Washburn University (WU) Online Nurse Practitioner Programs

What to Expect from Washburn University Online NP Programs

Admission Requirements: Applicants to all programs must possess a bachelor’s degree before enrollment. Applicants must complete the online graduate application to Washburn University and the School of Nursing. The DNP application requires a resume, professional license information, an unofficial transcript showing the cumulative GPA for the highest nursing degree earned, documentation of graduate coursework, the desired program track, three professional references, and official transcripts sent directly to the School of Nursing. No GRE is required.

Washburn gives preference to applicants with a 3.25 GPA in their nursing coursework. Applicants must provide a current RN and/or APRN license in their state of residence; candidates who are not yet licensed may be considered for conditional admission but must provide an active, unencumbered license before the stated deadline. No application fee is required for the PMHNP program.

• BSN-to-DNP: Applicants to the BSN-to-DNP pathways must submit the DNP application materials, including the resume, license information, professional references, unofficial transcript information, and official transcripts. After the application is reviewed, the Harmony J. Hines School of Nursing contacts applicants to schedule an interview and complete a writing assignment.
• MSN-to-DNP: Applicants to the MSN-to-DNP pathways must provide documentation of their graduate nursing education, graduate coursework, professional licensure, resume, three professional references, and official transcripts. Applicants seeking a pathway that requires current NP or APRN status must provide the relevant license and board-certification information. The MSN-to-DNP options differ according to the applicant’s prior education, NP certification, and practice interest.
• Post-Master’s Certificates: Applicants to the post-graduate PMHNP certificate pathways must graduate from an accredited MSN program. Applicants in tracks 1 (NP) and 2 (PMH CNS) must hold current licensure to practice as a nurse practitioner or psychiatric CNS. The application requires an online graduate application, two professional references, license information, the selected program track, a resume, and an official MSN transcript sent to the School of Nursing.

State Restrictions: Washburn University is authorized to offer its nursing programs in all states except Arkansas, Oregon, New York, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. Students outside of Kansas should verify with the School of Nursing as well as their state licensing board to determine if the program meets state requirements for NP licensure.

Study Plan: Washburn University’s coursework is delivered through online learning activities, faculty mentoring, and live virtual classes held at pre-arranged times. The DNP is a summer-start program, unless the student has successfully completed an approved graduate statistics course within the past 10 years. Clinical placements are arranged with faculty and program staff and are completed at approved sites close to the student’s community.

The BSN-to-DNP programs require 74 to 76 credits, depending on the specialty, and include a minimum of 1,000 clock hours of direct patient care. These pathways are designed for working RNs. Students attend in-person orientation or training sessions on campus once each year.

The MSN-to-DNP–FNP pathway is part of Washburn’s MSN-to-DNP option for nurses who already hold an MSN and do not hold APRN-NP status. The MSN-to-DNP pathway without NP status requires 70 to 72 credits, depending on the specialty, and includes a minimum of 1,000 clock hours of direct patient care. Students in the family track attend in-person orientation or training sessions on campus once each year.

The MSN-to-DNP–PMHNP pathway for nurses without NP status follows the same MSN-to-DNP structure. It requires 70 to 72 credits, depending on the specialty, and includes a minimum of 1,000 direct patient-care hours.

The MSN-to-DNP–FNP pathway for nurses with NP status requires 40 credits when the student is not seeking a second certification. Applicants who are already licensed and nationally certified as an FNP, ANP, AGNP, PNP, or PMHNP may enter this pathway according to their prior certification and practice background.

The MSN-to-DNP–PMHNP pathway for FNPs, ANPs, AGNPs, and PNPs requires 14 additional credits when the student is pursuing PMHNP as a second certification. Clinical experiences are individually determined, and the DNP includes a minimum of 540 clock-hours of direct patient care for this second-certification pathway. A gap analysis reviews the applicant’s prior advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment coursework, along with recent NP practice.

Applicants who have completed two NP certifications—an FNP, ANP, AGNP, or PNP certification together with the PMHNP certificate—and who want to earn the DNP may complete the program with 35 credits.

The post-graduate certificate–PMHNP is offered as a fully online program and can be completed in four semesters. Washburn develops a customized study plan based on each student’s prior nursing education and licensure. The certificate is available to APRNs, certified nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and master’s- or doctoral-prepared RNs without APRN status. Clinical placement plans are developed to provide experiences close and convenient to the student’s location, with clinical experiences supervised by instructors and supported by qualified preceptors.

Across the DNP pathways, preceptor-guided clinical experiences provide at least 1,000 hours of direct patient care for the BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP options without NP status. An MSN-to-DNP applicant who enters with national NP certification may receive up to 500 clock hours toward the 1,000-hour requirement, subject to the program’s review.

BSN-to-DNP Curriculum: The courses that are common to both BSN-to-DNP pathways (FNP and PMHNP) include theoretical foundations; research methods for practice scholarship; advanced pathophysiology; health policy; advanced pharmacology; philosophical world views ANP; emerging concepts informatics; population health; doctoral leadership; health care economics; evidence-based practice; advanced health assessment differential diagnosis lifespan; innovations in quality care; applied diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making; data driven practice; DNP-practice inquiry I-III; perspectives for the advancement of global health; DNP residency; and professional role development and transition to practice.

