Doctor of Nursing Practice D.N.P.

The nurse anesthesia area of study prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who are prepared for nurse anesthesia practice at the highest level. Graduates will possess expertise in general and regional anesthesia techniques and will be prepared to provide leadership in the practice setting. The nurse anesthesia area of study is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs. The program was the first nurse anesthesia program in the US to be accredited to offer the entry-level DNP.

With the Minneapolis VA Medical Center serving as the primary clinical site for the program, the University of Minnesota nurse anesthesia students rotate to several urban and rural clinical sites, which offer a broad spectrum of practice experiences.

Nurse anesthesia students complete the requirements for the DNP degree, as well as the requirements to take the National Certification Exam for nurse anesthetists.

The DNP program with a specialty in the family nurse practitioner (FNP) area of study prepares advanced practice nurses for leadership in the provision of health care to individuals and families across the lifespan. The program is for students who already hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing, and involves both coursework and clinical practicums.

The FNP area of study offers an academic-practice program to develop nurse leaders for health promotion and clinical management of health conditions in individuals across the lifespan within the context of their families and environment. Students ground their studies in the science of nursing intervention, evidence-based practice, scientific knowledge, moral/ethical issues, and nursing research. They apply skills focused on evaluating the basis of assessment and intervention for families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Faculty and staff within the School of Nursing arrange clinical practicum experiences to provide practice opportunities with diverse populations and settings and to meet the individual needs of students while also meeting national accreditation and certification requirements. In addition to completing core studies in the specialty population, students also gain skills in program evaluation, informatics, teaching/learning, health economics, health care policy, and epidemiology. During the curriculum, students design, implement and complete a final project.

Health care is delivered today in diverse settings, by an expanding workforce and with extraordinary opportunities for nurses to lead, whether through formal leadership positions or through personal advocacy, in traditional settings, or in emerging sites. This requires an individual who can think broadly and embrace a global perspective; who embraces diversity in all its forms, including diversity of thought; who is curious and never satisfied with the status quo; who stimulates new ways of thinking and solutions which open up possibilities for action; who bases action on informed practice gained from multiple ways of knowing; who engages in critical thinking, and learns from other thought leaders; who inspires and creates needed change within a particular environment; who can work effectively with a variety of individuals and within disparate groups; and who can create healing environments within which others can do their best work.

The DNP, with a focus on health innovation and leadership, prepares nurses to function effectively as leaders in traditional and contemporary settings. The goal is to prepare a leader who can work well in the current environment while promoting change and improvement. Students in the program utilize a combination of learning strategies, readings, reflections, and independent learning experiences. Seminars will enable students and faculty to discuss relevant issues and share expertise.

The nursing informatics (NI) specialty area prepares graduates with knowledge and skills necessary for leadership roles in health and nursing informatics to address the issues for consumers, clinical providers, and public health for processing and managing information through the use of various technologies. A wide array of courses throughout the University of Minnesota accompany nursing offerings, which offers students the opportunity to strengthen their disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise.

With increasing demand for computerizing health information, graduates of the nursing informatics specialty are well positioned to assume leadership roles in nursing and health informatics field.

The integrative health and healing specialty area prepares graduates with skills necessary for working with individuals, families, communities, and health systems in developing holistic approaches to health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease management, with a special emphasis on managing lifestyle changes and incorporating the use of complementary therapies. Graduates are prepared to work in diverse settings including hospitals, outpatient settings, health plans, corporate and community organizations, and in private practice. A wide array of courses are available which offer students the opportunity to strengthen their disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise. Through a collaboration with the Center for Spirituality and Healing, students can opt to concurrently earn a graduate certificate in integrative therapies and healing practices, including a focus in health coaching.

