Nursing Practice (Family Nurse Practitioner) - Doctor of Nursing Practice (Online)
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a doctoral degree for nurses at the highest level of nursing practice. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has proposed that the DNP degree will be the level of entry for all advanced practice nurses by 2020. Practice-focused doctoral nursing programs prepare leaders for the highest level of practice and is the terminal practice degree. The core DNP courses prepare the DNP graduate for Population Health Leadership. Although the coursework for these programs is web-based, the clinical component consists of over 1000 contact hours. Anyone interested in pursuing a nurse practitioner doctorate must make certain that they can accommodate the intensive time commitment that these programs require.
The Family Nurse Practitioner track prepares nurses for advanced practice through a course of study focused on the health care of families across the lifespan. The courses in this specialty focus on advanced health assessment, advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and management of acute and chronic illness in families. These courses are combined with specialty seminars and clinical experiences that emphasize the physiological and psychosocial impact of illness on the patient and family. Graduates are prepared to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam.
In order to complete the DNP program, each student is required to generate a project that reflects their advanced coursework in leadership, research translation, and clinical knowledge and skills.
New Mexico State University is a full member of the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements consortium (SARA). Students will need to check the NMSU SARA website before application to determine if NMSU has a reciprocity agreement with their home state before application is made. State Boards of Nursing may regulate NMSU's ability to have APRN students in clinical practice in the home state of out of state students. Please refer to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's APRN Distance Education Requirements website and contact with Nursing Graduate Advisor to confirm eligibility to conduct clinical training in states outside of New Mexico.
For application information, visit the School of Nursing website or contact the Nursing Graduate Advisor for more information about application and admission requirements at (575) 646-7770.
Course Requirements
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DNP Core Courses | ||
| NURS 5120 | Nursing Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 6110 | Introduction to Population Health | 1 |
| NURS 6250 | Healthcare Policy and Ethics | 3 |
| NURS 6270 | Clinical Data Management and Analysis | 2 |
| NURS 6265 | Strategic and Financial Planning for Population Health Programs | 3 |
| NURS 6135 | Interdisciplinary Leadership and Role Development for Practice Excellence | 3 |
| NURS 6255 | Innovations and Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| NURS 6120 | Quality Improvement in Healthcare for Nurse Practitioners | 3 |
| NURS 6125 | Evidence-Based Practice for Nurse Practitioners | 3 |
| NURS 6260 | Population Health and the Environment | 3 |
| NURS 6305 | Introduction to the DNP Project | 1 |
| NURS 6130 | Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice | 2 |
| NURS 6310 | DNP Project I | 1 |
| NURS 6320 | DNP Project II | 1 |
| NURS 6330 | DNP Project III | 1 |
| NURS 6307 | DNP Project Practicum (This course is taken 3 times 1 cr. each) | 3 |
| NURS 6993 | Doctoral Nursing Seminar | 1 |
| NP Core Courses | ||
| NURS 6220 | Advanced Pathophysiology for Clinical Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 6230 | Advanced Clinical Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 6225 | Advanced Health Assessment | 2 |
| NURS 6226 | Advanced Health Assessment Practicum | 1 |
| NURS 6350 | Health Needs of Special Populations | 2 |
| NURS 6351 | Health Needs of Special Populations Practicum | 2 |
| NURS 6210 | Professional Roles for Advanced Practice Clinical Nursing | 3 |
| FNP Specialty Courses | ||
| NURS 6505 | Women's Health | 3 |
| NURS 6510 | FNP Across the Lifespan I | 3 |
| NURS 6511 | FNP Across the Lifespan I Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 6520 | FNP Across the Lifespan II | 3 |
| NURS 6521 | FNP Across the Lifespan II Practicum | 3-4 |
| NURS 6530 | FNP Across the Lifespan III | 1 |
| NURS 6531 | FNP Across the Lifespan III Practicum | 3-4 |
| Total Credits | 72-74 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NURS 6110 | Introduction to Population Health | 1 |
| NURS 6120 | Quality Improvement in Healthcare for Nurse Practitioners | 3 |
| NURS 6305 | Introduction to the DNP Project | 1 |
| NURS 6210 | Professional Roles for Advanced Practice Clinical Nursing | 3 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Spring | ||
| NURS 6135 | Interdisciplinary Leadership and Role Development for Practice Excellence | 3 |
| NURS 6125 | Evidence-Based Practice for Nurse Practitioners | 3 |
| NURS 6130 | Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice | 2 |
| NURS 6307 | DNP Project Practicum | 1-3 |
| Credits | 9-11 | |
| Summer | ||
| NURS 6270 | Clinical Data Management and Analysis | 2 |
| NURS 6265 | Strategic and Financial Planning for Population Health Programs | 3 |
| NURS 6310 | DNP Project I | 1 |
| NURS 6307 | DNP Project Practicum | 1-3 |
| Credits | 7-9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NURS 6220 | Advanced Pathophysiology for Clinical Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 5120 | Nursing Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 6255 | Innovations and Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| NURS 6320 | DNP Project II | 1 |
| Credits | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| NURS 6250 | Healthcare Policy and Ethics | 3 |
| NURS 6225 | Advanced Health Assessment | 2 |
| NURS 6226 | Advanced Health Assessment Practicum | 1 |
| NURS 6260 | Population Health and the Environment | 3 |
| NURS 6307 | DNP Project Practicum | 1-3 |
| Credits | 10-12 | |
| Summer | ||
| NURS 6230 | Advanced Clinical Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 6330 | DNP Project III | 1 |
| NURS 6993 | Doctoral Nursing Seminar | 1 |
| Credits | 5 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NURS 6505 | Women's Health | 3 |
| NURS 6510 | FNP Across the Lifespan I | 3 |
| NURS 6511 | FNP Across the Lifespan I Practicum | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| NURS 6520 | FNP Across the Lifespan II | 3 |
| NURS 6521 | FNP Across the Lifespan II Practicum | 3-4 |
| NURS 6350 | Health Needs of Special Populations | 2 |
| NURS 6351 | Health Needs of Special Populations Practicum | 2 |
| Credits | 10-11 | |
| Summer | ||
| NURS 6530 | FNP Across the Lifespan III | 1 |
| NURS 6531 | FNP Across the Lifespan III Practicum | 3-4 |
| Credits | 4-5 | |
| Total Credits | 72-80 | |