Otterbein Graduate Nursing Program
Otterbein University’s graduate nursing programs are designed with the changing roles of nursing and the healthcare delivery systems in mind. Whether you are considering becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), a Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), a Nurse Anesthetist (NA), or adding additional expertise to your work our clinically expert nursing faculty will assure that you have the knowledge and skills to function at the highest level of practice possible! Otterbein students outpace state and national rates for passing national certification exams every year. In 2019 pass rates were > 95% for first time test takers in both the FNP and NA majors.
Our redesigned student-friendly, flexible curriculum allows working adults to find a healthy work/life balance necessary to succeed in a graduate program. Please note, the NA program continues to require full-time study.
What makes our program exceptional is how well our graduates do when they leave our program. Nurses graduating from Otterbein are prepared, competent, and confident. We hear that compliment time and time again from organizations hiring our graduates. Job placements rates are excellent for both FNP majors and NA majors, as reported by spring 2019 graduates!
The FNP major can be completed in 2 years, allowing students to become certified and begin practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse with a Master’s degree. An added bonus is you accrue DNP course credit along the way.
The PMHNP program is completely online and can be completed in just 3 years! An added bonus is you accrue DNP course credit along the way!
The NA program complies with the requirement of a completed DNP degree to practice (required beginning 2023). You can complete the program in 3 years.
Otterbein’s Department of Nursing offers the following degrees and certificates:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Anesthesia, BSN to DNP
- Doctor of Nursing Practice, Master’s Degree to DNP
- Advance Practice Focus
- Nurse Executive Focus
Program Highlights
- New student-friendly, flexible plans of study available.
- Support provided in finding clinical placements.
- Graduate nursing faculty also maintain active clinical practice.
- Clinical skills practiced in clinical settings and in safe simulated learning environments.
- Family Nurse Practitioner major comprises a combination of online, hybrid, and in-classroom learning.
- Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner major comprises online courses and clinical experiences in your local area.
- Nurse Anesthesia major is a full-time in-residence program.
- Doctor of Nursing Practice core courses and project courses are online.
- All graduate nursing degrees are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Program Contact:
Kelly Cornett, BS, ASN, RN
Graduate Nursing Recruiter
cornett1@otterbein.edu
614-823-3272
Your Experience at Otterbein
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 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.
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.
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.
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.