Call to Action: New doctor of nursing practice programs

MBU’s new doctor of nursing practice degree programs push back against impending U.S. physician shortages

The U.S. healthcare system faces a looming crisis: There aren’t enough primary care physicians to meet patients’ needs. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts national shortages of more than 139,000 physicians by 2033. Worse, residents of impoverished rural areas or marginalized urban neighborhoods will feel the brunt of negative impacts.

These communities could suffer about 7,000 preventable deaths annually, said Dr. Sanjay Basu, director of research at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Primary Care in Boston, in a 2021 interview with U.S. News & World Report. That would slash average national life expectancy by more than two months.

Mary Baldwin’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences is pushing back against shortages with new doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree programs. The first class of future family and adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioners began coursework in August 2021, and MBU is launching a nurse anesthesiology program in August 2022.

“There is wide agreement that doctorally prepared advanced practice nurses are essential to solving the physician shortage and increasing access to healthcare,” said MBU President Pamela Fox, echoing Basu.

MBU’s college of health sciences was founded in 2014 with a goal of increasing access to quality healthcare locally and nationally — particularly within underserved or vulnerable communities. Fox calls the addition of DNP programming a natural extension of that mission.

There are presently two terminal degrees available to U.S. nurses: The DNP emphasizes practicebased training and research aimed at adapting new discoveries to daily clinical practice. Most graduates pursue careers as nurse practitioners at family practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, or other clinical settings. Others go on to become healthcare administrators or executives.

MBU’s programs focus on providing advanced interdisciplinary education within a hybridized learning environment. The approach provides unparalleled accessibility and value for degree seekers.

The convenience of online study is balanced by hands-on, in-person training during on-campus clinical intensives. Curriculum is structured to mirror the experience of working in complex healthcare settings, with instruction coming from a diverse group of medical professionals, including doctors, therapists, veteran nurses, and more. Affiliation agreements with more than 600 healthcare systems and hospitals guarantee clinical placements. Special tracks for nurses with a master of science degree in nursing are offered as well.

“We want to ensure access for working nurses without sacrificing the value of in-person, hands-on instruction,” says Vice President of Health Sciences and Chief Health Officer Deborah Greubel. The goal is to produce exemplary graduates that enter the workplace equipped to make a difference in the communities they serve.

William H. Goodwin Jr. and wife Alice ‘66 provided a $5 million transformational donation to MBU’s DNP programs.

The special nature of the programs inspired William H. Goodwin Jr. and wife Alice ’66 to offer a $5 million transformational gift. The Richmond-based philanthropic power couple have a long history of supporting MBU and healthcare causes in general.

“To be truly impactful, medical breakthroughs in labs must be matched with breakthroughs at the bedside,” the Goodwins said in a statement. “This gift represents an exciting investment in the future of healthcare delivery and [will help] to close the gap between research discoveries and their practical application to patient care.”