Description of Program (DNP)
Grounded in an environment of scholarship, the mission of the WSU Department of Nursing is to educate knowledgeable caring, ethical, creative, and accountable nurse leaders who provide person- and relationship-centered care for individuals, families, groups, communities and populations in a diverse society. This mission is based on the beliefs that:
- a caring, diverse, and respectful community provides the best environment for students to learn how to care for themselves and others
- optimal learning to care for self and others occurs in a caring, diverse and respectful community
- faculty and students are accountable for maintaining and modeling professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct
- recognizing and valuing human diversity is essential to person- and relationship-centered care
- individuals have different ways of knowing and learning about the world
- creativity and innovation contribute to continuous quality improvement and sustainability
- an enriched learning environment is the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students
- effective nurse leaders engage in continuous professional development and lifelong learning
Graduates of the DNP programs are prepared for a variety of advanced nursing roles (e.g. nurse leaders, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists). These graduates also have the foundation for continued graduate studies (i.e. PhD). Graduates of the DNP program are prepared for the highest level of clinical nursing practice.
Nursing science core courses, taken by all graduate students, build on students’ baccalaureate nursing knowledge to integrate scientific underpinnings for practice, understand nursing information management and decision making, and advocate for health promotion. Students develop evidence-based knowledge and skills to enhance the quality and safety of health care while demonstrating leadership and professionalism. Courses within the selected programs of Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, or Nursing and Organizational Leadership provide specialized knowledge and practice opportunities in each advanced nursing role. A unique feature of this program is the targeted emphasis on the nurse’s use of advanced knowledge and skills of health promotion with individuals, families, and systems in diverse populations to address health care needs within complex environments.
Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (74 S.H.)
Students who elect the Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist DNP program will develop and implement the role of clinical nurse specialist with the adult-gerontology population. Extension of advanced nursing practice roles of expert clinician, leader/manager, teacher, consultant, and researcher will be demonstrated within the framework of clinical nurse specialist practice in adult health/gerontology nursing. Clinical Nurse Specialist students will demonstrate competencies in three spheres of influence; patient/client, nurse/nursing personnel and systems/organizations. The Clinical Scholarship Project is completed with guidance of a clinical mentor by all DNP students and involves demonstration of knowledge and skills to enhance the quality and safety of health care in a variety of settings and for a variety of populations. Graduates with the DNP award are eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist certification exam.
