By RACHEL EMERSON
Asst. News Editor
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education recently granted Northwestern Oklahoma State University the approval for its first ever doctoral program.
Northwestern received approval to start offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree or DPN, on Thursday. This will allow nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing or BSN the ability to become nurse practitioners.
“This is truly a landmark day for Northwestern as we take a significant step in the growth of our academic programs,” university President Janet Cunningham, Ph.D., said. “We are excited about being able to offer our first doctoral program, especially a DNP program that will expand access to primary care providers in all parts of the state, particularly rural Oklahoma.”
Northwestern is the second public university in Oklahoma to offer a DPN program. The program, which will provide emphasis on healthcare in rural areas, is expected to enroll its first class in the fall semester of 2017.
“I congratulate Northwestern Oklahoma State University and President Janet Cunningham on the State Regents’ approval to offer the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Advance Nursing Practice,” said higher education Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. “This new doctoral program and the excellent partnerships Northwestern has developed with regional healthcare providers will address unmet healthcare needs in under-served areas of our state.”
The impact this program will have on the health of rural Oklahoma is expected to be drastic. According to a press release issued by the university, 55 of the 77 counties in Oklahoma are designated as federal shortage areas for primary health care professionals, with a severe shortage in rural areas. The rate of primary care providers per resident is significantly lower in rural counties.
In fact, some counties in northwest Oklahoma have more than 3,000 residents for each primary care provider in the area. This shortage of primary care providers plays a large role in the poor health outcomes of rural residents.
The demand for primary care providers is expected to increase over the next five years due to a growth in population, aging and expanded health insurance coverage. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for Nurse Practitioners to increase by approximately 19 percent by 2020.
“As a regional university, Northwestern has an obligation to improve the quality of life for northwest Oklahoma,” Cunningham said. “Providing additional primary care providers to serve small hospitals and clinics will help satisfy a critical need and in turn help protect rural Oklahoma.”
The DPN program is a 3-year program. Students will be required to complete 73 credit hours and more than 1,000 clinical hours. Also included in the program will be an online component and a required summer residency program.
“The program was designed to combine very high academic standards with the flexibility to accommodate the schedule demands of working nurses,” Dr. Bo Hannaford, dean of the School of Professional Studies, said. “When you combine the convenience of online learning with the affordable tuition costs of Northwestern, you have a program that will be highly marketable.”
In beginning this new program, Northwestern plans to employ a program director, two additional nursing faculty members and an administrative assistant over the next 3 years. Funding for the beginning of the program is being provided by the Charles Morton Share Trust of Alva. The Share Trust will provide the funding for the next five years.