DNP Programs in Alabama

The post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Samford University offers two areas of concentration - Administration and Advanced Practice. Both program options are available online and can be pursued on a full-time (12 months) or part-time (24 months) basis. The DNP-Administration program prepares nurses to take on leadership roles in improving the safety and quality of patient care, administering health care programs, and developing and implementing health policy. APRNs (nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse midwife) are considered for the DNP-Advanced Practice program, which is designed to improve the management of health care needs of individuals, families, and populations. For RNs who wish to teach, educator add-on courses are available for both options. Samford University's DNP program is CCNE-accredited.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program is jointly administered by the nursing schools at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Birmingham. The DNP program is available completely online; students are only required to attend an orientation on campus at the beginning of the program and an annual intensive session in the spring. Students have the option of pursing the program on a full-time (five semesters) or part-time (eight semesters) basis. Applicants are required to have an MSN in an advanced nursing practice area (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, or nurse midwife) to be considered for admission. In order to graduate, students must complete a capstone program experience, which is a practice- or leadership-focused DNP project.

Troy University's Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is offered online and can be pursued as a full-time or part-time program of study. Students are only required to come to campus for a one-day orientation prior to beginning the program. The post-baccalaureate DNP program has a Family Nurse Practitioner Track and can be completed with eight semesters of continuous enrolment (summers included). Students need to complete 35 semester hours for the post-master's DNP program. The curriculum includes coursework in the following subject areas: Bioethical Issues in Healthcare, Foundations in Evidence-based Practice, and Evaluation Methods for Improvements of Client Outcomes. Students have to complete a practice residency in order to graduate.

Students accepted to the BSN to DNP program at the University of South Alabama can choose to specialize in one of the following Nurse Practitioner areas: Adult-Gerontology (Acute or Primary Care), Family, Neonatal, Pediatric Acute Care, Psychiatric, and Women's Health. Clinical Nurse Specialist, Executive Nurse Administration, and Advanced Emergency Nursing specializations are also available. The MSN to DNP program is for APRNs who want to want to receive doctoral training in the same APN specialty for which they are already certified, as well as for APRNs who wish to earn certification in a second APN specialty. The university also offers a MSN to DNP Bridge Program for Clinical Nurse Leaders seeking doctoral training in the specialty area of Executive Nursing Administration.