3 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs in North Dakota – 2024


Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org

North Dakota nurse practitioners are essential healthcare providers who can practice independently without physician supervision. They earn salaries of $113,940 a year, on average. Most of North Dakota’s 570 certified NPs provide primary care services such as family care and women’s health, and the majority of The Peace Garden State’s NPs are graduates of accredited nurse practitioner schools in North Dakota. Want to learn about the best nurse practitioner programs in North Dakota for 2024? Just keep reading.


WHAT ARE THE BEST NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS IN NORTH DAKOTA (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2024?

(Based on our ranking methodology, the following are the 3 Best NP programs in North Dakota for the year 2024.)


1) University Of North Dakota - Grand Forks


Programs Offered: MSN

Primary care and psychiatric mental health are two promising advanced nursing fields that are much in demand, not only in North Dakota but also across the country. The University of North Dakota, listed among the best nurse practitioner programs in North Dakota prepares you for these two lucrative careers through an online coursework. Whether your goal is to impact lives or climb the career ladder, you will leave this nursing school with utmost professional preparedness and clinical expertise. Being one of the pioneers of distance learning, starting with mail correspondence way back in 1911, today the college uses state-of-art technology to offer a personalized online learning experience. Besides, to prepare you for leadership, the college offers varied interprofessional learning experiences so that you are equipped with relevant tools to be able to improve health outcomes in all types of healthcare environments.

MSN Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

To kickstart a career as a nurse practitioner in North Dakota, you can enroll either in the FNP or PMHNP track, depending on your area of interest. Both the programs come with three start dates in spring, summer and fall. Regardless of the specialization track you choose; you will gain a well-rounded education that integrates concepts of science and humanities. Now, should you take the FNP training, you will learn how to develop a treatment plan for patients across the lifespan. Whereas the PMHNP track is focused on the treatment of mental health diseases. Both the tracks start with 22-credit core courses in nursing concepts, evidence-based practice, advanced pharmacology, pathophysiology, health promotion, ethical, legal & health policies, and advanced health assessment. Thereafter, you continue to complete the 27-credit specialty-specific courses, after which you will be eligible to take the certification exam in your chosen population focus. To qualify for either of these online nurse practitioner programs in North Dakota, you must have BSN from an accredited college and an active RN license in the state.


2) North Dakota State University - Fargo


Programs Offered: BSN to DNP

If you are aspiring to be an agent of change in healthcare delivery, then earning a DNP-NP degree will serve you well. As a BSN-prepared registered nurse, you can not only earn this degree seamlessly through North Dakota State University’s BSN to DNP but also gain expertise in providing primary care to a diverse patient population. One of the first four DNP programs in the country, this DNP takes pride in its impressive first-time pass rate on the FNP certification exam. Also, the program is counted among the best nurse practitioner programs in North Dakota as well as in the nation as per the US News & World Report. The college’s experienced faculty focuses on evidence-based education and the development of enhanced skills in critical thinking and problem-solving. Here, the in-person learning format not only provides numerous opportunities to interact with faculty but the small-sized classes also make for a conducive close-knit learning environment. Well, with two campus sites in Bismarck and Fargo, you can decide on a location based on your preference.

BSN to DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner

To be considered for this nurse practitioner program in North Dakota, you must have a BSN with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Also, you must have an active RN license in the state. Besides, the college requires you to submit three professional letters of reference and a personal goals statement. This is a full-time program that spans eight semesters. The curriculum is designed to provide you with a solid foundation in the graduate core, practice core, and FNP-specific courses. You start with strengthening your core in theoretical perspectives, ethics & policy, nursing research, evidence-based practice, and healthcare delivery systems & informatics. While the advanced practice nursing courses educate you on health promotion, disease prevention, pathophysiology, pharmacology, population health, and interprofessional education, the FNP-specific courses train you in the primary care of individuals & families across the lifespan. Also, included in your training is 1000 hours of clinical practice. On a full-time basis, most students complete this 86-credit curriculum within three years.


3) University Of Mary - Bismarck


Programs Offered: BSN to DNP

If you are searching for a nurse practitioner school in North Dakota that can take you straight from an entry-level nurse to a clinical expert, then you may want to learn about the University of Mary. Here, in as little as 2.7 years, you can open doors to several advanced nursing positions such as that of a health policy specialist, educator, certified FNP, chief clinical officer, and chief nursing executive officer. Not many nurse practitioner programs in North Dakota can boast a rich experience of 30 years in training family nurse practitioners, unlike this FNP program that has prepared several competent graduates who are promoting health and preventing diseases across the nation. Also, being rooted in the Benedictine values, here, besides gaining proficiency in advanced practice nursing, you imbibe values of service, compassion, and cultural sensitivity. Now, if you are someone who is serving or served as defense personnel, the college offers solid support in terms of easing out the application process and providing financial aid.

BSN to DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner

This BSN to DNP program is open to BSN graduates with an active RN license. The coursework is mainly offered in the online format along with week-long campus intensives. The 86-credit coursework starts with an orientation, after which you begin with the core courses. However, before that, it is preferred you complete a graduate-level course in statistics, either before starting the program or during the course of it. Upon enrollment, the core courses educate you on various concepts including healthcare across the population, evidence-based practice, nursing leadership, and healthcare & policy. The curriculum then takes you through specialty-specific courses in the primary care of individuals, families, and communities across the lifespan. Also, the program includes a course in teaching & learning that explores the foundations of nursing education and teaching theories. Furthermore, you must complete 1180 hours of clinical training at varied primary care settings, including urban as well as rural.


VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What are the Total Number of Accredited NP Programs in North Dakota?

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners reports that currently there are Three accredited nurse practitioner programs in North Dakota.

Program Type #
BSN to MSN1
BSN to DNP2
MSN to DNP0
Post-Master's Certificate 0
Total3



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