By Jordan Stone
The UP School of Nursing recently received approval for its 84-hour Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program from the University's Academic Senate. The 16-3 (three abstentions) vote on an amended proposal effaced the sour effects of a 12-12 vote that happened last October.
The proposal will implement a program to meet the standards of new guidelines for an advanced nursing practitioner degree as ascribed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's (AACN). According to Terry Misener, dean of the School of Nursing, the AACN now requires all advanced nurse practitioners must be trained at the doctoral level by the year 2015.
Academic Senate Chair Jeff Gauthier speculated that a significant reason for the change in attitude among voters was the support for the program that came from the administration, namely the Rev. William Beauchamp, C.S.C.
"The president made a strong plea for the program," Gauthier said.
The President had shown continued support for the program dating back to the first vote in October, but this time it finally paid dividends.
The School of Nursing also amended the proposal in order to address several concerns among faculty.
Assistant Dean of Nursing Joanne Warner says that the main concerns addressed in the updated proposal are enrollment and financial strategy. The new proposal includes provisions for students to enter the program at the master's level, in addition to the originally planned baccalaureate level, to facilitate a plan for steady enrollment.
"We will have the program developed for multiple points of entry," Warner said.
In addition, each student program will be individualized to the participant's transcript and educational experience.
Warner credits the increased conversation about the program as a reason why the proposal passed on this second time around.
"We were really committed to having people understand what our vision was," Warner said.
The School of Nursing held a listening forum in order to hear and answer concerns from the community.
Gauthier, however, said that he still has "reservations" about the program. According to him, there is a general feeling among faculty that the focus of the institution should continue to be geared in the undergraduate direction. He thinks this proposal passed, however, because it replaces an old out-of-date program with a new program designed to meet industry guidelines.
Warner is enthused because the community came to understand and support the program. Now the faculty members are preparing the application materials for the program, which will admit its first class in summer of 2008.
The School of Nursing will market the new program through a "multi-pronged" approach including sending materials to previously interested parties as well as getting information out at national meetings.
Warner looks forward to the day when the students from UP's DNP program are out working in the field and contributing the kind of service UP can be proud of.
She also appreciates the process that the UP community went through before approval.
"We are thankful to be part of a campus community that will ask questions and be concerned about what other schools are doing," Warner said.
Nursing Sophomore Kathy Adelman sees the program adding a "competitive edge" to the University. She explains that it is rare for a small private school like UP to have a distinguished program like the DNP.
Although she doesn't think she will enroll in the program, Adelman believes that having the program here at UP will give her degree that much more integrity and also contribute to other programs already in place and make them better.
