Concentrations in the DNP Program

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) & Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) - Role Courses and Sequencing

Prior to beginning any specialty courses in the FNP/AGPCNP program, students must successfully complete N615 Advanced Pathophysiology, and N619 Advanced Pharmacology. Students must also have completed (or take concurrently) N703 Pharmacotherapeutics and both FNPs/AGPCNPs N670 Family Systems and Interventions when enrolled in the first specialty courses in the sequence, N614 and N698A.

In the FNP/AGPCNP program curriculum, there is a series of five theory courses with five concurrent practicum courses that provide content and experience in the specialty area of advanced primary care/family nurse practitioner. After completing these specialty courses, students will engage in the Final Immersion Practicum taken during their final semester in the DNP program. All FNP/AGPCNP students are required to take these courses, unless they have a Master’s degree in a nurse practitioner specialty, and have received some course waivers at the time of admission. These courses build upon each other and must be taken in the sequence outlined in the Plan of Study.

Course Descriptions:

N615 Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.) - This course examines the conceptual basis and specific knowledge of pathophysiology and disease recognition for children and adults as observed in the primary care setting.

N619 Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.) - This course reviews in-depth the principles of pharmacology for classes of drugs commonly used in various health care practices. The most pertinent drug classes for nursing practice are included in this course.

N703 Pharmacotherapy Management (3 cr.) - Integration of principles of pharmacology and therapeutic patient care management to construct, implement and evaluate optimal pharmacotherapeutic regimens for patients in various healthcare settings. This course includes an assignment with a local pharmacist.

N670 Family Systems and Interventions (3 cr.) - Selected concepts, theories and research related to family dynamics and family coping, with an emphasis on practice strategies to support family well-being and mental health.

N643 Assessment and Diagnosis of Psychiatric and Mental Health Disorders (3 cr.) - This course introduces the diagnostic processes in mental health/mental disorders using DSM 5 diagnostic criteria, ICD coding, and other mental assessment tools while considering family, community, and cultural influences.

N614 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (3 cr.) and N698A Practicum (1 cr.) - must be taken concurrently. N698A is the first practicum course in the FNP/DNP specialty concentration sequence.

Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to perform comprehensive health assessments and develop enhanced capacity for clinical reasoning and laboratory test interpretation. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698A, the first clinical practicum experience in the FNP specialty that affords students the opportunity to develop+ competence and confidence in a precepted clinical experience while applying knowledge obtained in a concurrent theory course.

Students will select an agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 56 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698A UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. This first practicum experience, which starts mid-way through the semester, concentrates on the “Art” of Clinical Reasoning and, therefore, most any qualified provider from a variety of healthcare settings can be appropriate.

The concentration of the practicum is for students to learn the techniques and practices of the “Focused Case Visit” and the “Complete History and Exam Visit” to acquire a sound knowledge base in diagnostic reasoning and differential diagnosis prior to launching into the individual patient population courses. NPs and MDs who see patients of all ages in a primary care setting are preferred.

N610 Primary Health Care of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults (3 cr.) and N698E Practicum: Primary Health Care of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults (3 cr.) – must be taken concurrently.

Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to assess, maintain, and promote the health and well-being of culturally diverse children, adolescents, and young adults. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698E. Students will select an agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 168 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698E UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a provider who services infants through young adults either in a family practice or in a practice that specializes in the care of children and young adults. Primary care and family practice NPs and MDs or pediatric NPs or pediatricians are appropriate choices for preceptors for this semester. Students will concentrate their experiences with patients with simple acute or stable chronic health problems.

N620 Primary Health Care of Adults and Older Adults (3 cr.) and N698X Practicum: Primary Health Care of Adults (3 cr.) – must be taken concurrently.

Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to assess, maintain, and promote the health and well-being of culturally diverse adults and older adults. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698X. Students will select an agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 168 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698X UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a provider who adult patients either in a family practice or in a practice that specializes in the care of adults and older adults. Primary care NPs and MDs and ANPs are preferred choices for preceptors. Internal Medicine Specialists, GNPs, or Geriatricians can be appropriate choices for preceptors for this semester as approved by the faculty. Students will concentrate their experiences with patients with simple acute or stable chronic health problems.

N723 Complex Health Problems in Primary Care I (2 cr.) and N798K Practicum: Complex Health Problems in Primary Care (2 cr.) – must be taken concurrently.

