The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree has at its core an online program that includes virtual webinar-based meetings. Some majors also require on-campus classes. All majors require at least three on-campus visits during the course of the program (orientation, project proposal presentation, & final project presentation). Some courses have optional face-to-face sessions as well.

For the master’s-prepared nurse, the Master’s Degree to DNP pathway prepares you to work at the highest level of practice. The Advanced Practice Focus prepares APRNs to improve patient outcomes within complex healthcare systems from a clinical perspective. The Nurse Executive Focus is for nurses in executive roles to improve patient outcomes from a systems-level perspective. Courses in both foci are taught online.

For the bachelor’s-prepared nurse, each of the three Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice majors are experienced a bit differently:

The Family Nurse Practitioner major is taught through online, hybrid, and on campus classroom course work. Advanced Assessment and Advanced Procedure Skills courses are taught on campus in our skill’s labs. Students are prepared to enter into their preceptored clinical experiences.

The Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner major is taught through online coursework and clinical experiences in your location. Clinical experiences occur in outpatient and inpatient settings including experience with talk therapy, and address child, adolescent, adult and geriatric populations. Students are prepared to enter into their preceptored clinical experiences with didactic coursework.

The Nurse Anesthesia major classes are held at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in downtown Columbus. In addition to studying the science and application of anesthesia, we spend time on communication, emotional intelligence and being prepared for the pressures that come with the nurse anesthetist role. Simulated patient care experiences combine with a high volume of cases and clinical hours to prepare you for practice.

The associate’s degree nurse can pursue preparation for initial licensure as a nurse practitioner via our Associate Degree in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Four courses get you ready for graduate education in your selected nurse practitioner major: Family Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Once these transition courses are completed, you enter the appropriate major (PMHNP or FNP), and when you complete the requirements for certification, you earn the Master of Science in Nursing degree. After beginning to work as a nurse practitioner, the final year of study leads you to earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

You’ll enjoy the faculty-student relationship as our smaller class size allows for a more intimate experience with your professors. Most of your faculty continue to work as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, bringing a high-level of expertise to the course content that is relevant and applicable to today’s nursing practice. Our faculty consistently collaborate with other professionals in the healthcare care community and serve on boards, present at national conferences, and publish in professional journals.

Our programs value research, political advocacy, evidence-based practice and nursing as a practice art. The goal of our Department of Nursing is to prepare lifelong learners who are committed to the profession and the community, and to meeting changing health care needs of society.

Related Links

• Graduate Nursing Student Handbook (PDF)
• Graduate Catalog (from the Registrar’s Office)
• Technology Information (from ITS)