Nurses with the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), the highest clinical practice-focused degree available in nursing, remain a hot commodity throughout the U.S. as an aging population puts unprecedented demands on the nation’s healthcare system. This rings particularly true in Florida, where primary care physician shortages threaten to cripple an already-strained healthcare sector.
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DNP-prepared NPs and other advanced practice nurses, clinical managers and administrators bring the experience, clinical expertise, and technical know-how needed to effect change at the highest levels of nursing administration and clinical practice, while at the same time helping to fill the primary care void being created by a growing physician shortage.
Whether it’s BSN-prepared RNs making the transition to advanced practice roles or existing advanced practice nurses looking to take on another patient population or specialty certification, the Doctor of Nursing Practice is becoming more popular all the time. Finding online DNP programs with either the BSN or MSN entry-point has become easier in recent years as more colleges and universities begin to offer these programs with at least some online curriculum.
Earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Florida
DNP programs are designed with two entry points to accommodate both bachelor’s-prepared RNs and master’s-prepared APRNs:
- BSN-DNP programs allow BSN-prepared nurses to first complete their MSN and then easily transition into the DNP program. This type of program is commonly used as a path to initial APRN certification and licensure and would consist of about 90 credits taken over 36 months of full time study depending on the specialization.
- MSN-DNP programs allow MSN-prepared nurses who may already be certified and licensed as APRNs to complete a DNP in preparation for roles in clinical leadership and more. These programs can serve as a path for APRNs looking to advance their expertise within their current APRN role or add additional certification in another patient population focus or specialty. These programs would typically consist of 30-36 credits taken over at least 18 months of full time study depending on the specialization.
As of September 2016, nationally accredited DNP programs in Florida hold voluntary accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), while the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA) handles specialty accreditation for nurse anesthetist programs and the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) accredits qualified DNP programs in nurse-midwifery.
CCNE accreditation is granted to programs that include at least 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours and offer students the ability to specialize in at least one of the following:
- An advanced practice nursing direct care focus
- An aggregate/systems/organizational focus (e.g., executive leadership, health policy, etc.)
In addition to campus-based DNP programs, students in Florida have access to a wide array of online DNP programs that allow for convenient, distance-based study. However, students of these programs must still complete the clinical requirements of the program at partner clinical sites. Depending on the institution, students may be limited to completing the program’s clinical requirements where established partnerships exist.
Many online and campus-based DNP programs offer flexible formats to accommodate student needs, such as part-time formats and accelerated formats:
- Traditional DNP programs consist of about 18-24 months of study
- Accelerated programs total about 12 months of study
- Part-time programs take about 2 ½ years to complete
DNP programs consist of three main components:
- DNP core – The DNP core (includes topics such as clinical scholarship and analytic methods for evidence-based practice, transforming the healthcare organization, epidemiology and social determinants of population health, scientific underpinnings for practice)
- Specialty courses in line with the chosen focus – Specialty coursework focuses on an advanced practice nursing focus or an aggregate/systems/organizational focus
- Final Project – A DNP program’s final project allows students to demonstrate and document their mastery of advanced specialty within the nursing practice. DNP projects usually consist of a written paper suitable for publication and a formal presentation
BSN-to-DNP Programs for BSN-Prepared Nurses
Many DNP programs, either on-campus or online, offer BSN students the opportunity to earn both their MSN and DNP in one, combined program. A BSN-DNP program allows students to effortlessly transition to their DNP program once they complete their MSN. These programs require about four years of study.
BSN-DNP programs specific to one of the four APRN roles (nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, nurse anesthetist or clinical nurse specialist) require students to earn their MSN in a chosen advanced practice nursing specialty. This would also include satisfying all clinical requirements (usually about 500 hours) and, depending on the chosen specialization, earning national certification in a chosen APRN role and patient population focus.
Although MSN programs vary according to the chosen functional nursing specialty, the MSN core remains the same, encompassing study in the following topics:
- Clinical prevention/population health
- Evidence-based practice
- Informatics
- Interprofessional collaboration
- Organizational and systems leadership
- Policy and advocacy
- Program evaluation for improving patient and population outcomes
- Quality and safety
MSN programs in an APRN role also include an APRN core:
- Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the lifespan
- Advanced health assessment, including the assessment of all human systems, concepts and approaches, and advanced assessment techniques
- Advanced pharmacology, including:
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents
- Pharmacodynamics
BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP Programs Available in Florida
Currently, there are 11 CCNE-accredited DNP programs in Florida, offering concentrations in advanced practice nursing roles and/or nurse executive/leadership roles. CCNE-accredited online programs are also available to advanced nursing students in Florida. Other DNP programs not shown here may hold regional accreditation or specialty accreditation through the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs or the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education.