• The BSN-to-DNP–FNP curriculum requires 74 credits and includes 1,170 total clinical hours, including 975 direct patient-care hours and 195 simulation hours. In addition to the core courses listed above, this program includes courses such as basic office procedures and assessment; advanced office procedures; and primary care I-III and practicums I-III.
• The BSN-to-DNP–PMHNP curriculum requires 75 credits and includes 1,020 total clinical hours, including 975 direct patient-care hours and 45 simulation hours. In addition to the core courses listed above, this program includes courses such as psychiatric differential diagnosis and diagnostic interviewing; psychopharmacology; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing I with lab; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing II; advanced psychiatric practicum; psychotherapeutic interventions practicum; and advanced psychiatric specialty focus practicum.

MSN-to-DNP Curriculum: The courses that are common across Washburn’s MSN-to-DNP pathways include population health; doctoral leadership; research methods for practice scholarship; evidence-based practice; philosophical worldviews ANP; emerging concepts informatics; innovations in quality care; data-driven practice; health care economics; DNP-practice inquiry I-III; perspectives for the advancement of global health; and DNP residency for MSN-to-DNP. Some pathways also include intermediate statistics as a required preparatory course.

• The MSN-to-DNP–FNP curriculum for students without NP licensure requires 70 credits and includes 1,170 total clinical hours, including 1,125 direct patient-care hours and 45 simulation hours. In addition to the courses listed above, this pathway includes advanced pathophysiology; advanced pharmacology; advanced health assessment differential diagnosis lifespan; basic office procedures and assessment; applied diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making; advanced office procedures; and primary care I-III with primary care practicum I-III.
• The MSN-to-DNP–PMHNP curriculum for students without NP licensure requires 71 credits and includes 1,020 total clinical hours, including 975 direct patient-care hours and 45 simulation hours. In addition to the common MSN-to-DNP courses, this pathway includes advanced pathophysiology; advanced pharmacology; advanced health assessment differential diagnosis lifespan; applied diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making; psychiatric differential diagnosis and diagnostic interviewing; psychopharmacology; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing I with lab; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing II; advanced psychiatric practicum; psychotherapeutic interventions practicum; and advanced psychiatric specialty focus practicum.
• The MSN-to-DNP generic curriculum for students who already hold NP certification requires 40 credits and includes 525 clinical hours, all listed as direct patient-care hours. These students complete the common MSN-to-DNP coursework without the additional FNP or PMHNP specialty courses shown in the non-NP pathways.
• The MSN-to-DNP–PMHNP curriculum for FNPs entering a second-certification pathway requires 53 credits and includes 525 clinical hours, all listed as direct patient-care hours. In addition to the common MSN-to-DNP courses, this pathway includes psychiatric differential diagnosis and diagnostic interviewing; psychopharmacology; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing I with lab; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing II; advanced psychiatric practicum; psychotherapeutic interventions practicum; and advanced psychiatric specialty focus practicum.
• The MSN-to-DNP curriculum for students who already hold two NP certifications, including PMHNP, requires 35 credits and includes 150 clinical hours, all listed as direct patient-care hours. These students complete a shortened plan focused on the DNP core, including doctoral leadership; research methods for practice scholarship; evidence-based practice; philosophical worldviews ANP; emerging concepts informatics; innovations in quality care; population health; data-driven practice; health care economics; DNP residency for MSN-to-DNP; perspectives for the advancement of global health; and DNP-practice inquiry I-III.

Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate Curriculum: The post-graduate PMHNP certificate is designed with individualized plans based on the student’s prior nursing education, licensure, and transcript review. In general, the curriculum requires about 20 to 23 credits and 525 clinical hours, although some individualized plans may require additional coursework or clinical hours to meet certification and licensure requirements. Common PMHNP courses include psychiatric differential diagnosis and diagnostic interviewing; psychopharmacology; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing I with lab; advanced psychiatric mental health nursing II; advanced psychiatric practicum; psychotherapeutic interventions practicum; and advanced psychiatric specialty focus practicum.

For nurse practitioner entrants, such as FNPs, ANPs, AGNPs, PNPs, CNMs, and CRNAs, the certificate typically requires about 20 to 21 credits and 525 clinical hours. These students complete the PMHNP specialty courses listed above, and may also need separate graduate-level coursework in advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced physical assessment if previous coursework does not meet lifespan-focused certification requirements.

For psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist entrants, the certificate typically requires about 23 credits and 525 clinical hours. These students may receive credit for prior didactic psychiatric mental health nursing content, although final requirements are still determined through transcript review.

For graduate-prepared nurses without APRN credentials, the certificate generally requires about 20 to 22 credits and 525 clinical hours. Depending on prior coursework, these students may also need additional graduate-level courses in advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced physical assessment, and some individualized plans may require additional supervised clinical hours.

Online Experience: Online courses at Washburn University are delivered through the Brightspace D2L online Learning Management System (LMS). Most coursework is self-paced and asynchronous, with a limited number of “live” virtual classes each semester held at pre-arranged times. These sessions are recorded for students who cannot attend.

The programs emphasize faculty mentoring and active interaction with peers through discussion boards, virtual classes, and other online tools. PMHNP students also use virtual simulation to practice psychiatric diagnostic interviewing skills.

Online students have access to standard university services, including library and bookstore resources, faculty office hours, academic advising, and technical support.

On-Site Requirements: BSN-to-DNP students are required to attend in-person orientation or training sessions on the Topeka, KS campus one time per year. MSN-to-DNP students in the FNP track also have an annual on-campus orientation or training requirement.

The PMHNP post-graduate certificate program is fully online with no required on-campus immersions, while all clinical preceptorships are arranged to be completed close to the student’s location.