Hi, I am Cathy Stepter and I am the Program Chair for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree here at Baptist Health Sciences University. The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is the terminal degree for advanced nursing practice. Baptist University offers graduate nursing education for nurses who wish to pursue a career as an adult gerontology nurse practitioner. We have two program concentrations of study to choose from Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. Acute Care Nurse Practitioners provide care for patients with unstable, chronic complex, acute and critical conditions. Primary Care Nurse Practitioners focus on comprehensive continuous care characterized by long term patient relationships. Both programs of study prepare nurse practitioners to treat patients ages 16 and older. Baptist University offers two pathways to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, the BSN to DNP for the nurse entering nurse practitioner education, and the postmasters to DNP for the currently credentialed, advanced practice nurse who wants to add a second advanced certification and also earn the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Baptist University offers both full-time and part-time options to complete the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Completion time for the full-time program is three years and four years for the part-time program. The MSN to DNP pathway can be completed in about two and a half years. The DNP program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. After completion of your DNP degree, you will be prepared to sit for the nurse practitioner certification in your concentration. Some unique aspects of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Baptist U, include our association with Baptist Memorial healthcare, one of the largest systems in the country. Our care and commitment to our students, our strong clinical emphasis and clinical rotations and our commitment to one on one instruction. So if you are excited about advancing your scope of practice, elevating your leadership contributions, and a lifetime of improving health outcomes, the Baptist U program is for you.