Beginning with the fall 2022 semester, Le Moyne will offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): Family Nurse Practitioner, as the College continues to add in-demand degrees that are essential in supporting the nation’s healthcare system and infrastructure.
“The launch of the DNP program reflects the reality that the nation’s healthcare environment is changing and that nurses are increasingly taking a lead role in care that requires them to have the highest level of scientific knowledge and specialty-specific background,” said Margaret Wells, Ph.D., RN, ANP-BC, dean of the Purcell School of Professional Studies. “As healthcare continues to evolve, nurses are increasingly working in leadership positions, with DNPs called on to provide critical patient evaluation, identify gaps in care and appraise ways to improve delivery systems and outcomes.”
There is an increasing demand for individuals with DNP degrees. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), “employers are quickly recognizing the unique contribution these expert nurses are making in the practice arena, and the demand for DNP-prepared nurses continues to grow.” Both the AACN and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF) support movement of all entry level advanced practice nursing education to the DNP degree by 2025.
At Le Moyne, the DNP curriculum – like that of all its healthcare programs - reflects the College’s Jesuit philosophy of educating the whole person and is designed to foster professionalism, intellectual capacity, and respect for the dignity of all persons. It will build on the College’s current master’s in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program and provide a seamless path to the DNP for currently certified FNP’s.
“The DNP program expands on the role of the nurse practitioner, from managing complex patients to examining populations and identifying gaps in healthcare,” said Sara L. Gleasman-DeSimone Ph.D., ANP-C, a professor of practice in Le Moyne’s FNP program. “The DNP prepared nurse will lead quality improvement initiatives in various practice environments such as underserved communities and with vulnerable populations.”
Le Moyne’s DNP program is designed to balance theory with practice. In classrooms and labs, students will learn from faculty who are all practice-experienced and maintain roles as educators, administrators and health professionals. Outside of the classroom, students will benefit from immersive preceptorships in a variety of settings with diverse patient populations.
The curriculum offers a rigorous sequence of courses and experiences in advanced nursing practice and is designed to be completed in approximately 33 months for students choosing to pursue the curriculum full time. It incorporates core areas of graduate nursing, advanced practice nursing, and the DNP Essentials as espoused by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
Successful graduates will hold an FNP Certificate in New York State and will be eligible to sit for the National Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
The priority admission deadline for fall 2022 enrollment is Sunday, May 15, with a final application deadline of Wednesday, June 15. Applications received after June 15 will be considered on a rolling basis until the program has reached capacity. There is no application fee and GRE scores are not required. Learn more about admission requirements here.
Click here to learn more about the DNP program. For additional information or questions, contact Le Moyne’s Office of Graduate Admission at [email protected]. Students without a bachelor’s degree in nursing are encouraged to contact the Office of Graduate Admission as early as possible for guidance on timelines to apply for conditional admission.