Content and practicum focus is on building knowledge and skills beyond the provision of primary care for singular simple acute or stable chronic conditions of separate populations of patients to a focus on health care of patients of all ages with complex health problems. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N798K. Students will select an agency and a preceptor(s) in their community and engage in 112 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N798K UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a family provider or a pediatric and an adult provider in order to assure that complex patients of all ages will be seen–providers can be NPs or MDs or a combination of both. 69

N733 Complex Health Problems in Primary Care II and N798KA Practicum Complex Health Problems in Primary Care II (2 cr.) – must be taken concurrently.

This course provides students specializing in the advanced practice role of the Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner the opportunity to build their knowledge and skills beyond that of the singular simple acute or stable chronic conditions of separate populations of patients that has been the focus of previous courses in the specialty. This course affords the opportunity to focus on health care of patients of all ages with complex health problems. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N798KA and completing 112 clinical practicum hours.

N706 Complex Health Problems with Multiple Chronic Conditions 2 (2 cr.) and N798S Practicum: Complex Health Problems with Multiple Chronic Conditions 2 (2 cr.) – must be taken concurrently.

This course provides students specializing in the advanced practice role of the Adult Gerontological Primary Care or FNP (DNP) Nurse Practitioner student the opportunity to build knowledge and skills beyond that of the singular simple acute or stable chronic conditions. This course affords the opportunity to focus on health care of adult and older adult patients (including frail elders) with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) and complex health problems. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N798S. The N798S UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a MD or NP geriatric/gerontology and adult provider in order to assure that complex patients will be seen–providers can be NPs or MDs or a combination of both for a total of 112 hours (52 hours needs to be in sub-acute rehabilitation and long-term care practice environments).

Final Spring Semester of Study in the DNP Program

N898D Final Immersion Practicum (2 cr.) -

This final practicum is an essential component of the DNP program that affords students the opportunity to immerse themselves in their area of specialty practice as they complete 112 hours of practicum experiences in one semester. This practicum provides an intensive immersion opportunity for students to further enhance and integrate their prior learning and to gain experience with designated DNP essentials and specialty competencies.

Public Health Nurse Leader (PHNL) - Role Course Sequence

In the DNP/PHNL program curriculum, there is a series of 3 theory courses with 3 concurrent practicum courses that provide content and experience in the specialty area of advanced public health nursing. After completing these specialty courses, students will engage in the Final Immersion Practicum N898A, taken during their final semester in the DNP program. All PHNL students are required to take these courses, unless they have a Master’s degree in Community or Public Health Nursing, and have received some course waivers at the time of admission.

The PHNL program includes 4 practicum courses, three of these courses are 3 credit practicum courses that require 168 hours of supervised practice, for a total of 504 hours. In the final semester of the DNP program, students will take the Final Immersion Practicum N898A for 6 credits (336 hours – of which 150 hours may be used to implement the required DNP Scholarly Project).

The three (3) theory courses in the PHNL sequence are designed to provide instruction in Advanced Public Health Nursing. In the 3 concurrent practicum courses, students implement the knowledge they acquire in the companion theory courses. These courses must be taken in sequential order, as they build upon each other. The Final Immersion Practicum course, N898A, is not taken until the last semester of the student’s coursework in the DNP program

Public Health Nurse Leader Specialty Role Courses

N640 Advanced Public Health Nursing I (3 cr.) (Fall) and N698G Practicum: Advanced Public Health Nursing I (3 cr.) Content and practicum focus is on conducting a Comprehensive Community Assessment and a targeted Needs Assessment. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698L. Students will engage in 168 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. This practicum is conducted in a community that the student chooses. Students will need an outside community preceptor for this course. In order to plan ahead by mid-semester students should be identifying a preceptor and an agency that they will affiliate with for the next practicum course, N798P, offered in the spring semester.

N750 Advanced Public Health Nursing II (3 cr.) (Spring) and N798LL Practicum: Advanced Public Health Nursing II (3 cr.) Content and practicum focus is on program development and evaluation in the field of public health. Application of this knowledge occurs in the clinical practicum N798P. This practicum should be conducted in the same community as the previous practicum course, N698L. Students will select an agency and a preceptor in the community and engage in 168 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N798P UMass faculty member will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s community preceptor.

N760 Advanced Public Health Nursing III Contemporary Issues in Public Health Practice (3 cr.) and N798M Practicum: Contemporary Issues in Public Health Practice (3 cr.) Content and practicum focus is on current issues in public health nursing practice. Students will select an agency and a preceptor in the community and engage in 168 hours of selected practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N798M UMass faculty member will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s community preceptor.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) - Role Courses

Course Descriptions:

N615 Advanced Pathophysiology (3 cr.) - This course examines the conceptual basis and specific knowledge of pathophysiology and disease recognition for children and adults as observed in the primary care setting.

