Specialize Your Degree
Select an option to customize your course of study.
Application deadline
Credits and costs
CCNE Accredited
Deliver Expert Medical Care with Clinical Skills
Enhance patient care and promote positive health outcomes.
Provide a lower cost option for health care, while still providing high-quality medical guidance.
Emphasize the importance of overall health and wellness as well as disease prevention.
Provide direct care to specific groups of clients in a variety of health care settings.
Your Online Nurse Practitioner Program Courses
Your Online Nurse Practitioner Program Courses
While your nursing program course work will be online, you will be required to attend in-person intensive sessions and complete other doctoral benchmarks, including your qualifying examination, comprehensive examination, and DNP project with an oral presentation.
Designed as a BSN to DNP program, Penn State’s nurse practitioner program is for bachelor-prepared registered nurses who are licensed to practice in the state of Pennsylvania and plan to become licensed nurse practitioners. MSN–prepared applicants are welcome to apply, as well.
Since the DNP–NP practice is interdisciplinary in nature, advanced knowledge and research from nursing is combined with knowledge from science, medicine, and related disciplines. As you progress through the DNP–NP program, your curriculum will integrate objectives and learning outcomes for you to achieve the nurse practitioner core and population-focused competencies that are written for doctoral-level education.
You will choose one of four options in the DNP–NP degree program:
- Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
The DNP–Nurse Practitioner program requires three separate three- to four-day visits to campus. These sessions will be held at either the Penn State University Park campus or Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
To earn the DNP–NP degree, you will need to successfully complete 65–68 credits, depending on which nurse practitioner option you choose. As a graduate of the program, you will be awarded a Doctor of Nursing Practice and become eligible to sit for a national nurse practitioner certification exam.
Penn State’s DNP also includes a DNP–Leadership program, which offers both an MSN to DNP and BSN to DNP entry pathway. The DNP–Leadership program is available to nurses outside the state of Pennsylvania.
DNP Core Courses (33 credits)
- 3credits
Current conceptual and theoretical models in nursing, including relationship to practice and research in development of nursing science.
- 1credit
Continuing seminars which consist of a series of individual lectures by faculty, students, or outside speakers.
- 3credits
This course explores population health concepts, measurement, and application in practice, research, and policy. This course explores population health as a framework for improving health in society. Multiple determinants will be examined in relation to health status measurement, health and disease trends, and health disparities at a community, national, and global perspective.
- 3credits
Examines the relationship of nursing theories to the development of nursing science, as well as current scientific advances that guide nursing practice and research.
- 3credits
Evaluation and translation of evidence-based research into nursing practice.
- Prerequisite
NURS 830
- 3credits
Doctor of Nursing Practice transformational leadership to improve healthcare delivery and quality outcomes.
- 2credits
The Doctor of Nursing Practice project demonstrates clinical scholarship in an area of practice.
- Prerequisite
NURS 831
- Note
This course will be repeated three times for a total of 6 credits.
- 3credits
This course provides a foundation in information systems and technology for improvement of health care.
- 3credits
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project plan will be developed focusing on design, sample, data collection, projected outcomes, resourcing, plan for analysis, and sustainability. Students will collaborate with key stakeholders to build project support. Students will complete steps for Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission. The course includes 75 hours of required clinical practicum hours.
- Prerequisite
NURS 830, NURS 831
- 3credits
Concepts of health care economics and policy for nurse administrators.
- 1credit
This course provides the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to address ethics issues encountered in nursing practice and to ethically conduct quality improvement initiatives.
- 3credits
Investigates methods for assessing data collected from experimental and/or observational studies in various research settings.
Common Nurse Practitioner Courses (12 credits)
- 3credits
Advanced nursing assessment and diagnosis of physical, psychosocial, and developmental health for adults and families across the adult age spectrum.
- 3credits
Integration of advanced physiology, genetics, and pathophysiology as related to specific disease entities and alterations in functioning.
- 3credits
Pharmacologic therapies in advanced nursing practice.
- 3credits
Theories of social justice and other scholarly perspectives are used to explore the interrelationships among health policy and the social, political, and economic determinants of health. The course provides the foundation for leadership in interdisciplinary collaborative endeavors to address health policy at the regional, national, and global levels.
