DNP in Nursing at CU Anschutz

The Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (AC PNP) Specialty is designed to prepare graduates to care for children with complex acute, critical, and chronic illnesses across the entire pediatric age spectrum, from birth to young adulthood, and across the continuum of care settings. These settings include critical care units, emergency departments, inpatient units, and ambulatory/specialty-based clinics.

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) specialty prepares nurses to provide care for adult and older adult patients with acute, critical, and complex chronic illnesses. The need for appropriately educated and certified adult-gerontology acute care NPs has increased over the past 10 years. The demand continues to grow for the specialized advanced practice nurse.

Being an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-PCNP) encompasses collaboratively working with adults of all ages including older and disabled adults to maximize their health and promote healthy behaviors. Our program is structured to not only transform you into an advanced practice nurse prepared to deliver high-quality care, lead, and enact change but also help to transform lives regionally, nationally, and globally.

Our Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program is designed to provide the clinical skills and academic knowledge to promote health and treatment of physiologic and psychologic health, disease prevention, advanced physical assessment, and management of common acute and chronic illnesses. In many states, including Colorado, FNPs can practice independently, including the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illness and the ordering and interpretation of diagnostic tests across the lifespan. FNPs also practice in a variety of clinical settings such as primary care, home health, urgent care, ambulatory care, school-based clinics, retail health clinics, and community health departments and clinics.

Nursing administration has become a very specialized and integral form of management. i-LEAD (Innovation in LEadership and ADministration in Nursing and Health Care Systems) provides nurses who are interested in advancing their careers with essential competencies to become effective leaders and managers in a variety of healthcare settings. Knowledge gained in cultural competence, informatics, and evidence-based practice will provide educated leaders with the ability to excel in today's complex and changing health care system.

The University of Anschutz Colorado Nurse-Midwifery (NMW) Program prepares the next generation of midwives to lead and transform the delivery of women's healthcare for the women of Colorado and the world, through excellence in clinical practice, education, and research.

Maximizing the health of children within the context of their families, communities, and environmental settings, the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-PC) specialty is designed to prepare graduates to care for children from birth through young adulthood in pediatric primary healthcare including well-childcare and prevention/management of common pediatric acute illnesses and chronic conditions.

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program provides educational content and clinical experiences that focus on complex psychiatric nursing assessments and interventions for acute and chronic mental health conditions in children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. The curriculum has an emphasis on holistic care, integrated mental health, cultural sensitivity, and substance treatment. Coursework includes psychotherapy, neurobiology, and psychopharmacology content for patients across the lifespan.

The Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) option focuses on the healthcare needs of women from adolescence through older adulthood. Program content examines the comprehensive health needs of women: gynecological, prenatal, post-partum care, common minor and acute health problems, as well as influences that affect women's lives. The WHNP program is based on in-depth knowledge of nursing and scientific theory, physiology and pathophysiology, research utilization, and clinical decision-making. A minimum of 630 hours of clinical practicum are required; these hours are available in a variety of women's health, primary care, and specialty settings.

Earn two degrees at once: a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from CU Anschutz Nursing and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Colorado School of Public Health. This dual degree is ideal for someone who wants to deepen their understanding of public health, educate the public about managing their health, and work with different patient populations. Students who already have a master’s in public health should consider our DNP Public Health Nursing option.

Earning a DNP with an Advanced Practice Nurse Specialty prepares nurses with a master’s degree to become leaders, advocates, and scholars in the healthcare industry. Students are taught to implement evidence-based care strategies designed to improve patient care and safety.

This DNP degree teaches nurses to become leaders who advance public health and promote healthy lifestyles across all patient populations. Students focus on educating patients about health management and implementing public health awareness campaigns.