N619 Advanced Pharmacology (3 cr.) - This course reviews in-depth the principles of pharmacology for classes of drugs commonly used in various health care practices. The most pertinent drug classes for nursing practice are included in this course.

N703 Pharmacotherapy Management (3 cr.) - Integration of principles of pharmacology and

therapeutic patient care management to construct, implement and evaluate optimal pharmacotherapeutic regimens for patients in various healthcare settings. This course includes an assignment with a local pharmacist.

N670 Family Systems and Interventions (3 cr.) - Selected concepts, theories and research related to family dynamics and family coping, with an emphasis on practice strategies to support family well-being and mental health.

N614 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (3 cr.) and N698A Practicum (1 cr.) - must be taken concurrently. N698A is the first practicum course in the PMHNP/DNP specialty concentration sequence.

Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to perform comprehensive health assessments and develop enhanced capacity for clinical reasoning and laboratory test interpretation. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698A, the first clinical practicum experience in the FNP specialty that affords students the opportunity to develop competence and confidence in a precepted clinical experience while applying knowledge obtained in a concurrent theory course.

Students will select an agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 56 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698A UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. This first practicum experience, which starts mid-way through the semester, concentrates on the “Art” of Clinical Reasoning and, therefore, most any qualified provider from a variety of healthcare settings can be appropriate. The concentration of the practicum is for students to learn the techniques and practices of the “Focused Case Visit” and the “Complete History and Exam Visit” to acquire a sound knowledge base in diagnostic reasoning and differential diagnosis prior to launching into the individual patient population courses. NPs and MDs who see patients of all ages in a primary care setting are preferred.

Specialty courses include:

N643 Assessment and Diagnosis of Psychiatric and Mental Health Disorders - This course introduces the diagnostic processes in mental health/mental disorders using DSM 5 diagnostic criteria, ICD coding, and other mental assessment tools while considering family, community, and cultural influences.

N580 Integrative Therapies in Health Care - This course will examine integrative health therapies including the cultural contexts of health and health care, telehealth, dynamics of systems and individual change, and evidence-based analysis of therapeutic effectiveness.

N697NP Neuropsychopharmacology (3 cr.) - This course examines the pharmacological treatment of psychiatric mental health disorders and is structured to develop the student with a logical approach and treatment strategy to use when prescribing.

N612 Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Children and Adolescents (3 cr.) - Content in the psychopathology, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders affecting children and adolescents are presented.

N698CA Practicum Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Children and Adolescents (3 cr.) - This course will consist of a supervised clinical practicum experience in a community-based health care agency providing advanced practice psychiatric mental health nursing care to children, adolescents and their families, 168 clinical practicum hours.

N622 Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Adults and Older Adults (3 cr.) - This course will consist of a supervised clinical practicum experience in a community- based health care agency/facility providing psychiatric mental health care to children, adolescents and their families.

N698AD Practicum Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Adults and Older Adults (3 cr.) - This course will consist of a supervised clinical practicum in a community- based health agency or facility providing advanced practice psychiatric mental health care to adults and older adults, 168 clinical practicum hours.

N721 Advanced Psychotherapy Modalities with Individuals, Groups and Families (2 cr.) - This course continues preparing students in developing advanced skills to deliver individual, group and family psychosocial therapeutics using evidence based psychosocial treatment models across the lifespan.

N798GF Practicum Advanced Psychotherapy Modalities with Individuals, Groups and Families (2 cr.) - This course consists of a supervised clinical practicum experience in a community-based inpatient or outpatient mental health care agency providing psychotherapeutic mental health care to individuals, groups and families, 112 clinical practicum hours.

N722 Psychiatric Mental Health- Complex Health Problems (3 cr.) - A refinement of advanced knowledge and skills required to deliver psychiatric mental health care to culturally diverse individuals of all ages with complex mental health and psychiatric issues.

N798X Practicum Psychiatric Mental Health- Complex Health Problems (3 cr.) - This course will consist of a supervised clinical practicum experience in a health care agency/facility providing psychiatric mental health care to individuals, 112 clinical practicum hours.

N898D Final Direct Care residency (2 cr.) - This final practicum is an essential component of the DNP program that affords students the opportunity to immerse themselves in their area of specialty practice as they complete 112 hours of practicum experiences in one semester. This practicum provides an intensive immersion opportunity for students to further enhance and integrate their prior learning and to gain experience with designated DNP essentials and specialty competencies.

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