Improving patient outcomes and your career

Advanced-practice nurses are highly trained and highly skilled nurses who often serve as a primary care providers, particularly in areas that are medically underserved, such as inner cities and rural areas.

Because we offer the only advanced practice nursing programs in Northeastern Minnesota, a primarily rural area, we feel a special duty to meet the unique health needs of rural areas. Our program focuses on these needs and trains nurses who are well prepared to practice anywhere in the region, from remote clinics to large urban hospitals. We're also dedicated to training our graduates in the use of telecommunications technology that can provide access to health professionals in areas that would otherwise not have coverage.

Flexible format

We understand that you can't always take a couple of years off from work to go back to school. That's why we've worked hard to develop a curriculum that combines online and face-to-face courses to make our program accessible to nurses who are working professionals who may not live in the Duluth or St. Cloud areas. Whenever possible, clinical experiences are arranged at appropriate sites near the student's home.

Career Outlook

As healthcare costs continue to increase, DNPs and other advanced-practice nurses are taking the place of other medical professionals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that all types of advanced-practice nurses will be in high demand, particularly in rural and inner city areas.

By 2015, the DNP will be the entry-level degree for advanced-practice nurses. By completing your DNP degree now, you'll be prepared and credentialed for where nursing is headed.

In addition, advanced-practice registered nurses (APRNs) at St. Scholastica, like others across the country, are working to eliminate the barriers to autonomous practice, something called for in the Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing report.

Locations

• Duluth
• St. Cloud - Family Nurse Practitioner track