Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina has received approval from the University of North Carolina board of governors to establish a doctor of nursing practice degree program. The program, which would be the second doctoral program at the university, could enroll its first students this fall. The only other doctoral program at the university is in physical therapy.
The program will prepare graduates to function as clinical leaders in healthcare and academic settings, as well as to serve as executive healthcare managers. It will be a three-year program for students with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and the program will take 12 to 18 months to complete for students holding a master’s degree in nursing.
“The doctor of nursing practice is a natural expansion of our efforts to prepare a diverse population to be leaders in the healthcare field,” said Dr. Peggy Valentine, dean of the School of Health Sciences at Winston-Salem State University. “Given the highly complex, fast-paced healthcare environment, a practice-focused doctorate is certainly the appropriate direction to ensure that nurses are prepared to provide advanced care, particularly in working with populations with limited access to healthcare due to factors such as location and limited income.”
