New Degree

Nursing Launches Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Students at the School of Nursing this fall are the first in upstate New York to enroll in a new doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program, an academically rigorous training program designed to give nurses a more prominent place at the decision-making table in hospitals and other health care institutions.

The new degree is nursing’s equivalent of other disciplines’ practice-focused degrees, such as doctor of medicine (MD), doctor of dental surgery (DDS), doctor of psychology (PsyD), and doctor of physical therapy (DPT).

Unlike the PhD, the DNP is not intended to prepare students to design and build programs of research but is designed to prepare advanced nurse practitioners to lead the delivery and evaluation of evidence-based, patient-centered care; synthesize research findings; and integrate information technology into the management, application, and evaluation of patient care.

“The nurse practitioner role has historically centered on individual patient care,” says Patricia Chiverton, dean of the School of Nursing. “While that role is critically important, we also recognize that nurses at the very most advanced experience and practice levels have the capability to take on more responsibility and the potential to oversee the care of large patient populations. By bringing doctorally educated nurses into the fold, we have a tremendous opportunity to improve the quality and safety of patient care.”

Rochester’s new program comes as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommends that educational requirements for all nurses in advanced practice roles move from a master’s degree to a DNP by the year 2015, a recommendation that has not been, as of this summer, adopted by New York.

As with other doctoral programs at the University, students in the new program are required to complete a minimum of 90 credits as well as a minimum of 1,000 postbaccalaureate clinical hours.

Students will complete coursework in evidence-based practice and translational research, including advanced statistics and epidemiology; leadership, systems management, and strategic planning; and health policy, informatics, and interprofessional partnerships. Students will be required to defend an evidence-based capstone project, the practice equivalent to a PhD research dissertation.