Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs in Florida

Florida has nine DNP programs, among the most in the nation, and this may serve the state’s elderly population well. The DNP, or Doctorate of Nursing Practice, is about evidence-based practice and about forging professional relationships. Collaboration among teams of professionals is imperative if the nation is to switch from a focus on acute care to one of management of long-term conditions. Organizations such as the American of Colleges of Nursing believe that it is imperative to add courses in informatics and research to programs for advanced practice nurses. The Institute of Medicine has also come out in support of instituting the practice doctorate as the terminal degree in nursing and has made recommendations for program components.

Yes, numerous studies have shown that nurse practitioners deliver primary care services at a level comparable to physicians, and the IOM itself endorsees this belief. However, the AACN and the IOM both believe that the healthcare system as a whole fails many patients. Medicine is complex and ever changing, but fragmentation keeps practitioners from making truly informed decisions. Motivated in part by dismal IOM reports, the AACN began a task force on doctoral education programs for advanced practice nurses. The task force wrapped up in 2004 with a strongly worded position statement: Doctoral education was to become the new entry level standard for APNs. The IOM wrote that doubling the number of doctorally prepared nurses was among their goal. In this regard, the AACN is even more ambitious, putting together a transformation roadmap that would see all programs transitioned by 2015.

The AANC hopes the DNP will lure more nurses to nursing education; there are better opportunities for faculty members who have doctoral education. Although the DNP is not specifically focused on nursing education, many graduates do pursue this avenue. A recent posting at Jacksonville University, for example, asked for a DNP or PhD candidate for a tenure position.

DNP Program Specializations, Completion Times and More

In Florida, one can find programs for clinical nurse specialists and for nurse practitioners in traditional tracks like pediatric, adult, family, and acute care There are separate tracks for post-BSN and post-master’s students. If one has a master’s in some area besides specialty nursing practice, they may be ask to apply as a post-BSN candidate. During the transitional period, some programs enroll only master’s trained advanced practice nurses. The completion time for a post-master’s DNP can be as little as a year, but it depends on the school as well as the scheduling. Other schools allow post-BSN students to earn a master’s — and certification — on their way to earning their doctorate.

One difference between the new DNP degree programs and the older master’s level advanced practice courses is the number of clinical hours. Post-baccalaureate DNP courses include a minimum of 1,000 practice hours; post-master’s courses include at least 500. There can be an exciting array of options; post-master’s clinical hours are not all devoted to individual patient care. Doctoral students may take on a variety of roles as they use research to solve problems. Their work is generally written up as a final capstone project. Options can include a cost benefit analysis of healthcare delivery models or the design of a new health education program. Some students may choose to lead coalitions.

Contact Information for DNP Programs in Florida

Learn about out of state schools offering Online DNP Programs in Florida.

Please let inform us when new programs come available or if we have missed one.

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