BSN and MSN to DNP Students: Apples and Oranges

BSN and MSN to DNP students:  Apples and Oranges

After four years of experience running concurrent BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP programs, our university faculty has gained insight in to the inherent differences and learning needs of  students who enter the program at each level.   It “takes a whole tree” to grow both apples and oranges and, when a small faculty commits to producing both excellent apples and oranges, the hybrid “tree” presents unique challenges.  We offer concrete recommendations for curriculum, needed resources and teaching/learning activities for both groups.  We provide examples of appropriate capstone projects for both groups and recommend outcome measures that reflect the needs of students at each level and overall program quality.