Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree
The UF College of Nursing is the first in the state of Florida to begin accepting applications for the BSN to DNP program! Students with BSNs will go straight into the DNP program, available in various clinical specialties. We will also continue to offer our Postmaster's DNP program.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a practice-focused doctorate designed to prepare expert nurses in specialized advanced practice. The DNP is an advanced educational credential for those who desire advanced practice knowledge but do not need or want a research focus.
The focus of DNP program is on innovative and evidence-based practice. Universities have traditionally offered master’s degrees in nursing to prepare for advanced practice. Due to the growing complexity of health care, the growth of scientific knowledge, and the increasing sophistication of technology, master's degree programs in nursing now have credit hours far beyond those in other fields.
To prepare advanced practice nurses with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed in today's and tomorrow’s complex health care environment, and to provide advanced practice nurses with educational backgrounds comparable to health care practitioners in other fields, practice-focused doctoral (DNP) programs are being developed across the country.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has recommended that the DNP replace the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) as the entry level for advanced practice by 2015 . National bodies that offer the certification exam for advanced practice are expected to require nurses to hold a DNP. Thus anyone wishing to be a nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), nurse midwife (CNM), or nurse anesthetist (CRNA) should plan to complete a practice doctorate, instead of the master’s degree.
For information on the national DNP pilot program, visit the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/index.htm