, and nursing research. In addition, BSN to DNP Programs Online include classes and clinical training in a chosen area of specialization.
The more popular specializations include: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Adult-Geronotology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP), Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP), Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP), Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP), Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Nurse-Midwifery (CNM), Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA) and Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). A student must complete 1000 hours of clinical practice to be eligible for advanced practice certification. All post-BSN DNP programs online include this requirement. Since the specialization program is intensive, full-time study is encouraged and some universities require this. View how nursing education increases nursing salary.
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