BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice – Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Applicants must have a completed Bachelor of Science in Nursing or a Master of Science in Nursing. Nursing degrees must be from an institution with a nursing education program accredited through the CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA. If you are currently working toward earning your degree, you must receive the required nursing degree by August 1 prior to beginning enrollment in this online BSN to DNP program.

You must have an active, unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the state where you practice.

GPAs are reviewed by Ohio State’s Graduate and Professional Admissions Office. Applicants whose GPAs fall below 3.0 may still apply and be considered for admission.

Applicants must complete a college-level statistics prerequisite course prior to the posted application deadline, with a grade of B- or higher. Courses that are in progress at the time of the deadline do not meet this requirement, and applicants in this situation will not be considered for admission. The course must have been completed within five years of the application deadline. Credit by examination (such as AP test scores) is not accepted towards the prerequisite requirement. The prereq course should include a review of basic statistical concepts, univariate statistical analysis, bivariate statistical analysis and commonly used statistical tests.

For prerequisite coursework taken at another institution, please visit the Transferology website to see if the courses that you have taken or plan to take at another institution qualify. If you are unable to find results through these tools, then an evaluation of the courses will need to be done by the Office of Graduate & Professional Admissions.

The following Ohio State courses fulfill the prerequisite requirement:

• STATISTICS 1450 Introduction to the Practice of Statistics
• STATISTICS 2450 Introduction to Statistical Analysis
• PSYCH 2220 Data Analysis in Psychology
• PSYCH 3321 Quantitative and Statistical Methods
• PUBHIBO 6210 Applied Biostatistics I
• STATISTICS 1350 Elementary Statistics

All applicants must have completed the equivalent of one year of full-time in-hospital pediatric nursing experience, preferably in an intensive care unit or other high-acuity setting prior to admission.

To apply, applicants must reside in an authorized state. Please scroll to the State Authorization section of this page for more details.

You can complete an application online for the next available Autumn cohort at The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions office’s website. A non-refundable $60 fee is required at the time of submission of the application.

Applicants must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities you have previously attended at either the undergraduate or graduate level. This includes transcripts for any post-secondary courses taken during high school or coursework that appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Transcripts from The Ohio State University do not need to be submitted. Transcripts should be submitted directly by the sending institution by mail or electronic transfer to be considered official. Please request your transcripts be sent early so they arrive before the deadline. Transcripts can be sent to gpadocs@osu.edu or the following address:

The Ohio State University
Graduate Admissions Office
P.O. Box 182004
Columbus, OH 43218-2004

Unofficial transcripts: Applicants may upload a copy of an official transcript at the time of application through the Admissions Uploader. Documents submitted in this manner are considered unofficial but will suffice for the application. Web-based documents, online grade reports, and related materials are not acceptable. If an applicant is admitted, they will be required to supply official transcripts.

For more details regarding these methods of submitting transcripts, please visit The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions office’s website.

Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) should be in a similar format to what you would use for a job application. You should include your previous education, professional experiences and any community service, volunteer activities, publications, research and leadership experiences on your resume or CV. You may submit this document at the time of application or after by way of the Admissions Uploader.

Please upload a purpose and goals statement, including a narrative of your professional experience, career goals and match to the goals of DNP education. In this statement, applicants should address the following:

• What advanced practice specialty are you selecting and why? Please include rationale for selecting the specialty and how becoming advanced practice certified in the chosen specialty will assist you in achieving your professional and educational goals.
• What specifically are your academic and career goals for which the DNP program will prepare you best?
• How have your life experiences prepared you for being a doctoral-prepared nurse?
• Why are you seeking education in the DNP program at this time in your career?

The statement should address each of the above questions and will act as a demonstration of your writing skills to the program faculty. The response is not to exceed three single-spaced pages. Consideration will be given to both the quality of your writing and the congruence between the stated goals and those of the program. You may submit this document at the time of application or after by way of the Admissions Uploader.

You are required to complete a recorded online video interview through an online portal called HireVue, during which you will be recorded answering a brief selection of questions regarding your interests and goals in nursing and the DNP program. This interview can be completed at any time during the application window. However, we ask that you do so only after you have completed and submitted your application. Note: You must complete the recorded online video interview before the application deadline. For further details, instructions, and links to the online portal go to the interview.

During the application you will be asked to provide the names and email addresses of three (3) recommenders. Once the application is submitted, an email will be automatically generated and sent to your recommenders with a link and further instruction on how to submit their letters of recommendation. We encourage you to submit your application far in advance of the deadline so that your recommenders have ample time to upload their letters.

Letters of recommendation should be submitted from individuals who are familiar with your academic ability, professional experience and potential to succeed in the highest level of nursing practice. We suggest providing your recommenders with information on the degree and specialty to which you are applying and with a copy of your purpose and goals statement. Ask that they address your potential for success in a rigorous graduate program and what attributes and experiences they feel will allow you to excel as an advanced practice nurse in your chosen specialty. Finally, make them aware of the submission process and the application deadline by which they must submit their letters.

Details regarding what English Proficiency tests are acceptable, the scores required, and how to submit scores may be found on The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions office’s website.

If you are currently or have been previously enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program at The Ohio State University for any length of time, you would be considered a Graduate Intra-University Transfer Student. Be sure to choose the appropriate application for “current or former” Ohio State students after following the Apply link found here. In addition to that online application, you must complete a Supplemental Application. This separate application must be submitted to the College of Nursing directly at CON-gradrecords@osu.edu.

Advanced knowledge and skills in the health assessment of children birth through young adulthood with an emphasis on sophisticated clinical reasoning.

Application of advanced nursing knowledge and skills, including therapeutic medical and pharmacologic interventions, in the evidence-based evaluation and management of children with acute, chronic, complex, and critical medical conditions.

Application of theories, research findings, assessment, and clinical management principles to evidence-based child and adolescent mental health screening, early intervention, and mental health promotion.

This course will focus on symptom/health problem assessment, selection, and interpretation of screening, and diagnostic tests in order to formulate a differential diagnosis and treatment plan. Emphasis is on acquisition and analysis of relevant data for the development of a comprehensive and holistic assessment with an understanding of population health and care of diverse population.

Students are required to complete a total of 600 clinical hours during the DNP Pediatric Acute Care NP program.