2 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs in Oregon – 2023

Nurse practitioners who work in Oregon have full practice authority and play an integral role in The Beaver State’s healthcare delivery system where the demand for their services is expected to increase by more than 32 percent over the next decade. Of the 1,880 Oregon-based NPs, 1,650 work in hospitals and specialty clinics in metropolitan areas like Portland and Eugene, while the remaining 540 provide comprehensive primary care services in the more rural portions of the state. Graduates of accredited nurse practitioner schools in Oregon can plan on making $136,250 per year. On this page you’ll find a list of the best nurse practitioner programs in Oregon for 2023, so please keep reading.

WHAT ARE THE BEST NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS IN OREGON (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2023?

(Based on our ranking methodology, the following are the 2 Best NP programs in Oregon for the year 2023.)

1) University of Portland - Portland

Programs Offered: DNP

Are you an aspiring nurse scholar who is keen on earning a doctoral degree from one of the best nurse practitioner programs in Oregon? If so, you may want to shortlist University of Portland’s DNP program. The college’s interdisciplinary learning environment and integrative approach prepare you for leadership roles where you can impact change in direct and indirect patient care. With the state facing a shortage of primary care providers, as a DNP graduate, you can contribute by filling the gap. Practice-focused education prepares you to deliver healing nursing care that takes into account several factors that influence a patient’s health and well-being.

Here, NP training emphasizes on strong scientific foundation, influencing health policy, healthcare leadership, and improving methods of healthcare delivery. The school’s state-of-art Learning Resource Center is one safe place where you will acquire practical skills in various aspects of health promotion and disease prevention. As a working nurse, this NP program can serve you well as courses are delivered online, with campus visits for immersions conveniently scheduled on weekends, once a month.

DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner (BSN to DNP and NP to DNP)

This nurse practitioner program in Oregon is typically meant for BSN graduates who are keen on earning the FNP credential in conjunction with a DNP. Also, the program is open for MSN graduates who are already certified as an FNP and are now keen on earning the doctoral degree while retaining the FNP specialty. While after a BSN you can take three years to complete the program, post an MSN-FNP degree you can complete your doctoral education in two years. The program prepares you for the highest levels of roles in primary care.

The BSN to DNP pathway is a 76-credit curriculum that includes 960 hours of clinical practice. The curriculum comprises courses in nursing science, healthcare leadership, improvement in healthcare delivery, healthcare resource management, informatics, and epidemiology. You also learn about botanicals in primary care, advanced health assessment, gender-specific health issues, management of common health conditions, and integrative health promotion. Furthermore, the FNP courses include primary care management of individuals, ranging from infancy to old age.

The NP to DNP track requires completion of 40 credits across five semesters. The program starts in the summer semester and includes DNP core courses. The curriculum also includes a clinical practicum and a DNP scholarly project.

2) Oregon Health and Science University - Portland

Programs Offered: DNP

Oregon Health and Science University offers one of the leading nurse practitioner programs in Oregon that is synonymous with excellence, innovation, and healthcare leadership. If your goal is to improve health across all sections of populations by practicing as a certified nurse practitioner in Oregon, enrolling in the college’s DNP program can be given a thought.

As a nurse practitioner student here, you will acquire practice-ready skills that are grounded in evidence-based knowledge. The nursing school’s faculty includes some of the well-known scholars and clinicians who bring in their rich knowledge and experiences to the classroom. Known for innovation in education and teaching pedagogy, the school has also earned acclaim for research in the field of cancer, cardiac and palliative care, for which it proudly ranks among the top NIH funded nursing schools. It constantly strives towards team-based, patient-centric care for which the university provides NP students with umpteen learning opportunities such as collaborating with students from other disciplines such as dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy to improve the health outcomes of underserved patients. If you are interested in being part of this interdisciplinary learning environment you can choose to complete your doctoral education, specializing in either family health, adult-gerontology acute care, mental health, or pediatric primary & acute care.

DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner , and Pediatric Primary & Acute Nurse Practitioner

Whether you choose to specialize in the care of families, elderly, mental health patients, or children, by enrolling in this DNP program you can accelerate your path to clinical excellence, more so if you come from a non-nursing background. The accelerated path is designed for non-nurses with a non-nursing bachelor's degree aspiring to gain the highest level of nursing education. Other than this, for BSN prepared nurses who wish to earn the doctoral degree can seamlessly enter this program and graduate with a DNP-NP credential. Regardless of the path or specialization, you enroll, individualized attention, and robust clinical training thoroughly prepare you for your role as a clinical leader.

The FNP track prepares you as a primary care provider to work in various types of healthcare settings. Post a BSN you must complete 114 credits in core MSN courses, advanced practice, DNP core, and FNP courses. Also, the total 1,120 hours of clinical practice that you must complete includes placement in a rural setting that spans across four weeks.

AGACNP is a 106-credit BSN to DNP program that trains you to provide care to adult patients with chronic, acute, and critical health conditions. As part of your clinical training, you will go through clinical experiences in various settings including, acute care, emergency care centers, intensive care units, and specialty clinics.

As an aspiring mental health nurse practitioner, this 111-credit coursework provides you with a solid foundation to promote the mental health of individuals and families across the lifespan. The curriculum includes 1000 hours of focused clinical practice during which you will serve in community health systems and also work with the severely ill mental health patients.

This pediatric primary and acute care track is typically meant for BSN graduates keen on providing nursing care to patients from birth to 21 years of age. The 111-credit curriculum is delivered through a combination of online and face-to-face classes.

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