MUSC IS PART OF THE SOLUTION The MUSC College of Nursing is the largest educator of doctorally prepared primary
and safety in health care, influence patient
care nurse practitioners in South Carolina. Our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
care outcomes by incorporating evidence
program currently enrolls 166 students, and 75 percent of them are residents of
based practice into every day care, and
South Carolina (see map). All of these graduates are educated as primary care
serve in leadership and executive level
practitioners as either pediatric nurse practitioners, adult/geriatric nurse practitioners
positions in major health care organizations
or family nurse practitioners and could significantly increase access to primary care
to impact change. This degree focuses
services in our state.
on the implementation of evidence from
The purpose of the program is to prepare graduates who will practice nursing
research, and provides the graduate with a
at the highest clinical level. Our DNP program is offered online and addresses the
framework for process improvement that will
most contemporary aspects of expert clinical practice and in-depth knowledge and
allow them to lead initiatives to improve the
experience in leadership, health systems design and evaluation, evidence-based
quality, safety and cost of care in any health
practice, health policy, and applied research. If nurses enter the program with a
care setting. In an era of health care reform,
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the course of study is three years. If students enter
the DNP graduate will be well prepared to
with a Master of Science in Nursing, the course of study is one year.
both navigate and lead a rapidly changing
According to Robin Bissinger, PhD, APRN, NNP-BC, associate dean for
health care system.�
academics, “The DNP is the degree of choice for those who wish to impact quality
CURRENT MUSC COLLEGE OF NURSING DNP STUDENTS
Did You Know? The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the terminal clinical degree in nursing. The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is the terminal clinical degree for physicians. Thus the DNP is to nursing what the MD is to medicine.
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ACCOUNTABLE Advanced practice nurses practice under their own license and are fully accountable for the care they provide. Physician assistants, however, do not practice independently and their supervising physicians are responsible for all services they provide. Lifelines
FALL | WINTER 2012
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