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