Barry University
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Miami
Accreditation: CCNE and COA
BSN-DNP (campus)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
MSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Family Practice
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
- Anesthesiology
Florida Atlantic University
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Boca Raton
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP (hybrid
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Adult/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
MSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Clinical Nursing Practice
Florida Gulf Coast University
School of Nursing
Fort Myers
Accreditation: CCNE and COA
BSN-DNP (campus)
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Anesthesiology
MSN-DNP (campus)
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Anesthesiology
Florida International University
Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Miami
Accreditation: CCNE and COA
BSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
- Family Health
- Pediatric Primary Care
- Psychiatric-Mental Health
- Nurse Anesthetist
Post-Master’s-DNP (online)
- Clinical Nursing Practice
Florida State University
College of Nursing
Tallahassee
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP (online)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Master’s-DNP (online)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Jacksonville University
Keigwin School of Nursing
Jacksonville
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Leadership
Post-MSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Advanced Practice
- Leadership
Keiser University
Nursing
Fort Lauderdale
Accreditation: CCNE and COA
BSN-DNP (campus)
- Nurse Anesthesia
Post-Master’s-DNP (online)
- Clinical Nursing Practice
- Nurse Anesthesia
Nova Southeastern University
Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing
Fort Lauderdale
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-MS-DNP (online)
- Clinical Nursing Practice
Palm Beach Atlantic University
School of Nursing
West Palm Beach
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Executive Leadership
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Mental Health Care Nurse Practitioner
Post-Master’s-DNP (hybrid)
- Practical
University of Central Florida
College of Nursing
Orlando
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
MSN-DNP (online)
- Advanced Practice
- Executive
University of Florida
College of Nursing
Gainesville
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP (online)
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
MSN-DNP (online)
- Clinical Nursing Practice
University of Miami
School of Nursing & Health Studies
Coral Gables
Accreditation: CCNE and COA
BSN-DNP (campus)
- Nurse Anesthesia
MSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Clinical Nursing Practice
University of North Florida
School of Nursing
Jacksonville
Accreditation: CCNE and COA
BSN-DNP (campus)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Anesthetist
Post-MSN-DNP (online)
- Clinical Nursing Practice
- Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
University of South Florida
College of Nursing
Tampa
Accreditation: CCNE and COA
BSN-DNP (campus)
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nursing
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nursing
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care/Oncology
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care/Occupational Health
- Family Health Nursing
- Pediatric Health Nursing
- Nurse Anesthesia
MSN-DNP (hybrid)
- Advanced Practice
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
School of Nursing
Miami
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP (online)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Executive
- Nurse Informaticist
MSN-DNP (online)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Executive
- Nurse Informaticist
Opportunities Available to DNP-Prepared Nurses in Florida
Opportunities for DNP-educated nurses abound in Florida, as is evident by the impressive rise in DNP enrollment throughout the state in recent years. According to the Florida Center for Nursing, doctoral nursing programs in Florida saw an increase of 22 percent between 2017 and 2018. DNP graduates during this time increased by 47 percent.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Florida is home to 23 DNP programs.
Graduates of DNP programs in Florida pursue practice leadership roles in a wide variety of settings. Just a few of the positions held by DNP graduates include:
- Executives in healthcare organizations
- Directors of clinical programs
- Clinical faculty members
- Managers of quality initiatives
The following job posts highlight some of the job opportunities available to Florida’s DNP-educated nurses:
Clinical Faculty, NP/DNP, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL
- Master’s degree in nursing required; doctoral degree in nursing preferred
- Board certified ARNP in family or adult gerontology/acute care NP
- Current Florida ARNP license
- 1-3 years teaching experience
Acute Nurse Practitioner Faculty/Palm Beach, Nova Southeastern University, Palm Beach, FL
- Nursing MSN
- Earned doctoral degree (EdD, DNP, or PhD) within six months from date of hire
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Faculty, Nova Southeastern University, Tampa, FL
- Nursing MSN
- Earned doctoral degree (EdD, DNP, or PhD) within six months from date of hire
- Minimum 5 years of related experience and/or training, including research
Nurse Manager – Clinical Genomics/GIM/Psyche/Fibromyalgia, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
- Current RN license
- Minimum 3 years of nursing practice experience
- Preferred MSN or DNP
Pre-Op APRN, John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Saint Petersburg, FL
- Current Florida license as ARNP or PA
- Clinical MSN or DNP
- Current national certification as a pediatric NP
Examples of DNP nursing positions were taken from a survey of job listings in January 2020 and are shown for illustrative purposes only. These examples do not represent job offers or positions that are currently available.