Required Courses for Each Option (20–31 credits)
Students select one of four options to satisfy these requirements. The course list varies based on which option you choose:
- Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner option courses (23 credits)
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner option courses (20 credits)
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option courses (21 credits)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner option courses (31 credits)
Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner Option Courses (23 credits)
- 1credit
Advanced nursing assessment and diagnosis of physical, psychosocial, and development health for individuals and families across the pediatric age spectrum.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive professional practice course in which students learn the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (F/INP) role focused on common acute/episodic health problems in caring for individuals and families across the lifespan.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive professional practice course in which students learn the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (F/INP) role focused on the identification and management of complex and/or chronic health problems in caring for individuals and families across the lifespan.
- 2credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (F/INP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in all prior courses.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (F/INP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in all prior courses.
- 5credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (F/INP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in all prior courses.
- 2credits
Nurse Practitioner role with children and their families to promote health, prevent illness, and manage acute or chronic health problems. NURS 875 provides instruction in the Nurse Practitioner role with children and their families to promote health, plan anticipatory guidance, conduct health screenings, prevent illness, and manage primary care health problems.
- 1credit
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (F/INP) role with the pediatric population through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in all prior courses.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive didactic and simulation experience in which students implement the Family/Individual Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (F/INP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills.
Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Option Courses (20 credits)
- 3credits
Provides instruction in the Nurse Practitioner role to promote health, prevent illness, and manage common acute/episodic health problems across the adult-older adult population.
- Prerequisite
NURS 802, NURS 803, and NURS 804
- 3credits
Nurse Practitioner role with individuals and families to maximize health and manage complex and/or chronic health problems.
- Prerequisite
NURS 870, NURS 872
- Concurrent
NURS 873
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in all prior courses.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in all prior courses.
- 5credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in all prior courses.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive didactic and simulation experience in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills.
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Option Courses (21 credits)
- 3credits
Focuses on utilization of a collaborative approach to enhance Acute Care Nurse Practitioner effectiveness with restorative care and synthesis of theoretical, scientific, and clinical knowledge required for the assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment options of patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic illness across the continuum of care.
- Prerequisite
NURS 802, NURS 803, NURS 804, NURS 865, and NURS 866
- 3credits
Continues the focus on utilization of a collaborative approach to enhance Acute Care Nurse Practitioner effectiveness with restorative care and synthesis of theoretical, scientific, and clinical knowledge required for the assessment, diagnosis, management, and treatment options of patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic illness across the continuum of care.
- Prerequisite
NURS 860, NURS 862
- Concurrent
NURS 863
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in NURS 860 and all prior courses.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills taught in NURS 861 and all prior courses.
- Prerequisite
NURS 860, NURS 862
- Concurrent
NURS 861
- 5credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role and demonstrate synthesis of theoretical, scientific, and contemporary clinical knowledge learned in all courses of the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option.
- 1credit
Principles of clinical pharmacology as applied to management of complex acute, critical, and chronically ill adult and older adult patients.
Physical assessment and diagnostics for physical and psychosocial health of adult and older adult individuals and families with acute and critical illness.
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive didactic and simulation experience in which students implement the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills. This course involves demonstration of the role in varied online, classroom, and simulation settings including a full week on site intensive.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Option Courses (31 credits)
- 2credits
This is a comprehensive professional practice course in which students learn the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) role focused on the biopsychosocial assessment integrating aspects of biological, familial, community, and social health.
- 2credits
This course will focus on the theory and practice of cognitive behavioral therapy.
- 2credits
This course will focus on crisis intervention and trauma-informed care.
- 3credits
This course will focus on theory and application of psychotherapy.
- 2credits
This course introduces Bowen's family systems theory.
- 3credits
This course builds on previous knowledge of pathophysiology with a specific focus on neurologic processes and differentiation between normal and abnormal function in acute and chronic illnesses.
- 3credits
This course expands upon the student's prior pharmacology foundation to focus on the principles of neuropsychopharmacology and biologically based treatments.
- Prerequisite
NURS 803 and NURS 804
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Psychiatric Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychotherapeutic skills taught in all prior courses.
- Prerequisite
NURS 870M and NURS 871M
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Psychiatric Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychotherapeutic skills taught in all prior courses.
- Prerequisite
NURS 872M
- 5credits
This is a comprehensive practicum in which students implement the Psychiatric Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychotherapeutic skills taught in all prior courses.
- Prerequisite
NURS 873M
- 3credits
This is a comprehensive didactic and simulation experience in which students implement the Psychiatric Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) role through application of theoretical knowledge and psychotherapeutic skills.
