UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno will soon join the ranks of top nursing schools nationwide by offering a new advanced degree for nurses, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
The online program, approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents at its December meeting, will prepare nurses for advanced clinical practice and health care leadership roles. Graduates will fill leadership positions in hospitals and clinics or serve as nurse educators, healthcare executives or policy analysts. The degree, which offers both Advanced Practice and Nurse Executive tracks, differs from the Ph.D. in nursing in that it focuses more on clinical practice than individual research. Each school plans to admit 14 students next fall.
"The DNP program is essential to provide nurse practitioners with the increased skill set to provide the best health care for Nevadans," said Carolyn Yucha, dean of UNLV's School of Nursing. "Nevada's population is aging, and we need to be prepared to meet the specialized health challenges facing our state."
"The profession needs a higher level of preparation for leaders who can design and assess care, especially with the shortage of nursing personnel and the national concerns about the quality of care and patient safety," said Patsy Ruchala, director of the Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno. "The program will help fill that need."
Students will be admitted to either university and will only be required to visit their respective university once each academic year, with courses split equally between the two universities.
"At this time of economic crisis, this is a collaborative program that will better use resources within Nevada's university system," Ruchala said. "We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Yucha and UNLV to offer this collaborative degree that will benefit the entire state."
"UNLV and UNR deserve a tremendous amount of credit for working together and focusing on efficiency and effectiveness during a time of such limited resources," said Dr. Maurizio Trevisan, executive vice-chancellor and CEO of the Health Sciences System. "By combining the faculty expertise and resources of the two state universities, the collaborative DNP program will include the best faculty from across Nevada, will share the cost burden for a new program and will fulfill the mutual goal of collaboration between the two university-based nursing programs."
UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno are part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Together, the two universities' nursing schools had 199 nursing graduates pass the RN licensure exam last year, helping to fill the nursing gap in the state. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services projects that by the year 2020, the number of registered nurses in Nevada will fall 27.5 percent below the state's actual need.
