Doctor of nursing practice presents new opportunities for Southern Miss

The University of Southern Mississippi is known for its growing nursing school. Recently, USM collaborated with Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Mississippi University for Women and the University of Mississippi Medical Center to produce nurses who have the option of earning the doctor of nursing practice degree.

According to the College of Nursing’s website, “The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is to prepare advanced-practice nurses at the highest professional level of nursing practice and to advance the application of nursing knowledge for the purpose of improving health care to diverse populations.”

The DNP is a higher education option for nurses to choose from when looking into advancing their nursing career and focuses on a clinical experience rather than a research experience. The DNP also gives nurses the option to become independent primary care providers, much like a physician.

More specifically, the College of Nursing offers two different types of the DNP, but student nurses will still graduate with the same degree.

The newest addition to the College of Nursing degree plan family is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia program (BSN-DNP). The purpose of the program is to “prepare nurses to practice at the highest level of professional nursing practice with the advanced knowledge in the area of clinical specialization in nurse anesthesia,” according to the college’s website.

The University of Mississippi is the only other university in the state that currently awards the DNP. For admission requirements, visit the College of Nursing website at www.usm.edu/nursing.