Holy Family University Announces Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
Holy Family University’s School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions has announced its new Doctor of Nursing Practice program, beginning in the Fall 2017 semester.
This offering bolsters the already popular undergraduate, graduate, and second-degree programs offered by the nursing school. All classes will take place on Holy Family University’s Newtown, PA site.
The program has three objectives: to provide a doctoral nursing curriculum that is designed to address current and future global health care needs and issues in a variety of health care settings; to prepare graduates for positions of leadership in advanced nursing practice; and to provide a foundation for certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
“The Doctor of Nursing Practice adds to the ability of the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions to meet the challenges of the increasingly complex American healthcare system,” said Catherine Heilferty Ph.D., RN, CNE, associate dean for the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions. “It raises the level of expertise of Holy Family nurses to the highest clinical level. It is also consistent with the University's mission to advance knowledge and care for patients at the local level and beyond. The blended learning format will allow for a strong relationship with faculty and is flexible enough to allow students to work while attending school.”
The program is designed with three entry points: Post-APRN to DNP, MSN to DNP, and BSN to DNP. It is possible, regardless of entry point, that students can continue in their current positions while going to school. In some cases, the DNP scholarly project can be done at the students’ place of employment.
Post-APRN to DNP: Holy Family University will begin the DNP program for MSN-prepared nurses who are certified as advance practice nurses in the Fall of 2017. Nurses who qualify for this track can complete the program in as few as two years of study.
MSN to DNP: Holy Family University will begin the DNP program for MSN-prepared nurses (those NOT prepared as family nurse practitioners) in the Spring of 2018. Nurses in this program will engage in simulation and hands-on activities in addition to developing the knowledge and skills required to provide advanced nursing care to persons of all ages in primary care settings as Family Nurse Practitioners. Those who qualify for this track can complete the program in as few as three years of study and will be eligible to sit for the certification exam in this specialty.
BSN to DNP: Holy Family University will begin the DNP program for BSN-prepared nurses in the Fall of 2018. Nurses in this program will engage in simulation and hands-on activities in addition to developing the knowledge and skills required to provide advanced nursing care to persons of all ages in primary care settings as Family Nurse Practitioners. Those who qualify for this track can complete the program in as few as four years of study and will be eligible to sit for the certification exam in this specialty.
The class will follow a cohort model, meaning students will enter the class at the same time and take all subsequent classes together until the completion of the program. Students will take one eight-week classroom course at a time. Courses will feature a blended format, meaning that five out of the eight weeks of class will have face-to-face classroom experiences with members of the faculty and their fellow cohort classmates.