- Prerequisite
NURS 803
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.
Advance Your Nursing Career
Advance Your Nursing Career
Many national guiding organizations recommend that entry to clinical practice for nurse practitioners be at the professional doctorate level. This online NP program offered through Penn State World Campus can help prepare you for this changing landscape.
With a strong focus on overall health and wellness as well as the prevention of disease, the nurse practitioner, or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), can often provide a lower-cost option for health care, while still providing high-quality medical guidance. This makes the NP career path appealing to nurses and encourages the use of NPs by health systems.
Job Titles Related to This Degree
The following roles are often held by people with this type of degree:
- ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner)
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Nursing Director
Employment Outlook for Occupational Fields Related to This Degree
Estimates of employment growth and total employment are provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and are subject to change. While these occupations are often pursued by graduates with this degree, individual outcomes may vary depending on a variety of factors. Penn State World Campus cannot guarantee employment in a given occupation.
Medical and Health Services Managers
Nurse Practitioners
Career Services to Set You Up for Success
From the day you're accepted as a student, you can access resources and tools provided by Penn State World Campus Career Services to further your career. These resources are beneficial whether you're searching for a job or advancing in an established career.
- Opportunities to connect with employers
- Career counselor/coach support
- Occupation and salary information
- Internships
- Graduate school resources
Ready to Learn More?
Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.
Ready to take the next step toward your Penn State doctorate?
Costs and Financial Aid
Costs and Financial Aid
Learn about this program's tuition, fees, scholarship opportunities, grants, payment options, and military benefits.
Costs and Financial Aid
Graduate Tuition
Graduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register. Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.
2024–25 Academic Year Rates
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | Cost |
|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $1,027 per credit |
| 12 or more | $12,325 per semester |
2025–26 Academic Year Rates
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | Cost |
|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $1,037 per credit |
| 12 or more | $12,448 per semester |
Financial Aid and Military Benefits
Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Federal financial aid may only be used to pay for credits used to satisfy program requirements.
Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.
Additional Cost of Attendance Details
To view the detailed list of cost of attendance elements:
- visit the Tuition Information site
- click the plus sign to expand the table
- select a semester from the World Campus row
Technical Requirements
Review the technical requirements for this program.
Specialize with Unique Degree Options
You will choose one of four options in the DNP–NP degree program to prepare for a variety of advanced practice roles:
This option prepares nurses to provide preventative, chronic, and acute patient care from infancy to adulthood. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration in the context of health promotion, disease prevention, treatment options, and quality improvement processes. After successfully completing all of the degree requirements, graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination as a Family Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner.
This option prepares nurses to promote strategies to improve health, prevent disease, and provide older adult patients with the tools they need to lead healthy lives. After successfully completing all of the degree requirements, graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner.
This option prepares nurses to care for older adults. The curriculum gives students a strong background in advanced assessment, therapeutics, and technological interventions in response to a variety of medical situations that require rapid intervention following extensive injury, surgery, or life-threatening diseases. After successfully completing all of the degree requirements, graduates will be eligible to take the national certification examination as an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
This option prepares nurses to assess and manage individuals with mental health and substance use disorders across the lifespan. After successfully completing all of the degree requirements, graduates are eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner examination (Across the Lifespan).
Who Should Apply?
If you’d like to update your knowledge and skills to meet the demands of the constantly changing health care field, or if you’re a nurse who plans to continue in a practice role and who has already earned a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing, this degree may be right for you.
DNP–NP Practicum
DNP–NP Practicum
A total of 1,125 hours of post–B.S. practicum are required in the online DNP nurse practitioner program. Your required hours will be accomplished through courses in the DNP curriculum that include practicum hours as part of the course work.
Practicum hour plans will be developed in consultation with the course faculty member and with the approval of the DNP faculty adviser.
- Development of the plans for practicum experiences begins with your admission to the program.
- The practicum planning process involves establishing a site affiliation agreement with the practicum site and identifying a preceptor(s).
- You will be responsible for identifying potential practicum sites and preceptors and working with the program director to accomplish the affiliation agreement process.
- Some students choose to complete practicum requirements at their place of employment and other students identify alternate practicum sites.
- Please note that practicum sites must be in Pennsylvania.
Doctoral Benchmarks
Doctoral Benchmarks
You will be required to reach certain benchmarks similar to those of a resident doctoral student: Qualifying Examination Portfolio, Comprehensive Examination, and a Final Oral Presentation. Your doctoral committee will support you, monitor your progress, and evaluate your performance throughout the program.
