Nursing - Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (Post-Master’s DNP)

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A Plan of Study is available on the Doctor of Nursing Practice website.

Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs

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

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs offer programs for nurses interested in post-nursing masters DNP education. Post-Master’s DNP Programs are in the areas of: Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist; Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner; Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner; Nursing Leadership: Nursing and Organizational Leadership; or Nursing Leadership: Practice and Leadership Innovations.

Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (30 S.H.)

This program provides nurses who already have Master’s degree nursing preparation as an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist the opportunity to acquire DNP education preparation. 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 MS and DNP award are eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist certification exam.

A total of 1000 clinical/practicum hours are required for all graduates of a DNP program. This program provides 540 hours. The remaining 460 clinical/practicum hours may come from a previous master’s degree (appropriateness will be determined by faculty). Additional clinical/practicum courses may be necessary to achieve this requirement of 460 hours.

*Clinical/practicum hour ratio is 1 credit hour to 60 clinical/practice hours.