FAQ
1. What is the DNP?
The DNP is the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and is a practice-focused doctoral degree. The UNM College of Nursing is currently only offering the Post Masters option for the Nurse Executive Organization Leadership (NEOL) concentration
2. Why do I need a DNP?
You do not need a DNP if you are a certified advanced practice nurse and keep your certification current. However, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has recommended that by 2015, the DNP be the education preparation for advanced practice nurses (NP, CRNA, CNS, and CNM).
In addition to the educational preparation of advanced practice nurses, the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice emphasizes the need for further education in regards to leaderships, health care policy, information systems, and health care delivery systems. These foundations of DNP education supply the Nurse Executive and Nurse Administrator with the highest level of educational preparation in this nursing specialty.
3. What is the difference between Post Baccalaureate and Post Masters DNP?
The Post Masters allows advanced practice nurses who have graduated from an accredited nursing program at the masters level to pursue a DNP degree. The Post Baccalaureate will allow registered nurses who have graduated from an accredited nursing program at the baccalaureate level to pursue the DNP degree. The curriculum for both options are different and uniquely designed to meet the needs of the targeted group of students.
4. When will the UNM College of Nursing offer a Post Baccalaureate DNP?
The UNM College of Nursing will begin implementing the Post Baccalaureate for the NEOL in May 2014.
5. Will the Masters degree in Nursing Administration be offered?
The Masters degree in nursing administration is no longer accepting applications at the present time. The last Masters degree cohort was admitted in the spring of 2012.
6. When is the application deadline for the program and when is a new cohort admitted?
The application process opens on September15, 2012 and the deadline is December 1, 2012 for the cohort being admitted the following May. Each cohort begins in the summer.
7. What is required to apply to the program?
All admission requirements and forms are located here.
8. Does the Post Masters DNP offer different tracts?
The UNM College of Nursing currently offers only the NEOL Post Masters DNP. Eventually the College plans to offer both post masters and post baccalaureate degrees in the nursing practice roles such as Family Nurse Practitioners, Acute Care Nurse Practitioners, Pediatrics Nurse Practitioners, and Certified Nurse Midwives.
9. How long is the program and is there a set curriculum and project required?
The program is a total of six terms beginning in the summer and continuing through the end of the fall term of the second year. The curriculum is sequential. The Program of Studies can be found here..
10. What is a capstone project?
The DNP capstone project is a culminating project showing practice excellence and demonstrating leadership, knowledge of population health, evidence-based practice, inquiry, and the integration of the DNP role in a comprehensive health care environment. The capstone is to be a practice-oriented project that meets the needs of the DNP’s community of interest. The project is NOT a dissertation, but must exemplify scholarly activity.
11. Is the program completely online? What campus events are required of applicants/students?
The NEOL didactic program is completely online with both synchronous and asynchronous learning utilized. Students are only required to come to campus for Integration Residency I and II at the beginning of each year of the program for orientation and ongoing support for curriculum completion and capstone project. Clinical practice hours may be obtained in your home location. Applicants are invited to campus for interviews but are not required to attend on campus as interviews will be offered via telephone, Skype, or Adobe connect.
12. Can I continue my full-time job while in the program?
Yes. The two-year program is designed for students to remain in their current positions. The time commitment for the program varies by term and year, but the highest number of credits will be six in any one term with the exception of one term which is 7 credits (See Program of Studies)
13. What technology requirements are needed?
A high-speed internet connection is essential. Students accepted into the program are required to have a computer, printer, web camera, internet access, Microsoft Office and the capability for downloading videos. In addition, students are required to be proficient in Excel. Specific classes may require additional information technology and programs.
14. What can I do if I am not proficient in excel?
There are free training video module sponsored by Excel that covers Excel basics calculations, special features, such as borders, and how to make graphs, etc. These can be found at http://www.free-training-tutorial.com/format-cells.html. Another option can be found on U-Tube . There is a two-part Beginners introduction (part I) found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L1OVkw2ZQ8
and part II at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJqfZw5j2R0
15. What is the cost?
Information about the cost of both in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees can be found online at the Bursar's Tuition and Fees website: http://www.unm.edu/%7ebursar/tuitionrates.html, please note that there is an additional Nursing Tuition Differential for nursing students and can be found just under the Tuition and Fee Schedule . In addition to these costs please estimate $500 per term in additional course fees, HSC Library Fee and Needstick Insurance Fee. If you have any question, please contact the College of Nursing's Financial Aid Officer, Ana Vigil, amvigil@salud.unm.edu or (505) 272-4223.
16. Is student aid available?
Please review the following UNM College of Nursing website for resources and more detail of financial assistance: http://nursing.unm.edu/current-students/financial-aid/graduate.html . In Summary, there are various resources: Federal Student Financial Aid such as student loans is the most common form of assistance, National Health Service Corp., State resources such as the New Mexico Health Service corp., UNM Office of Graduate Studies Funding Resources and I recommend that students also complete the College of Nursing Scholarship Application upon admission to the College of Nursing. Please contact Ana Vigil, program coordinator if you have any questions at amvigil@salud.unm.edu or (505) 272-4223.
17. What library support will be offered?
Because the College of Nursing is an integral component of the academic HSC, students and faculty have access to multiple support services that are essential for quality teaching and learning. All students are provided with an e-mail account and access to multiple resources on the UNM campus. The e-mail system serves as a learning resource in enhancing communication with advisors, faculty members, fellow students, and professional colleagues.
The UNM Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) is a state-of-the-art center located in the heart of the HSC campus. The HSLIC resources include comprehensive and current collections comprised of books, journals, media materials, and web subscription resources that are available to all College of Nursing students and faculty. Holdings within HSLIC include a broad health sciences collection consisting of 43,000 monograph titles, 1,700 media titles, and 2,039 current journal subscriptions.
Many more titles are available through shared subscriptions with the University Libraries. Faculty and students have access to HSLIC in person or online, including from home computers via Internet proxy. Doctoral students in nursing require library resources from the most recent publications in professional and research journals. The number of electronic journals grows each year, and the College of Nursing supports the development of this collection through the HSC budget. Other services offered by HSLIC include more than 300 seats for individual or group study purposes and a designated nursing librarian to ensure that student and faculty members’ needs are met. The nursing librarian has created a unique DNP toolkit that outlines all resources the students need to be successful.