Nursing Role Specializations
Students in both the MSN-entry and BSN-entry DNP nursing programs choose a specialization and complete the required specialty courses.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Family nurse practitioners play a critical role in improving the primary patient care experience [1]. As a FNP graduate, you will partner with families across the lifespan to promote preventative care, diagnose conditions and treat acute and chronic illnesses.
Nurse Executive
Are you a natural team leader? The Nurse Executive specialization will help prepare you for a role as a manager, director, supervisor, or chief nursing officer. You will be responsible for human resource management, as well as health care finance and economic operations.
Students who complete the Nurse Executive specialization are eligible to receive the following certification:
- Nurse Executive-Advanced (NEA-BC) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Nursing Informaticist
Immerse yourself in the growing, interdisciplinary field of nursing informatics. As a nurse informaticist, you will oversee health care technology systems, communication workflows, and the use of patient data for health care quality and safety. You may serve as an information manager, system designer, planner, evaluator, or project manager. Your role is critical in facilitating effective collaboration in the field of nursing, which leads to improved patient care outcomes.
Students who complete the Nursing Informaticist role specialization are eligible to receive the following certification:
Nursing Informatics (RN-BC) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Nurse Educator (MSN students only)
As a nurse educator, you will teach nursing students, practicing nurses and other health care providers and clients – in both academic and real-world settings. You may serve as a curriculum designer, instructional designer, teacher, or learning evaluator.
Students who complete the Nurse Educator specialization are eligible to receive the following certifications:
- Nursing Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) by the National League for Nursing (NLN)
- Nursing Professional Development (RN-BC) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
[1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Projecting the Supply and Demand for Primary Care Practitioners Through 2020. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/health-workforce-analysis/primary-care-2020
