Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (DNP) Program Details

The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program is available to both bachelor’s and master’s-prepared nurses wishing to attain a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.  Part-time and full-time study options are available. 

Study Format

Course work is delivered online and in compressed format.

After completion of core coursework, you will start your advanced practice specialty course work with neonatal developmental physiology, followed by neonatal pathophysiology. The following semester, you will take neonatal health assessment. As with all courses, this course is online; however, the program requires a three-day campus visit. You will then move into your specialty management courses and clinical practica.  Campus visits will maximize your interaction with students and faculty and provide learning opportunities difficult to achieve online. 

Sample Plan of Study 

Clinical Experiences 

Education is built on a strong foundation of neonatal experience. Thus, you must have at least two years of full-time neonatal experience before starting the clinical portion of your program.

Clinical practicum sites are available at Rush University Medical Center and at select sites in the Chicago metropolitan area. Sites may include your home unit or other neonatal settings in your geographic area that meet program requirements. Due to the variety of different state regulations and limitations, we cannot guarantee clinical practica placement if you move to another state after matriculating.

As a distance student, you are responsible for initiating contact with qualified local preceptors. The program director will then evaluate all practice sites/preceptors to guarantee that educational objectives will be met. Rush has been successful in negotiating most distance clinical practicum contracts, but success is not guaranteed. Rush may also need to be a recognized provider by the board of nursing in your state. For these reasons, we encourage you to start planning your clinical practicum experiences with the program coordinator as early as possible.

Certification

This program prepares and qualifies you for eligibility for board certification as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner by the National Certification Corporation. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program graduates have an exceptional first time pass rate on the national exam.

Common Applicant Questions for all Nursing Programs