Nebraska Methodist College will offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree starting next fall.
It’s the Omaha college’s first doctoral degree program. Dr. Dennis Joslin, president and CEO of Nebraska Methodist College, says there’s a critical need for advanced nurse practitioners in rural areas.
"We have small communities that don’t have a physician in practice, and so by having nurses prepared at this doctoral level in family nurse practitioner specialty, we’ll really be able to help respond to that shortage and increase the exposure to treatment professionals that they currently probably aren’t having, or may not have in the future."
Dr. Joslin says advanced practitioners will also be in demand because of the Affordable Care Act.
About 1,000 students attend Nebraska Methodist College.