Benchmarks
Qualifying Examination Portfolio
The qualifying portfolio review for DNP students will be used to evaluate your past performance and potential for successfully completing the program. Your portfolio will include:
- narrative statement/career goals
- unofficial transcripts of all graduate study at Penn State completed prior to examination
- DNP project plan
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination will mark your progression into your DNP project after the completion of appropriate course work. You will submit a written project proposal to your doctoral committee and do an oral presentation of your proposal at an in-person intensive session. Your proposal will include letters of support from the agency where you plan to implement your DNP project.
Final Oral Presentation
The final oral presentation marks your completion of the program and is administered by your doctoral committee. You will work closely with your faculty advisers throughout the program to successfully develop and implement your DNP project.
You will not be required to come to Penn State for this final presentation. The presentation will be done synchronously using video streaming technology. In addition, the public will be invited to view the presentation along with the doctoral committee. The public oral presentation of the project will be followed by a private session of questions and responses.
Intensive Sessions for the DNP–Nurse Practitioner Program
Although your courses are online, you will be required to attend three separate in-person intensive sessions at the Penn State University Park campus or Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center during the program. These intensive sessions will provide you with the opportunity to interact in person with your doctoral committee, other faculty, and fellow students.
You will work closely with your academic adviser to determine your exact plan of study, but for full-time students, you can expect to meet in person at the following times.
| Session | When |
|---|---|
| Intensive I (Orientation) | 3 days in August of Year 1 |
| Intensive II (Comprehensive Examinations) | 4 days in July/August after Year 1 |
| Intensive III | 5 days in May after Year 2 |
Orientation
The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing will conduct an orientation to the DNP program. The purpose of the orientation is to help you become familiar with the program details and your academic advising team and to begin to identify a DNP project based on your area of interest.
College of Nursing Accreditation
College of Nursing Accreditation
The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at The Pennsylvania State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Further information can be found at www.ccneaccreditation.org.
The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing has been designated a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing in recognition of the college’s work creating and sustaining environments that promote the pedagogical expertise of the faculty.
Set Your Own Pace
Set Your Own Pace
Whether you are looking to finish your program as quickly as possible or balance your studies with your busy life, Penn State World Campus can help you achieve your education goals. Many students take one or two courses per semester.
Our online courses typically follow a 12- to 15-week semester cycle, and there are three semesters per year (spring, summer, and fall). If you plan to take a heavy course load, you should expect your course work to be your primary focus and discuss your schedule with your academic adviser.
The DNP–Nurse Practitioner program generally requires three years of full-time or four years of part-time study.
Convenient Online Format
This program's convenient online format gives you the flexibility you need to study around your busy schedule. You can skip the lengthy commute without sacrificing the quality of your education and prepare yourself for more rewarding career opportunities without leaving your home.
A Trusted Leader in Online Education
Penn State has a history of more than 100 years of distance education, and World Campus has been a leader in online learning for more than two decades. Our online learning environment offers the same quality education that our students experience on campus.
How to Apply to Penn State
How to Apply to Penn State
Apply by March 1 to start May 19
Application Instructions
Deadlines and Important Dates
Complete your application and submit all required materials by the appropriate deadline. Your deadline will depend on the semester you plan to start your courses.
Summer Deadline
Apply by March 1 to start May 19Fall Deadline
Apply by June 30 to start August 25Spring Deadline
Apply by October 1, 2025, to start January 12, 2026
Steps to Apply
The decision to pursue the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a serious one. It is highly recommended that you contact the program office to discuss your potential program of study with the program team prior to submitting your application. The online DNP program will be a rigorous, competitive program, and you should thoroughly understand the level of time and commitment that will be expected of you through the course of your studies.
Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in nursing from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or a postsecondary degree in nursing that is equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree earned from an officially recognized degree-granting international institution.
Applicants to any of the Nurse Practitioner options of the DNP program must also have a current license to practice professional nursing in the state of Pennsylvania.
Applicants to the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option are required to have two years of acute care hospital experience.
Applications are submitted electronically and include a nonrefundable application fee.
You will need to upload the following items as part of your application:
Official transcripts from each institution attended, regardless of the number of credits or semesters completed. Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Penn State alumni do not need to request transcripts for credits earned at Penn State but must list Penn State as part of your academic history. If you are admitted, you will be asked to send an additional official transcript. You will receive instructions at that time.
