Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Program Description: Post Master's Entry
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program prepares nurses with the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for fully accountable practice with patients across sites and over time. With the increasing scope of clinical scholarship in nursing and the growth of scientific knowledge in the discipline, doctoral level education is required for independent practice. The curriculum includes content which enables the graduate to conduct complex diagnostic and treatment modalities, utilize sophisticated informatics and decision-making technology, and assimilate in-depth knowledge of biophysical, psychosocial, behavioral and clinical sciences. The Residency and portfolio provide mastery and evidence of competency achievement.
Given the complexity of care, growth of information and biomedical technology, an aging and increasingly diverse population, and worsening disparities in care, the need for a DNP program to prepare clinicians to fill the growing societal need for expert clinicians is timely and necessary.
The DNP is the natural evolution and needed expansion of existing clinical degrees in nursing: the basic BS and the site-specific MS. The curriculum plan was developed with the intent of producing advanced practice nurses who can utilize skills and knowledge to independently provide expert nursing care in all care settings.
The Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is Judy Honig, DNP, EdD, CPNP. The Co-Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is Janice Smolowitz, DNP, EdD, ANP.
Admission
Interviews are conducted in March and April. Admission decisions are sent throughout April and May. Doctoral students are admitted for fall entry and as full time status only. Please note, applications for the DNP Program can only be submitted online.
Admission criteria include:
- New York State license as Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Nurse or eligibility
- Current professional certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse
- Bachelor's degree in nursing from an NLN or CCNE accredited program
- Master's degree in advanced nursing practice from an NLN or CCNE accredited program
- Relevant experience in advanced practice nursing
- Three references attesting to applicant's academic ability and potential, including one from professional colleague
- Personal goal statement that is congruent with the program goals
- Satisfactory score on the GRE (score must be 5 years old or less)
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Case study that represents applicant's level of clinical expertise in the provision of care
- Prerequisite (C or better): Statistics within 5 years
Curriculum
| Support Core | 19 | |
| Translation and Synthesis of Evidence for Optimal Outcomes Quantitative Research Methods Epidemiology and Environmental Health Legal and Ethical Issues Clinical Genomics Advanced Seminar Practice Management Informatics |
||
| Clinical Core | 11 | |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice I and II Didactic Clinical Didactic and Clinical Chronic Illness Management |
||
| Residency/Seminar | 10 | |
| Total credits | 40 | |
Upon completion of all course work and field experiences (the first year), the student enters the Residency. In this mentored experience, the student assumes a mentored and supervised full time position where DNP competencies can be mastered. The DNP Residency must provide access to and authority for expanded scope practice. Students are encouraged to negotiate a paid position. The Residency must be in an approved setting which may or may not be in the New York metropolitan area. However attendance at scheduled seminars at Columbia is required during the Residency year. During the Residency year, the portfolio is developed and submitted as a required criterion for degree completion.
The above information is current as of 5/08 and is subject to change at any time.