The New Jersey Presidents’ Council has approved a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree-granting program for the Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden. Courses will begin in summer 2014.
The DNP program, considered a significant step forward in advancing nursing education and practice in New Jersey, is designed to educate clinicians for advanced practice leadership roles with an emphasis on primary care of adult and gerontological patients. It was approved by the Rutgers University Board of Governors earlier this year.
“We want our students to demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability in designing, delivering, and evaluating evidence-based care to improve patient outcomes,” says Patricia Suplee, an assistant professor of nursing at Rutgers–Camden and coordinator of the DNP program. “Our graduates will be leaders in their communities and will be prepared to address major community health challenges such as improving access to care and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention programs for adult and gerontological populations.”
Rutgers–Camden will be the first southern New Jersey institution to offer licensed registered nurses with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree direct admission into a DNP program, which will prepare nurses for national certification and licensure as an advanced practice nurse in adult-gerontology primary care.
By offering the 62-credit DNP degree, Rutgers–Camden’s nursing program will become one of the few in the nation to provide a seamless academic transition from pre-licensure to doctoral education.
Students enrolled in the program will have the unique opportunity to choose a clinical nursing practice specialty such as chronic illness, end-of-life care, mental health, oncology, palliative care, women’s health, wound care, or continence care.
“This critical program will prepare nurses to fill the growing need for expert clinicians who can provide comprehensive primary care for diverse populations with a wide range of healthcare needs,” says Joanne Robinson, dean of the Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden. “It will enhance healthcare throughout our region and allow Rutgers–Camden to continue to grow as a center for health sciences in New Jersey.”
For more information, visit nursing.camden.rutgers.edu.