Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree Program Approved by State

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Nursing has received New York State Education Department approval to offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP) program.

UB will begin offering the DNP program in the summer of 2011 for students who possess a bachelor's of science degree in nursing. In the fall of 2011, the program will be offered to advanced practice nurses who have a master's degree. The program will be offered on-campus and through distance learning.

UB is the only public program in Western New York to admit students to a post-baccalaureate program and to have approval for a distance-learning program.

The DNP is generally considered the wave of the future in nursing. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), in a bold move five years ago, proposed that the preparation for advanced practice nurses would be at the doctoral level by the year 2015.

According to the AACN, the knowledge required to provide leadership in the discipline of nursing practice is so complex and rapidly changing that additional or doctoral-level education is needed.

In developing a non-research clinical doctorate, nursing moves in the direction of other health professions such as medicine (MD), dentistry (DDS), pharmacy (PharmD), psychology (PsyD), physical therapy (DPT) and audiology (AudD).

Graduates of DNP programs are primarily finding employment in three major areas: as faculty, as advanced practice nurses and as leaders in clinical agencies.

"The approval of the UB DNP program is the culmination of three years of work by the graduate nursing faculty. The result is an extremely innovative program, because it combines DNP and PhD students in the first year of courses. We believe this will promote enhanced collaboration between these roles to improve the quality of nursing care in the future," said UB School of Nursing Dean and Professor Jean K. Brown, PhD, RN, FAAN.

The DNP program will replace all current master's degree programs within the School of Nursing.

Brown, who is a strong advocate for increasing nursing numbers through increased access to nursing education, is extremely pleased that UB's program has been approved for distance learning.

"Distance learning will enhance geographical access and will provide revenue to deliver a high-quality, state-of-the-art program. We are pleased to offer this program to the many nurses who have been requesting it," Brown said.

The UB DNP degree will:

• prepare graduates for leadership roles,

• provide enhanced knowledge for improving nursing care and patient outcomes,

• establish parity with other clinical practice health professions, and

• provide a graduate nursing degree for those who are interested in advanced-practice knowledge but who do not want the research focus of a PhD.

For more information about the program, go to: http://nursing.buffalo.edu/Academics/DoctorofNursingPractice.aspx.

"The post-baccalaureate program takes three years of full-time study to complete," said associate dean for academic affairs and research associate professor, Kathleen Lucke, PhD, RN, "while the post-master's can be completed in five semesters of part-time study."

Lucke said the ideal candidate for this program is someone "who is strong academically and clinically, and who is committed to improving quality, processes and delivery of health care, as well as preparing the next generation of nurses and advanced practice nurses."

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.