Nursing Practice - Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice, post B.S.N. entry, curriculum prepares advanced practice registered nurses to provide clinical, organizational and systems’ leadership at the highest level. The program develops practitioners who design, implement and evaluate high quality and cost-effective health care services for diverse populations including the disadvantaged and underserved. The graduate will champion healthcare policy and operational changes using evidence-based data and technology that enhances and guides nursing practice. The individual who has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, actively collaborates across disciplines and organizations with providers and client groups to achieve sustainable healthcare outcomes.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice, post B.S.N. entry degree program consists of five concentrations. The Nurse Practitioner-Family, Nurse Practitioner-Adult Gerontology Primary Care and Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric Mental Health concentrations focus on the preparation of advanced practice registered nurses as nurse practitioners. The Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist focuses on the preparation of advanced practice registered nurses specialized in acute care adult-gerontology practice. The Nurse Anesthesia concentration prepares advanced practice registered nurses who will use specialized skills and knowledge in the administration of anesthesia and pain management agents.

Nurse practitioners are in direct-care provider's role and use specialty skills and knowledge in providing care to clients of all ages and stages of development in primary care settings. The nurse practitioner curriculum prepares nurses to function interdependently with other healthcare providers to provide primary care. They assess the physical, socio-emotional, and developmental states of individual clients and their families, analyze health behavior, apply clinical judgment, and intervene in a manner to improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Nurse practitioners provide health promotion therapeutics, as well as early recognition and prompt treatment and management of illness, prevention of complications, and needed rehabilitation. Client and family education, guidance, and advocacy are vital characteristics of the nurse practitioner's role. Graduates of the program will be eligible for certification as a nurse practitioner in their population focus area.

The Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist concentration is designed to prepare registered nurses to assume an advanced practice role as a clinical nurse specialist.  This graduate assumes a professional leadership role to inform nursing practice, education, and healthcare delivery systems in the design and implementation of strategies to improve organizational, educational, and individual client, student, and nurse provider outcomes. Advanced practice clinical expertise is reflected in the application of innovative evidence-based practice interventions and the development of collaborative relationships in order to address the healthcare needs of a diverse population. Graduates of the program will be eligible for certification as an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Nurse anesthetists are advanced practice registered nurses who use specialty skills and knowledge in the planning and administration of anesthesia and pain management agents. The Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 222 South Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068, (847) 655-1160. It is a rigorous, full-time program designed to educate registered nurses in academic knowledge, technical and clinical skills, and professional attitudes in nursing practice in preparation for safe administration of anesthesia. Graduates of the program will meet the requirements and be eligible for certification as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

Students must meet the requirements of the university as described in the Graduate Education section of this catalog, in addition to the requirements of the College of Nursing specified below.

Students who are enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice, post B.S.N. entry degree program, may elect a specialization in Infancy and Early Childhood. For additional information, refer to the statement on Interdepartmental Graduate Specialization in Infancy and Early Childhood in the College of Social Science section of this catalog.

1. Submit a university application for and a curriculum vita.
2. Complete a Bachelor of Nursing degree from an accredited college or university.
3. Possess a current unrestricted license to practice nursing as a registered nurse in the applicant’s state or country. For those applicants practicing in Michigan, a current registered nurse Michigan license is required. Applicants who hold registered nurse licensure from other states or countries and who are in the Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Anesthesia concentration may be admitted provisionally with the requirement that a United States and Michigan registered nurse license must be obtained prior to progression to clinical courses.
4. A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) for total credits completed during the second-half of the four-year baccalaureate nursing program.
5. One year of current full-time clinical experience or equivalent as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit is required for the Nurse Anesthesia concentration.
6. Complete a 3-credit undergraduate statistics course with a grade of 2.0 (4.0 scale) or better within the last five years or complete a 3-credit graduate statistics course with a grade of 3.0 (4.0) or better within the last five years.
7. Submit a written essay that addresses the applicant’s career goals and motivations for graduate study in the selected area of specialty nursing practice: nurse practitioner, adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist, or nurse anesthetist.
8. submit three letters of recommendation. The reference letters must be from a source that has direct knowledge of the applicant’s work and educational experience specifying the applicant’s ability to do graduate work.
9. Complete an interview with the College of Nursing faculty. Recommendations for are made by the faculty committee to the Dean of the College based on the requirements for and the personal interview.
10. if the applicant’s native language is not English, the applicant must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum average score of 550, no subscore below 52 on the paper-based test (PBT).  If the applicant completes the Internet-based test (iBT), no subscore below 19 for reading, listening, and speaking; no writing subscore below 22 and a minimum average score of 80. Applicants should have all test scores sent from the testing agency directly to Michigan State University Office of s.

Due to cancellations of many international English language proficiency tests, MSU will be temporarily accepting the following tests for international students applying for fall semester 2022. In addition, MSU will be expanding the ability for students to receive provisional admission. If a provisionally admitted student is able to take a test that meets our regular admission standards prior to enrollment, we will update their admission status to regular.