| The impending shortage of students entering school | | | | they will begin offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice |
| for a nursing degree has caused a demand for nurses | | | | degree this year. The program, which will begin this |
| that continues to spread across the U.S. healthcare | | | | summer, will be available online to accommodate the |
| system. Many providers of classroom-based and | | | | schedules of busy nursing professionals. Degree |
| online education are developing programs that can | | | | candidates will also be required to complete a |
| help professionals in the field earn advanced degrees | | | | weeklong residency. |
| without sacrificing their career development. | | | | After the launch of the new degree, Wilkes will be |
| The University of Nevada system has announced a | | | | among the 15 percent of nursing education programs |
| partnership between two of its schools to offer a | | | | in U.S. that offer this certification. This has the |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, the Las Vegas | | | | potential to be a huge boon in the nursing field. |
| Sun reports. System branches in Reno (UNR) and Las | | | | The Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania-based school created |
| Vegas (UNLV) will each provide faculty members | | | | the program to address the fact that all new |
| who will teach courses in the 39-credit program, | | | | advanced practice nurses will be expected to be |
| which is intended to prepare nursing students for | | | | educated to the doctoral level within the next five |
| administrative positions. | | | | years, according to the American Association of |
| While enrollees will be required to travel to UNR's | | | | Colleges of Nursing. |
| Orvis School of Nursing once per year to participate | | | | Nurses who hold a master's degree will be able to |
| in orientations and projects, coursework and lectures | | | | earn the degree in as few as two and a half years. |
| will be offered in an online format. Marc Johnson, | | | | Bachelor's degree holders who enroll in the program |
| UNR's provost, told the media outlet that the | | | | part-time are expected to finish in approximately five |
| program aims to help students obtain leadership | | | | years. Bernard Graham, dean of the university's |
| positions at hospitals, as well as in public health clinics | | | | Nesbitt College of Pharmacy and Nursing, said earning |
| and companies. | | | | a doctoral degree will put "nursing on a par with other |
| A similar program has been launched at Wilkes | | | | health professions. |
| University, where school officials have announced | | | | |