New master’s program will cater to busy nurses

The College of Nursing will unveil a new program next spring for those looking to pursue secondary nursing education.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program will be adding a part-time and an online program, and it will consist of two tracks – one for students with a Master's of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management and one for leading nurses with an M.S. in another field.

"[Starting this program] was a natural progression of a degree we were already offering and one that the College of Nursing believes should be the terminal degree," said Dr. Diane Andrews, graduate leadership and management track coordinator at the UCF College of Nursing.

An M.S.N. in Leadership and Management is already offered as an exclusively online degree, and the university took advantage of the opportunity to develop a program for these nurses who were already practicing in leadership and management roles, Andrews said.

Christine Coyle, a current nursing student, believes the new program opens up a lot of opportunities for graduate students.

Coyle is a student in the second-degree accelerated B.S.N. program who expects to graduate next summer. After graduation, she plans to work full time in a local hospital for a few years before going to graduate school.

"I think that the program is a great idea," Coyle said. "I've been thinking about graduate school myself, but [I'm] worried about how to manage working full time as a nurse and getting to class in between."

The type of flexibility the new online program offers is exactly what Andrews was aiming for.

Andrews said that by having the option to obtain a degree online still allows nurses who are currently working to further their education without worrying about conflicting schedules.

"Having difficulty getting to campus was a barrier for nurses who already are bearing a 24/7 responsibility," Andrews said.

The decision for a web-based program was reached after several extensive surveys conducted by the College of Nursing.

The team hopes the program will especially appeal to potential students currently serving as lead nurses from the Orlando Health and Florida Hospital networks.

In addition to being one of the first online DNPs available in Florida, UCF was also one of the first schools to obtain accreditation for the program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

The curriculum for the program will include several new courses, such as innovative technologies in healthcare, program development and management and advanced leadership.

In addition to the required courses, a DNP project and residency must be completed in order to graduate from the program, demonstrating the application of practices learned throughout the student's study. Each project will be derived from the student's residency experience and evaluated by an academic committee.

UCF is one of 153 schools in the nation that offers a DNP; however, 160 more universities are poised to launch similar programs within the next few years.

Along with 42 credit hours of online courses over a three-year period, the students will have to complete an intensive three-day seminar each semester, taught by industry leaders – something that the college hopes will be easier to fit into a nurse's already-hectic schedule.

"With this type of part-time, online program, there's a much more flexible option," Coyle said. "I feel like it would definitely be easier to work full time and continue school."

For more information on the executive Doctor of Nursing Practice program, contact the College of Nursing at 407-823-2744.