GPA and Test Scores — You are expected to have a grade-point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) for the baccalaureate degree with a B or better in all science and nursing courses.
GRE or GMAT scores are NOT required for admission.
English Proficiency — The language of instruction at Penn State is English. With some exceptions, international applicants must take and submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Minimum test scores and exceptions are found in the English Proficiency section on the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School's "Requirements for Graduate Admission" page. Visit the TOEFL website for testing information. Penn State's institutional code is 2660.
Please note that for entrance into a Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing graduate-level program, the minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 580 for the paper-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 25 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 7.0.
References (2) — You will need to initiate the process through the online application by entering names and email addresses of two references. Upon submission of your application, an email will be sent to each reference requesting they complete a brief online recommendation regarding your commitment for success in an online program. Please inform all recommenders they must submit the form for your application to be considered complete.
References should be obtained from academic and professional perspectives. If you completed college-level courses over the last five years, an academic reference is required. Other references should be from a nursing supervisor, preferably holding a degree higher than yours.
Program-Specific Questions/Materials
Vita — A listing your professional experience and other qualifications
Writing Sample — A published or unpublished scientific paper, thesis, or other scholarly writing sample
Interview — You will be asked to participate in an interview, via Internet-based video conferencing or in person
To begin the online application, you will need a Penn State account.
Create a New Penn State Account
If you have any problems during this process, contact an admissions counselor at [email protected].
Please note: Former Penn State students may not need to complete the admissions application or create a new Penn State account. Please visit our Returning Students page for instructions.
You can begin your online application at any time. Your progress within the online application system will be saved as you go, allowing you to return at any point as you gather additional information and required materials.
- Choose Enrollment Type: "Degree Admission"
- Choose "WORLD CAMPUS" as the campus
Checking Your Status
You can check the status of your application by using the same login information established for the online application form.5. Complete the application.
Admissions Help
If you have questions about the admissions process, contact an admissions counselor at [email protected].
Contact Us
Contact Us
Have questions or want more information? We're happy to talk.
To learn more about the Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Practitioner program, please contact:
World Campus Admissions Counselors
Phone: 814-863-5386
[email protected]
Cody Hoffman
Student Enrollment Recruiter
Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
Phone: 814-865-0865
[email protected]
To learn more about additional, highly respected nursing programs from Penn State, visit the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing website.
Learn from the Best
Learn from the Best
The Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Practitioner is offered through Penn State World Campus in collaboration with the highly respected Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. Our courses are taught by distinguished faculty who have special training and experience teaching in an online environment.
Faculty
Rachel Allen, RN, PMHNP-BC
- DegreePh.D., University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
- DegreeMSN, University of Pennsylvania
- DegreeBSN, Thomas Jefferson University
Dr. Rachel Allen is an assistant research professor and a family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, a National League for Nursing Jonas Scholar, and a fellow at the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on psychiatric nursing, nursing history, mental health policy, and the broad social history of deinstitutionalization. Dr. Allen's research contains both a chronic illness and community focus, centering on individuals living with serious and persistent mental illness.
Dr. Diane Berish, Ph.D.
- DegreePh.D., Miami University
- DegreeM.A., University of Virginia
- DegreeB.A., University of Notre Dame
Dr. Diane Berish is an assistant research professor. Her research interests include statistics and research methods, long-term services support, aging and health care policy, and health care quality. Dr. Berish works with students to find the best methods to understand their DNP projects.
Dr. Barbara Birriel, Ph.D., ACNP-BC, FCCM
- DegreePh.D., Penn State
- DegreePost-grad certificate ACNP, University of Pennsylvania
- DegreeMSN, Thomas Jefferson University
- DegreeBSN, Bloomsbury State College (University)
Dr. Barbara Birriel is an assistant research professor and an acute care nurse practitioner. Her research interests include ethics for the practitioner, palliative care, and family caregiving experiences in heart failure patients.
Kristen Bransby, CRNP, CPNP-PC
- DegreeDNP, University of Maryland
- DegreeMSN, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care Track, Drexel University
- DegreeB.S., Nursing, Penn State
Dr. Kristen Brandsby, associate teaching professor, is a doctoral-prepared pediatric nurse practitioner and pediatric mental health specialist who teaches the pediatric course work in the family nurse practitioner track and mentors and facilitates learning for the DNP students. Her practice interests include adolescents, pediatric mental health, health policy, and concussions.
