Program Overview
History of the DNP Program
Planning for the BSN to DNP program began in 2021 in response to the growing demand for advanced practice nurses. Recognizing an opportunity to integrate clinical expertise with leadership training, the Boise State School of Nursing leadership team made the strategic decision to develop a Doctor of Nursing Practice for Bachelor’s prepared Registered Nurses. Two tracks are currently offered: Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. With dedication and enthusiasm, the first cohort of this new program launched in Fall 2024.
Curriculum Overview
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program prepares students to apply evidence-based practices and advanced technological knowledge to lead improvements in healthcare communication, data monitoring, collection, management, analysis, and dissemination. The curriculum emphasizes the design, selection, use, and evaluation of information management systems that are legal, ethical, equitable, and cost-effective—aimed at improving health outcomes and enhancing the safety and quality of care in diverse, population-focused advanced practice settings.
The curriculum is grounded in the core competencies established by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), which have guided nurse practitioner (NP) education since 1990 and were most recently updated in 2022. These competencies encompass a broad range of essential domains, including scientific foundations, leadership, quality improvement, practice inquiry, technology and information literacy, health policy, healthcare delivery systems, and ethics.
Each course in the program is intentionally designed to align with these core competencies and integrate them with the program’s overarching objectives. The curriculum is developed in accordance with nationally recognized standards, including:
- NONPF Nurse Practitioner Role Core Competencies (2022)
- National Task Force (NTF) for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (2022)
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials (2021)
Degree Conferred: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)