About the DNP Program

As the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree has emerged as the entry-level for advanced nursing practice, DNP Program options within the College of Nursing have expanded to meet the needs of our region and beyond. We believe the DNP degree from ECU prepares our graduates to

• Lead in today’s ever-changing health care ecosystem
• Assess and understand published evidence to inform your practice
• Improve systems of care to influence patient outcomes
• Make changes to enhance quality of care

Our faculty – each of whom maintain an active clinical practice or research agenda – bring to the classroom broad experience in advanced clinical practice, leadership, and patient safety. Each student receives personalized faculty mentorship and advising throughout their program of study.

Students can select to focus in five specialty areas including Nurse Anesthesia, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Leadership or the Post-Master’s DNP specialty.

Our college is a nationally recognized leader in online education, and we use the latest computer and digital technologies available, including an innovative virtual clinic that we’ve pioneered here at ECU.

Since admitting our first cohort of advance practice DNP students in fall 2013, students in the program have represented bedside nursing professionals seeking to become nurse practitioners; nurses from advanced nursing practice including nurse-midwives, neonatal, pediatric and psychiatric nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse leaders, adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioners, and family nurse practitioners.

In fall 2016, the first cohort of Leadership DNP students and professional nurses holding the DNP or PhD degrees to pursue a post-doctoral certification in the concentrations of family nurse practitioner or adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner were admitted. In summer of 2019, the first cohort of Nurse Anesthesia students was admitted, completing the transition of these programs from the MSN to the DNP.

Lastly, we offer North Carolina’s only post-doctoral certificate program for the DNP or PhD prepared nurse who wishes to add the nurse practitioner role to their scope of practice.