Cara Exten, PH.D., MPH, B.S.
- DegreePh.D., The Ohio State University
- DegreeMPH, Emory University
- DegreeB.S., East Tennessee State University
Dr. Cara Exten is an assistant teaching professor for the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. She is an infectious disease epidemiologist, focusing on health disparities affecting sexual and gender minority populations, with an emphasis on sexual health (specifically HIV and other sexually transmitted infections) and substance use. She has extensive experience in survey data collection, data analysis, and working with high-risk populations, and she is passionate about the examination of diseases in their entirety, including biological, sociological, and epidemiological factors.
Donna M. Fick, RN, FGSA, FAAN
- DegreePh.D., Nursing Science/Geriatrics, University of California-San Francisco
- DegreeMSN, Gerontological Nursing, University of Cincinnati
- DegreeBSN, Nursing Science, Berea College
Dr. Donna M. Fick is the director of the Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence at Penn State. She is an instructor for a variety of graduate nursing courses. Dr. Fick's research interests include inappropriate medication use in older adults, recognition and management of delirium superimposed on dementia, and implementation of ultra-brief delirium screening in hospital settings.
Sandra Halbruner, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC
- DegreeDNP, Wilkes University
- DegreeM.S., Penn State
- DegreeBSN, Johns Hopkins University
- DegreeB.S., Franklin & Marshall College
Dr. Sandra Halbruner is an assistant teaching professor for the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. She has more than 21 years of experience in the field of medicine. Her research interests include active learning techniques in the multi-site or online classroom.
Sharilee Hrabovsky, D.Ed.
- DegreeD.Ed., Adult Education, Penn State
- DegreePost-master’s certification, Family Practice Nurse Practitioner, Widener University
- DegreeMSN, Villanova University
- DegreeBSN, Thomas Jefferson University
Dr. Sharilee Hrabovsky is an assistant research professor with the College of Nursing. She teaches online courses in the graduate school. She has been a practicing nurse for the last 36 years, 23 of them as a nurse practitioner, and has presented on tobacco use, treatment, and regulation research for the last eight years. She is a nationally certified tobacco treatment specialist and has worked with hundreds of tobacco users through clinical trials or direct patient care in their quest to reduce or quit tobacco use.
Judith E. Hupcey, CRNP, FAAN
- DegreeEd.D., Nursing Education, Columbia University Teachers College
- DegreeM.Ed., Nursing Education, Columbia University Teachers College
- DegreeM.S., Adult Nurse Practitioner, Columbia University School of Nursing
- DegreeBSN, Columbia University School of Nursing
Dr. Judith E. Hupcey, professor of nursing, medicine, and bioethics, is the associate dean for graduate education and research in the College of Nursing. She is also a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. Her research focuses on persons with heart failure at the end of life and their family caregivers. She recently completed a study investigating the palliative care needs of persons with heart failure and their family caregivers. From this study, a cutting-edge model of palliative care for heart failure was developed.
Paul Logan, PH.D., CRNP, ACNP-BC
- DegreePh.D., Penn State
- DegreeMSN, University of Pennsylvania
- DegreeBSN, Messiah College
Dr. Paul Logan is an assistant research professor for the College of Nursing. His research interests include outcomes, quality, and value in health care, particularly the quality of care provided by nurse practitioners. His clinical interests include acute care, critical care, and cardiovascular disease.
Susan Leight, Ed.D., ARPN-BC, NP-C, ANP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
- DegreePostdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
- DegreeResearch Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
- DegreeEd.D., West Virginia University
- DegreeMSN, West Virginia University
- DegreeBSN, State University of New York at Buffalo
Dr. Susan Leight is the director of the NP programs, the WE Lead program, and innovation at the College of Nursing. Dr Leight’s research interests include vulnerable populations, focusing on rural health and women’s health. She also spends time in Central America providing care for the underserved.
Sheri Matter, Ph.D., MSN, RN
- DegreePh.D., Leadership and Administration, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- DegreeMSN, Wilmington University
- DegreeMBA, University of St. Francis
- DegreeMHA, University of St. Francis
- DegreeB.S., Nursing, Wilkes University
Dr. Sheri Matter is the assistant dean of graduate professional programs and is an associate teaching professor in the College of Nursing. She has more than 30 years of nursing leadership, including as chief nursing executive of a multiple-hospital system. Dr. Matter's research for her dissertation focused on the nurse characteristics of a highly reliable organization.
