Program Overview

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at North Dakota State University prepares students to become certified and licensed to provide advanced nursing care as a family nurse practitioner.

Program Overview

The program provides an on-campus opportunity to personally interact with graduate faculty with clinical and research expertise. It focuses on face-to-face instruction, with synchronous classes offered between Fargo and Bismarck sites. The faculty work with all FNP students to find clinical placements, and NDSU graduates have a 100% first-time passing rate on the FNP certification exam.

Role of the Family Nurse Practitioner

The role of the family nurse practitioner includes:

• Obtaining medical histories and performing physical examinations
• Diagnosing and treating acute health problems such as infections and injuries
• Diagnosing, treating, and monitoring chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure
• Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic studies such as lab work and x-rays
• Prescribing medications and other treatments
• Providing prenatal care and family planning services
• Providing well-child care, including screening and immunizations
• Providing health maintenance care for adults, including annual physicals
• Promoting positive health behaviors and self-care skills through education and counseling
• Collaborating with physicians and other health professionals as needed

Advising

Each student is assigned an advisor on admission to the program. The graduate student is responsible for initiating each step in progression toward the degree. At the point of submission of the degree plan to the graduate office, the chair of the supervisory committee becomes the advisor.

Program Outcomes

The curriculum of the North Dakota State University Doctor of Nursing Practice program prepares graduates to:

• Translate knowledge and ways of knowing from nursing science, ethics, social, biological, and other sciences to benefit practice effectiveness and the health of individuals, families, communities, organizations, and populations
• Demonstrate clinically expert, evidence-based practice that focuses on person-centered, holistic, and individualized care to improve the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations
• Collaborate with stakeholders to influence population health through prevention, health promotion, and disease management
• Understand, apply, and evaluate scholarship and evidence-based best practices and methodologies
• Design, manage, and evaluate systems for quality and safety to improve delivery of healthcare
• Collaborate with other health disciplines and stakeholders to increase accessibility to healthcare, work toward elimination of health disparities, and optimize health outcomes
• Appraise complex systems and healthcare resources to influence innovation, equity, and effectiveness
• Use technology and informatics (information and patient care) to enhance nursing practice for improvement of quality and efficiency of care
• Cultivate students' professional and ethical identity that accounts for diversity, equity, and inclusion that supports and reflects nursing's characteristics and values
• Integrate strategies to foster personal and professional resilience, capacity for leadership, and lifelong learning

Admission Requirements

Applicants must:

• Complete the graduate school admissions application by February 15 for fall admission
• Provide three professional references, with two addressing clinical competence and ability to succeed in graduate study
• Compose an essay that includes a narrative of professional experience and a statement of professional goals
• Hold a current unencumbered license as a registered nurse
• Have a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program with a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Have preference given for one or more years of experience
• Demonstrate proficiency in computer skills and access to a computer with Internet capabilities
• Participate in admission interviews with nursing faculty scheduled in February for fall admission

Progression

After admission, students must:

• Complete documentation of health status
• Undergo criminal background checks
• Provide documentation of ACLS certification prior to the first clinical
• Complete a degree plan in collaboration with faculty by the end of the second semester
• Maintain a cumulative grade of at least 3.0, with no more than two grades of less than B in courses required for the degree
• Complete degree requirements within seven years after admission

Curriculum

The curriculum is comprised of three components:

1. Graduate core courses
2. Practice core courses
3. Specialty curriculum content A minimum of 1,020 hours of clinical practice are required.

DNP Curriculum

The DNP curriculum prepares students for eligibility for certification as a family nurse practitioner. The full-time eight-semester course of study leads to a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree (DNP).