Nurse Practitioner Schools in Delaware

For registered nurses (RNs) in the state of Delaware seeking to advance their nursing career, the option of becoming a Nurse Practitioner should be at the forefront of their thinking. This can be achieved by obtaining either your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Both terminal doctorate degrees in the field of nursing, DNPs, and PhDs are offered at several university institutions in the state of Delaware. These are the highest degree's individuals can obtain in this career.

Choosing a Nurse Practitioner Program

There are some important factors that a prospective nurse practitioner should seriously take into account when choosing which college or university program to attend. Important factors include

Accreditation

There are three institutions of higher education in the state of Delaware which offer advanced nursing degrees which qualify an RN for different positions as a nurse practitioner. The three universities in the state of Delaware that are offering these kinds of higher degrees (i.e., Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.)) include institutions like Wilmington University, Widener University, and University of Delaware. The Collegiate Commission Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits every one of these universities.

Program cost

Those pursuing Ph.Ds in Nursing Science and or Doctorates of Nursing Practice (DNP), or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in the state of Delaware can expect to pay a rate of around $1,770 per credit hour.

Program length

How long a student will need to complete their advanced practice degrees, whether it's at Wilmington University College of Health Professions, University of Delaware, or Widener University School of Nursing, will depend on a variety of factors. The main two factors in determining how long a student will spend in a program will depend on nursing education degree that individual already holds, and the degree that individually seeks. Typically, students who have already obtained bachelors degrees in nursing, who wish to go on and earn their MSN can expect to finish most programs in a year if they're attending full-time, and two years if they're attending only part-time. As is the case in most other states, in Delaware, for students who have already earned their BSN looking to earn their DNP, they can expect to complete such a program in approximately three to five years if they are indeed enrolled as full-time students. Students who have earned MSNs seeking to go onto their DNPs will typically complete such a program in two years if studying part-time and presumably quicker if studying full-time.

Online VS Traditional Campus Options

Most of the advanced practice nursing degrees offered in the state of Delaware offer students the ability to obtain credits both online and in a traditional classroom setting. Of course, clinical credit hours must be collected on-site at a medical/nursing institution where actual patients are being treated.

Admission and Certification Requirements

• Requirements for Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP):
  • Master's degree in nursing from a NLNAC or CCNE accredited School of Nursing with national certification in an area of advanced nursing practice
  • Graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher
  • Letter from previous master's program documenting the number of clinical hours completed
  • Relevant professional experience
  • Copy of license in a state where clinical practice may be arranged
  • Completion of a master's level statistics course in past five years with a grade of B- or better

• Requirements for entering into the Ph.D. program
  • A baccalaureate in nursing degree from an accredited college/university (minimum GPA 3.0)
  • A master's degree in nursing or other health related discipline, e.g., health care administration, from an accredited college/university (minimum GPA 3.5)
  • Active state Registered Nurse (RN) license
  • A minimum of 3 credits undergraduate and three credits graduate level statistics earned within the last five years.

Delaware Nurse Practitioner Agencies and Organizations

• Advanced Practice—Delaware Nurses Organization
• Delaware Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

Schools That Offer Nurse Practitioner Programs in Delaware

In the state of Delaware, there are three fully accredited universities which offer students advanced practice nursing programs. These kinds of upper level and terminal level programs can be found at the University of Delaware School of Nursing, Wilmington University College of Health Professions, and Widener University School of Nursing. Overall, the state of Delaware and the educational institutions contained within do a satisfactory job in offering prospective advanced practice nurses a wide variety of degrees from which to choose from (i.e., MSN, DNP, PhDs)

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