DNP-NP Options Overview
- Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Option – prepares nurses for advanced practice roles caring for individuals who are acutely and critically ill across the continuum of acute care services. The curriculum gives students a strong background in advanced assessment, therapeutics, and technological interventions. Emphasis is placed on integrating didactic knowledge with patient management and advanced technical skills. After successfully completing 66 credits and 1,200 practicum hours, graduates will be eligible to take the national certification examination as an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
- Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Option – prepares nurses for advanced practice roles as primary care providers to manage the health of individuals from adolescence through adulthood and the end of life. AGPCNPs work in a variety of settings, including long-term care, hospital-based clinics, and private practice. After successfully completing 65 credits and 1,200 practice hours, graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner.
- Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Option – prepares nurses for advanced practice roles to deliver comprehensive primary care to individuals from infancy to adulthood in a variety of settings. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and strategies for meeting primary care needs through a family-centered approach to health promotion and illness prevention/intervention. After successfully completing 67 credits and 1,200 practice hours, graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination as Family Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner.
- Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – prepares nurses for advanced practice roles in assessing and managing individuals with mental illnesses across the lifespan. The curriculum emphasizes all aspects of mental health and substance use disorder services to diverse populations across the lifespan. Using multivariate evidence-based interventions, including individual and family psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and medication management, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners diagnose and treat mental health and substance use disorders. After successfully completing 75 credits and 1,200 practice hours, graduates are eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner examination (Across the Lifespan).
For students who have completed a master’s degree, total credit hours may be less.
Intensives
Although your courses are online, you will be required to attend three separate intensive sessions at Penn State University Park or Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center during the program. You can expect to meet in person at the following times:
- Intensive I (August)
- 3 days
- First fall semester
- M-W, prior to start of classes
- Intensive II (June)
- 4 days
- Timing included on your plan of study
- Intensive III (April)
- 4 days
- Timing included on your plan of study
These three intensive sessions will provide you with the opportunity to interact in person with your doctoral committee, graduate faculty, and fellow students.
DNP-NP Project
The culmination of the program is an evidence-based practice project. The goal of the DNP project is to address a problem that has originated from practice experience. Students will use current evidence to develop, implement and evaluate a practice change initiative.
