MGH Institute of Health Professions Launches Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Innovative doctor of nursing practice launched by MGH Institute of Health Professions; new clinical practice degree readies nurses for leadership roles.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) May 7, 2007 -- The MGH Institute of Health Professions (http://www.mghihp.edu), an academic affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital, has announced a new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, designed to educate master's prepared nurses for leadership roles in the increasingly complex management of health care delivery.

The DNP program was developed in response to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) 2004 decision that advanced practice education for nurses should move from the master's to the doctoral level by the year 2015. According to Joyce Clifford, PhD, RN, FAAN, President and CEO of the Institute for Nursing Healthcare Leadership, "The DNP is an important step forward in the nursing profession's commitment to society, ensuring advanced practice nurses are well prepared to partner with physicians and others to provide high quality care to all."

Through study in such areas as health care policy, informatics, organizational dynamics, health care outcomes, health care financing, and research utilization, DNP graduates will be positioned to assume a variety of clinical, educational, and executive roles. "With this knowledge base, advanced practice nurses will be able to make a real difference, whether as managers of quality initiatives, executives in health care organizations, directors of clinical programs, or faculty responsible for clinical teaching." says Margery Chisholm, EdD, RN, CS, ABPP, Director of the Graduate Program in Nursing.

Karen Wolf, PhD, RN, CS, Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Nursing adds, "And armed with a DNP, nurses can lead new efforts to improve accountability, not only in direct patient care, but in the health care system itself."

Introduction of this new degree at the MGH Institute is welcome news to today's advanced practice nurses. As Kimberly Goc, a geriatric nurse practitioner at Winchester Physician Associates-Winchester Hospital who is readying her DNP application, puts it, "The DNP program provides a career development path that will enable me to combine my clinical practice with teaching so that I can contribute to the education of future nurses."

With the new DNP program, the MGH Institute is building upon nearly 30 years of providing innovative career paths for advanced practice nurses. The curriculum includes 43 credits of instruction, including up to 18 credits that can be awarded for previous work through a post-admissions portfolio process. During the program's clinical residency, DNP candidates complete an independent capstone project addressing a specific clinical problem.

As one of the first graduate nursing programs in New England to offer the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, the MGH Institute is unique in offering a choice of six elective concentrations: advanced clinical practice, teaching, global health, clinical investigation, informatics and nursing administration. The curriculum is designed to be flexible, providing students the option of full- or part-time study, a mix of online and classroom instruction, and course scheduling to accommodate the demands of career and family.

The priority deadline for applications for the first DNP class is June 1, 2007, with courses beginning in September. Additional information is available online at dnp.mghihp.edu (http://www.mghihp.edu/nursing/postprofessional/dnp) or by emailing dnp(at)mghihp.edu.

The MGH Institute of Health Professions, an academic affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital (http://www.massgeneral.org), is an innovative and independent post-baccaluareate school that operates within the frame¬work of Partners HealthCare System (http://www.partners.org). A progressive leader in developing compre¬hensive models of health care education, the MGH Institute prepares advanced practice professionals in the fields of nursing, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, medical imaging and clinical investigation through a distinctive combination of academic study, clinical practice and research. An average of 800 students are enrolled in graduate level and certificate programs, with an increasing number of courses available online. The Institute is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

(Editors: Our style preference is to not spell out 'MGH' on a first reference to our name, as it incorrectly implies the Institute is a department within the hospital. Alternately, we recommend, "The MGH Institute of Health Professions, an academic affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital…")

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