Nurse practitioner programs earn 100-percent pass rate from AANP Certification Board
For the third consecutive year, the School of Nursing achieved a 100-percent pass rate from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board for the Family Nurse Practitioner & Adult/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner programs.
Students must pass the certification exam after completing their coursework in order to work as a nurse practitioner. Norma Hall, School of Nursing dean, noted that University of Indianapolis nurse practitioner students far exceeded the 2017 national pass rate of 81.6 percent. She credited several unique aspects of the University of Indianapolis School of Nursing programs that contribute to outstanding student performance.
“It’s very much a hands-on program. Very little of the didactic content is done online, unlike many of our competitive programs. Students get a lot of interaction with faculty and there’s plenty of opportunity to learn and grow from faculty, who are all currently practicing nurse practitioners,” Hall said.
Karen Iseminger, professor of nursing, explained that students routinely observe faculty during their clinical rounds.
“It’s a nice balance between the scholarship of practice as well as pragmatic experiences,” Iseminger said.
Karalyn Jacobs ’14 (MSN) is currently enrolled in the nurse practitioner doctoral program, and has recommended it to several co-workers. She specializes in treating high-risk ob-gyn patients. She praised the benefits of the in-class setting.
“The ability to learn and grow with other students, bounce ideas off of other students, and build relationships with students and instructors is a more ideal learning method than online courses. Instructors are always accessible to help at any time during the program, which is why I chose to go back to UIndy for my DNP,” Jacobs said.
Nearly 160 students were enrolled in University of Indianapolis nurse practitioner programs for the 2017-18 academic year. Hall said the popularity of the profession is reflected in job rankings like the 2018 U.S. News and World Report, which placed nurse practitioner fourth in its list of 100 best jobs.
Nurse practitioner students participate in simulation experiences involving actors who play the role of patients. Students can assess, diagnose and prescribe treatment for a real person, the same way they would in clinical practice, Hall said.
“The program is not only steeped in clinical practice with real people, but we also have an educational strategy to provide simulation experiences for our students,” said Iseminger, who noted that School of Nursing programs follow an interdisciplinary approach featuring collaboration with students in the College of Applied Behavioral Sciences.
Current students in the nurse practitioner programs graduate with a master’s degree. Hall said by 2020, all nurse practitioner students at the University of Indianapolis will graduate with a doctorate as the School of Nursing aligns its programs with national guidelines for practice.