5 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs in Kansas – 2024

Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org

Nurse practitioners in Kansas can manage medical care for patients if they’ve established a collaborative agreement with a supervising physician. Out of The Sunflower State’s 3,070 nurse practitioners, 1,990 are involved in the provision of primary care. Kansas, like the U.S. as a whole, is facing a dramatic shortage of primary healthcare providers, and CareerOneStop estimates nurse practitioner numbers in this state will rise by nearly 45 percent in the next decade. Graduates of accredited nurse practitioner schools in Kansas can expect to earn a little more than $111,670 annually. If you’re interested in finding out about the best nurse practitioner programs in Kansas for 2024, please peruse the information below.

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

(Based on our ranking methodology, the following are the 5 Best NP programs in Kansas for the year 2024.)

1) University of Kansas - Kansas City

Programs Offered: Post-BSN DNP and Advanced Practice Clinical Certificate

If you graduate from any of the reputed nurse practitioner programs in Kansas, you will be equipped with clinical excellence and trusted by employers across the region. University of Kansas, recognized as the region’s only Center of Excellence in Nursing by the NLN is one such school that prepares you to take up leadership roles in a diverse global community. The college’s interprofessional learning environment allows you to collaborate with students from other medical fields to improve health outcomes. Depending on your goals and educational background you can become an NP in KS by enrolling in either the BSN to DNP or the advanced practice clinical certificate program.

Post-BSN DNP Concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

As a registered nurse if you aspire to become an NP by obtaining the terminal nursing degree then this program is right for you. The program comes with specialization options in adult-gerontology primary & acute care, family health, and psychiatric mental health. Regardless of the track you enter, you will be trained with evidence-based knowledge to change the future of health care delivery. Ideally designed for BSN graduates, even MSN graduates who are already certified as APRNs can apply. While after a BSN you require completing 75 credits, post an MSN-APRN degree you must complete 32 credits.

Advanced Practice Clinical Certificate Concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

To be eligible for this advanced practice certificate, you must be an APRN prepared either at the doctoral or master’s level. By completing this program, you can expand on your role as an advanced practice nurse. To graduate you must complete around 19 credits and 640 hours of clinical training at diverse clinical settings, after which you will be eligible to take the national certification exam in your chosen specialty.

2) Fort Hays State University - Hays

Programs Offered: BSN to DNP

Whether you are seeking career advancement or simply find a calling in primary nursing care, Fort Hays State University offers one of the prominent nurse practitioner programs in Kansas that empowers you for success in advanced practice nursing. NP education here focuses on improving healthcare in the rural areas of the state and continuously strives towards better quality patient care.

BSN to DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner

This BSN to DNP program is open to BSN graduates keen on advancing their nursing careers to clinical leadership in primary care. To be eligible for this program, you must hold an active RN license in Kansas and must also be a resident of the state. The program is available as a fulltime schedule with classes offered in a combination of online and on-campus format. To earn your DNP-FNP degree you must complete 75 credits, after which you will be eligible to become certified as an FNP. Your coursework includes MSN core, advanced practice, DNP core, and FNP-specific courses.

3) Washburn University - Topeka

Programs Offered: DNP and Post-Graduate Certificate

Out of all the top nurse practitioner schools in Kansas or for that matter even in the nation, Washburn University stands out for providing DNP students the unique advantage of taking Master of Business Administration courses along with their doctoral coursework. This integration of entrepreneurial skills into advanced practice nursing gives you an edge over others in managing and leading healthcare organizations. As a program graduate, you can improve health outcomes, holding varied positions in healthcare, including executive of a healthcare organization, director of a clinical program, and a nurse leader.

DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

You could be a BSN graduate, an MSN graduate or an APRN prepared at the master’s level, with this DNP program you can enter at any of the three entry points and achieve your goal of doctoral education. The program is offered with specialization options in family and psychiatric mental health. Regardless of the track you choose, you complete most of the courses online and visit the campus barely 2 to 3 times a year.

