The Washington State University College of Nursing is preparing to welcome its first group of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students here in the fall semester.

The action is part of a national movement supported by several accrediting bodies and national organizations, including the Institute of Medicine, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, The Joint Commission, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The graduate nursing degree is the second doctoral-level degree offered by the WSU College of Nursing. The college also has a Ph.D. in Nursing program that focuses on conducting and contributing research to the science of nursing.

The DNP is designed to develop nurse practitioners who can work in a clinical setting that involves treating patients, managing a nursing staff, or a combination of the two. Nurses with a DNP strive to incorporate the most current evidence from nursing, medicine, and allied health sciences into health care practice, and to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and communication.

New courses for the DNP curriculum include organizational leadership and structure, information management, and a capstone project. The DNP program is designed to provide a well-rounded experience that meets all requirements of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Forty students at the college's Spokane and Vancouver campuses have enrolled for fall semester in one of three DNP program tracks: advanced population health, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, or family nurse practitioner. This first student group—referred to as a cohort in this medical context—includes Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) graduates. In the fall of 2013, the college also plans to accept Master of Nursing (MN) graduates. Future enrollment levels will be adjusted to ensure the highest quality doctoral-level education possible.

"I chose to pursue advanced practice because I wanted the ability to function independently," says Bart Brinkmann, a Spokane-area nurse who is enrolled in the DNP program. "I chose WSU based on the quality of its BSN graduates and also on recommendations from master's level family nurse practitioner graduates. I've been practicing nursing for just over five years, and my goal is to work in a more outlying area after receiving my degree."

The new degree not only benefits nurses desiring to increase their education and pursue leadership roles; it benefits the public.

"The program will graduate expert clinicians and experts in innovating health care. Nurses will lead the way in creating a patient-centered health care system," says Dr. Patricia Butterfield, dean of the College of Nursing.

"The DNP degree is a natural and necessary progression for the profession," says Dr. Cindy Fitzgerald, a family nurse practitioner and leader in the program. "It not only reflects a response to health care reform, but also addresses the need to supply better educated practitioners in rural areas—a primary care shortage.

"Of all careers requiring higher education, nurses are number one in demand for most regions of the state," Fitzgerald says. "In order to meet the need for nurses and primary care providers in the future, nursing education programs must prepare advanced practice nurses to lead and provide primary care for individuals and communities."

Many areas across the country are in need of advanced nurse practitioners, including family nurse practitioners, who can provide family and preventive care.

A survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in September 2008 found that only 2 percent of fourth-year medical students plan to work in primary care after graduation, despite the need for a 40 percent increase in the number of primary care physicians in the U.S. by 2020. Advanced practice nurses are expected to meet much of the need for primary care provision. The employment outlook is strong for advanced practice nurses who provide cost savings for patients, health care organizations, and insurance providers.

WSU's new DNP degree program uses a hybrid model to educate students. Students are expected to be on campus in Spokane or Vancouver at least twice per semester. The remainder of course work can be completed on campus, online through WSU's Academic Media Services and learning systems, and by accessing archived materials online. The program approach is ideal for nurses balancing careers, families, and other commitments.

Butterfield says, "Quality graduate education is a transformative experience. It helps shape one's identity and expand the student's knowledge. The DNP degree at WSU College of Nursing is an engaging, rigorous program. Once enrolled, students can connect with peers and have access to a community of nursing and interprofessional scholars while continuing to meet life's other commitments."

Students must have a BSN, at least one year of nursing experience, and meet other admission requirements to apply to the program.