By KAYLEA BROWN, Senior Reporter
Northwestern’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program has been named as the best in the country by Intelligent.com.
Intelligent.com is a free, editorially independent website that ranks educational programs and universities across the country. The website measures the course strength, faculty qualifications, flexibility, reputation and cost of a program when assigning a rank.
Northwestern nursing leaders say they are proud of the distinction.
“I think the No. 1 rating validates the hard work our faculty and staff do,” said Dr. Shelly Wells, professor of nursing and chair of the division of nursing. “[It] validates that there was a need for this particular program, and we are stepping up to the plate to meet that need.”
Northwestern has a hybrid program where students can transition into the doctor of nursing program after earning a bachelor of science in nursing. The program is comprised of online classes and in-person skills classes during the summer.
It is the only program in the state to have an emphasis on rural healthcare.
Wells said there are three other nurse practitioner programs in the state, but they are in bigger cities. So, they attract students who want to work in those areas. Northwestern’s program is able to attract students who want to stay in smaller, rural areas like Alva.
The program was created to help rural communities gain access to a primary care provider, Wells said.
“We know that health care access in Oklahoma is pretty dire, so this program focuses on preparing nurse practitioners to work in rural Oklahoma,” Wells said.
The rural emphasis is not the only aspect that makes the program stand out from the rest.
Morgan Messenger, a 26-year-old student from Enid, said she appreciates the program’s small class sizes. She also likes the on-site learning opportunities and access to clinicals and preceptors, something bigger colleges don’t have.
Messenger said the instructors also set the program apart from others.
“The instructors are so invested in you and really care how things work out for you,” Messenger said. “I have had two babies [while] in the program. They’re really understanding, and they know me personally.”
The instructors are practicing nurse practitioners themselves.
Courtney Ballina, an assistant professor of nursing and director of the doctorate program, has been a nurse practitioner for 10 years and a nursing faculty member for five years. She said the program is organized in a way that prepares students to think as doctorally-prepared practitioners.
“We have found, over the last two classes who have graduated, that this format greatly improves their clinical experiences by teaching them to think in broader, more systemic terms, rather than simply addressing the single individual in front of them,” Ballina said.
The ranking by Intelligent.com reflected the high standards the program has set for its students and proves the program has produced successful nurse practitioners, Ballina said.
“Although we hold a high bar … we love seeing our students be successful,” Ballina said. “We are not interested in just holding up hoops for our students to jump for. We want to push them to be the best because we know they are capable of that.”