If you enter the program post a BSN, you must complete 70 to 76 credits, depending on your chosen specialty and 1000 hours of clinical practice. For MSN prepared RNs seeking on expanding their role as an NP, you must complete 66 to 72 credits and 1000 clinical hours. Whereas if you an APRN keen on earning a DNP degree while retaining your current specialization you must complete 44 DNP credits and a minimum of 525 hours. Also, in case you desire to add another specialty, then an additional 6 to 16 credit hours must be completed.

Post-Graduate Certificate Concentrations: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Are you a working RN exploring online nurse practitioner programs in Kansas to become certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner? If so, you can consider this certificate program, designed to fit into the busy schedules of working nurses as classes are offered online with part-time schedules. Also, with very few synchronous classes you can pace the program the way you want it. To qualify for this program, you must be either an MSN graduate with an active RN license or a certified FNP or an adult nurse practitioner. As an MSN prepared RN, you must complete 31 credits and 540 clinical hours, whereas certified NPs require earning 20 credits to graduate.

4) Wichita State University, Wichita

Programs Offered: Postbaccalaureate to DNP

Wichita State University is one of the most affordable nurse practitioner schools in Kansas. Besides a competitive tuition cost, the college also offers NP students the advantage of taking up assistantship opportunities. Assistantships not only allow you to earn a stipend while pursuing an advanced nursing degree, but the applied educational experience you gain in the bargain can enhance your professional as well as personal development. As a registered nurse if you are keen on completing a practice-focused DNP, then here you can achieve this goal in conjunction with either a PMHNP, AGACNP, or FNP certification.

Postbaccalaureate to DNP Concentrations: Adult Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

To qualify for this nurse practitioner program in Kansas, you must be an RN who has completed a BSN degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 from a nationally accredited school. Also, pre-requisite courses in statistics, anatomy/physiology, microbiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology must be completed before enrollment. Depending on the track you take, the number of credits required for graduation are around 74 along with 1000 clinical hours. Included in the coursework is one elective which you can choose from focus areas, including education, diabetes, human lactation, dermatology, and low back pain.

5) Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg

Programs Offered: BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP

Counted among the well-known nurse practitioner programs in Kansas, Pittsburg State University has also earned acclaim in the Midwest region for its evidence-based nursing education. For over 50 years, the nursing school has helped in filling the gap of primary care shortage in the state by producing competent nurses. Today, its NP graduates are transforming primary care across all sections of the population, especially in rural and underserved areas. Effectively functioning as clinical leaders, they are playing varied roles in healthcare, including director of nursing, assistant professor, and many more leadership positions.

BSN to DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner

This program is ideal if you are keen on seamlessly earning a DNP straight after your bachelor's in nursing. The curriculum is designed to prepare you for the advanced primary care of individuals and families across the lifespan. To graduate, you must earn 74 credits in MSN core, advanced practice, FNP-specific, and DNP core courses. Also, you can add an optional area of emphasis in Nursing Education which requires an additional 9 credits. This additional training prepares you for teaching positions you may want to take up some time in the future. Furthermore, the 1056 hours of clinical practice, and a DNP project which you complete towards the end of your coursework form an integral component of applied learning.

MSN to DNP: Suitable for certified NPs prepared at the master’s level, this MSN to DNP allows you to retain your current specialization while pursuing the terminal nursing degree. With 100% online coursework, as a working nurse, you will find it rather easy to accommodate class schedules into your busy life. Apart from core course requirements, you can opt for additional credits in Nursing Education courses, should you plan to teach someday. The core DNP courses include nursing leadership, informatics for healthcare, health policy, epidemiology, health determinants and quality, safety & practice outcomes.


VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the Total Number of Accredited NP Programs in Kansas?

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners reports that currently there are Thirteen accredited nurse practitioner programs in Kansas.




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