This program combines academic preparation with clinical skills for the independent management of health care for women/individuals seeking midwifery care and newborns. Further, students receive additional academic preparation in health care policy, economics, evidence-based practice, evaluation and informatics, and complete a systems change project while in the program. DNP midwifery graduates will be prepared to more quickly fulfill leadership roles in the health care setting. Courses are offered in a web-based format, with multi-day, on-campus seminars approximately three to four times per semester, in Minneapolis. By taking the courses in an online format, students may complete the midwifery program without having to relocate. Trips to campus to interact with faculty and other students allow for development of a professional learning community and enhance professional socialization. Midwifery clinical sites are used in or near a student's home community if available. Travel may be necessary depending on available midwifery practice locations. The online program is primarily geared to students in the five-state Upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Nurse-midwives assist women/individuals seeking midwifery care, newborns and families to promote and maintain health, and to facilitate optimal individual and family integrity in the in the context of culture and community.

Students who pursue the pediatric clinical nurse specialist (PCNS) specialty area take core courses in nursing theory, moral/ethical issues, and research. They acquire skills in health assessment, intervention, and evaluation. They examine the care of children and families with special health care needs. They focus on planning and implementing programs to improve quality of care for children with chronic and complex illnesses. As the population of children with special health care needs continues to increase, there is likely to be a greater demand for clinical experts and leaders in pediatric nursing. The PCNS area of study is supported by the Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

PCNS coursework includes supervised clinical experiences. Efforts are made to provide students with clinical settings within their geographical area. Clinical courses are directed by certified faculty and supervised by clinical nurse specialist preceptors. The PCNS area of study can be completed in a two-year (full-time) or three-year (part-time) sequence.

PCNSs work in collaboration with health care teams in a variety of settings to facilitate quality care for children across the continuum of care settings. They function as clinical experts in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient care standards. They provide direct care, oversee staff, patient and family education, participate in clinical research, and develop programs specific to the needs of children.

The pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) area of study incorporates theory and clinical courses to prepare students to provide comprehensive care to children and their families. Most students elect to complete the children with special health care needs (CSHCN) leadership track by taking additional courses which are supported by the Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

Coursework includes nursing theory, moral/ethical issues, research, child assessment, management of childhood illnesses, and health policy. Courses are taught by faculty from the School of Nursing, School of Public Health, the Institute of Child Development, Family Social Science, the Medical School, and the Institute of Community Integration in the College of Education.

Supervised clinical experience is incorporated in the program. Efforts are made to meet students' individual goals and to provide experiences in their geographic area. Clinical experiences are available in interdisciplinary settings such as primary care, home care, schools, specialty clinics, community agencies, the legislature, and the Minnesota Department of Health.

At the completion of the program, students are eligible to take the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification examinations offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses. Students in the CSHCN track are eligible for certification from the Institute on Community Integration.

Graduate studies in psychiatric-mental health nursing prepare nurses to assume clinical nurse specialist roles with an emphasis on providing direct patient care to persons with major mental disorders and their families. Coursework focuses on the development of advanced practice nursing knowledge and skills required to provide both psychotherapeutic and biological interventions for the management of acute and chronic psychiatric symptoms with a variety of patients in diverse settings. Coursework integrates extant theories and research in the study of advanced health assessment, psychopathology assessment, psychopharmacology, and individual family and group therapy within various community and institutional systems.

Clinical emphasis is on secondary and tertiary psychiatric interventions and outcomes within a managed care context. Students are clinically precepted by certified psychiatric-mental health clinical nurse specialists. Clinical experiences are available in outpatient clinics, community mental health centers, hospitals, schools, and home care agencies. Full-time or part-time students may enroll in the area of study. Current psychiatric nursing experience is strongly encouraged.

Graduates will be academically prepared to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification examination for certified specialists in psychiatric-mental health nursing, after obtaining additional required post-master's clinical hours and supervision.

The post-master's option is for individuals who already hold a master's degree in a nursing practice specialty and who have nursing specialty preparation. The DNP program prepares nurses for leadership as advanced practice nurses, clinical experts, health care executives, policy experts, and informaticians.

Post-master's DNP students complete the core DNP requirements and any additional coursework needed to achieve the 1000 hour practicum requirement. Consult with the DNP program for more information.