School of Nursing

Carey Cole, Program Coordinator
Graduate Faculty

Graduate Program

Radford University’s School of Nursing offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program to prepare registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree (M.S.), or a master’s degree in nursing science (M.S.N.) for advanced nursing practice. Theory and research-based courses prepare graduates to work in a variety of settings, including community and population-based service, home care, clinics, hospice care, hospitals, long-term care, education, administration, and policy. The program culminates in a residency tailor-made to the student’s learning needs and career goals. The program is distance-based to promote maximum flexibility while maintaining quality student connections.

DNP Degree Concentrations

Four clinical concentrations are available: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Executive Leadership, and Psychiatric Mental Health (Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist).

Family Nurse Practitioner

This concentration educates nurses who will be qualified to provide primary health care in homes, clinics, ambulatory care facilities, long-term care facilities and other health care agencies. Upon completion of this concentration, graduates are prepared to sit for a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification exam.

Nurse Executive Leadership

This concentration is for students holding either an MS or MSN in systems, management, or administration. It is designed to educate nurses to meet the complex needs that exist in the healthcare environment and expand upon skills that are executive in nature yet focused in nursing. Upon completion of this concentration graduates are prepared to sit for the nurse executive certification.

Psychiatric Mental Health

The concentration is to prepare nurses for advanced practice in psychiatric mental health nursing. Nurses will be qualified to work in hospitals, clinics, and mental health facilities. The psychiatric courses will qualify students to sit for the Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMHCNS) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) exams.

D.N.P. Tracks

Students will be placed in one of three tracks:

Post-B.S.N. – Students in this track may choose any concentration and will receive a D.N.P. upon program completion.
Post-M.S.N. (Non-Certified) – This track requires selection of a concentration. Students will receive a D.N.P. upon program completion.
Post-M.S.N. - The concentration for students in this track will be dictated by their specialty, and students will receive a D.N.P. upon program completion.

Students seeking the D.N.P. in all concentrations and tracks must complete a residency and a capstone project.

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate course requirements in statistics, health assessment, and nursing research;
Minimum of 2,000 hours RN clinical practice;
Bachelor’s degree in nursing (B.S.N.), master’s degree in nursing (M.S.N.), or graduate degree (M.S.) in another discipline;
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale at the undergraduate level, 3.5 GPA at the graduate level;
Current certification in BLS or ACLS;
Completed graduate college application;
Resume or curriculum vitae that includes prior education and professional practice;
3-5 page essay outlining applicant’s vision for a career as a D.N.P. and how the D.N.P. program would help the applicant achieve this goal;
A sample of previous academic writing or publication;
Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended;
Three letters of reference from professional contacts (at least one must be from a former nursing faculty member);
Three recommendation forms (these forms may be completed by the same 3 contacts who provide your letters of reference);
Personal interview with Graduate Nursing Faculty.

Application Process

Prospective students can apply online at the Graduate College website at http://gradcollege.asp.radford.edu.

E-mail your application request to gradcollege@radford.edu or phone (540) 831-5431.

Recommendations are not submitted online, have them sent directly to:

Graduate Admissions
Radford University
P. O. Box 6928
Radford, Virginia 24142

A complete list of application materials can be found at http://www.radford.edu/dnp.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to students in a number of forms. A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are available to full-time degree seeking students through the Graduate College for both entering and returning students. In addition to awards based on demonstrated financial need, Radford University offers scholarships focused on leadership, character and academic achievements. Radford University School of Nursing students may also qualify for Federal Traineeship Grant Money.

Withdrawal

A graduate nursing student may not withdraw from more than three different graduate courses. Any withdrawal beyond the third withdrawal will result in an automatic “F.” In addition, a student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. A second withdrawal from a course will result in an automatic “F.”

Contact Information

For additional information, contact Tony Ramsey, Graduate Program Coordinator, School of Nursing, Waldron College of Health Services, P. O. Box 6964, Waldron 308, Radford, VA 24142, (540) 831-7700, arramsey@radford.edu.