Dr. Susan Maynard, DNP, M.S., RN-BC, CCNS, CCRN-K
- DegreeDNP, Penn State
- DegreeM.S., University of California, San Francisco
- DegreeBSN, Penn State
Dr. Susan Maynard is an assistant teaching professor and the clinical placement coordinator for the graduate professional programs. Her research interests include stroke systems of care, rural health disparities, community health partnerships, and quality improvement in health care.
Brandi Peachey, DNP, FNP-BC, RN
- DegreeDNP, Penn State
- DegreeBSN, West Virginia University
Dr. Brandi Peachey is an assistant teaching professor in both the graduate and undergraduate programs. She is an FNP who practices in pediatrics. Dr. Peachey’s interests include adolescent substance abuse and screening techniques.
Nicole Peterson, DNP, A/GPCNP-BC, CRNP, RN
- DegreeDNP, University of Iowa
- DegreeMSN, University of Iowa
- DegreeBSN, University of Iowa
Dr. Nicole Peterson is an assistant teaching professor and emeritus associate professor of instruction at the University of Iowa. She has been an adult and gerontological primary care nurse practitioner since 2008, with clinical practice experience in long-term care, community care, home care, and primary care. This includes providing geriatric and primary care to the Meskwaki Nation community (Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa and their employees). She has teaching experience in undergraduate and graduate nursing, including master’s and doctorate levels, as well as serving as a geriatric nurse practitioner.
Andrea Yevchak Sillner, Ph.D., CNS, RN
- DegreePh.D., Nursing, Penn State
- DegreeM.S., Nursing, Penn State
- DegreeB.S., Nursing, Penn State
Dr. Andrea Yevchak Sillner is an assistant research professor in the College of Nursing. She is also a board-certified gerontological clinical nurse specialist. Dr. Sillner's research interests are in improving transitions of care for older adults and their informal family caregivers by focusing on technology-assisted communication and preferences of care.
Mariya Tankimovich, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C, CNE
- DegreeDNP, University of Texas Health Science Center
- DegreeMSN, University of Texas Health Science Center
- DegreeBSN, University of Texas Health Science Center
- DegreeB.A., University of California
Dr. Mariya Tankimovich is the director of the DNP program and an associate teaching professor for the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. Her practice improvement project is Implementation Plan of a Family Clinic–Based Pilot Study for a Smartphone-Based Short Message System Text-Messaging Intervention to Improve Dietary Practices among Adult Patients with Hyperlipidemia. Her DNP Fellowship Project was Connection to Care: Perceptions, Readmission, and Reality — a research project to study unwanted readmissions of pediatric patients at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and to design and implement a plan to reduce such unwanted readmissions. Her research interests include health promotion and disease prevention, improving patient outcomes, and transitions-of-care challenges.
Britney Wardecker, PH.D.
DegreePh.D., Psychology, University of MichiganDr. Britney Wardecker is an assistant professor for the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and a faculty affiliate for the Penn State Center for Healthy Aging. Prior to her faculty position, Dr. Wardecker began training (funded by the National Institutes of Health) as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Center. Her research examines lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) older adults' psychological and physical health outcomes. She also loves to teach in the areas of health, discrimination, health disparities, and research methods. Her research interests include promoting health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults; examining health disparities and individual differences in health (such as age, gender, and sexual orientation); and biomarker measurement.
Beth Ann White, DNP, CRNP-BC, RN
- DegreeDNP, Penn State
- DegreeM.S. and Adult Nurse Practitioner, Penn State
- DegreeB.S., Nursing, Penn State
- DegreeRN, Diploma, Geisinger School of Nursing
Dr. Beth Ann White is the coordinator for the FNP program and is an associate teaching professor in the College of Nursing. She has worked as a case manager, disease manager, and regional manager for the Medical Home project, along with her continued practice as an adult nurse practitioner. Her research interest includes improved oral care in long-term care.
Kelly Wolgast, RN, FACHE, FAAN
- DegreeDNP, University of Alabama
- DegreeM.S., Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College
- DegreeMSN, Vanderbilt University
- DegreeBSN, Penn State
Dr. Kelly Wolgast is the assistant dean for outreach and professional development and an associate teaching professor. She teaches both nurse administrator/management courses and nurse educator courses in Penn State's MSN and DNP programs. Her research interests include nurse leadership, health care delivery models, distance learning, and military/veterans' health.
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