According to the Kansas Department of Labor, the demand for nurse practitioners is expected to increase by 28% between 2016 and 2026. In fact, it is considered one of the state’s top 25 professions with anticipated growth. After all, there is a growing need for more accessible healthcare services amidst the shortage of healthcare professionals in the state.
NPs in Kansas are also given full practice authority, meaning they are authorized to evaluate and diagnose patients and prescribe medications as needed. Financially speaking, NPs in Kansas earn an average salary of $128,915 a year, which is more than twice the average salary in the state.
With these NP programs in Kansas, you can help address the healthcare needs of your fellow residents:
Program Overview:
The FHSU Department of Nursing offers programs that are student-focused and feedback-driven. With its small class sizes taught by highly qualified faculty members, students get the one-on-one focus they need to succeed professionally.
Ranked as one of the top public schools by US News & World Report, FHSU is also listed as the top 3 nursing school in the state by Nursing Schools Almanac.
FHSU’s DNP program is a hybrid program that may be completed on a full-time basis. Most courses are offered online, while on-campus visits are announced before the start of the semester. The 75-credit program is open to local nurses, as well as those residing in Nebraska or Oklahoma.
Graduates of the CCNE-accredited DNP program have registered a 100% passing rate for the certification exams from 2020-2023.
Program Overview:
The Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing at PSU offers the first rural-based DNP program in Kansas. Approved by the Kansas Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the school aims to produce nurses who live by the core values of excellence, innovation, and sustainability.
RNcareers.org ranks PSU as the top 8 nursing school in the state. Niche has also listed the school as one of the best in Kansas.
US News & World Report, meanwhile, ranks PSU at 314 out of all the nursing schools in the nation.
The BSN-DNP track, which requires the completion of 74 credits and 1,056 practice hours, may be completed in four years. The 32-credit MSN-DNP program, meanwhile, takes about three years to finish.
PSU DNP graduates scored a 100% first-time pass rate in the FNP certification exams held last 2019.
Program Overview:
Located on the Kansas City hospital campus, the KU School of Nursing offers innovative programs taught by exceptional faculty. KU’s nursing programs provide students with rich experiences through sophisticated technology and immersive clinical rotations.
Accredited by the CCNE, KU’s nursing program was ranked 26th in the country by the US News & World Report. The Best Health School rankings, meanwhile, place KU’s DNP program at the top eight spot. DNPPrograms.com, meanwhile, recognized KU’s DNP program as the best in Kansas.
The DNP programs require a minimum of 75 credit hours, which may be completed in a span of four years. The post-graduate certificate programs, which range from 16-24 credit hours, feature didactic courses that are available online. Practicum hours, meanwhile, are done on the KUMC campus.
Open to APRNs, UKMC’s PGC programs are web-based and offered sequentially every year. Depending on the track, students may need to finish anywhere between 16 to 24 credit hours in order to be eligible for the certification exams.
On top of its nurse practitioner programs, the KU School of Nursing also offers postgraduate degrees and certificates in Nursing Education, Informatics, Midwifery, and Population Health.
Program Overview:
USM is a private Catholic college with campuses in Leavenworth and Leawood, KS. The university offers nurses from all over KS the opportunity to pursue undergraduate and graduate programs, both of which are accredited by the CCNE.
US News & World Report places USM at rank 455 in its list of Best Nursing Schools. Meanwhile, RNCareers.org recognizes USM as the sixth-best nursing school in the state.
USM’s MSN programs, which require 50-53 credit hours, may be completed in as little as two years. Thanks to the online courses and clinical coordination, the program easily fits the busy schedule of working nurses.
Recently, MSN-FNP graduates have posted a 94.5% pass rate in the national certification exams.
Program Overview:
Washburn is a municipal university based in Topeka, KS. Its School of Nursing was established in the year 1974, and it continues to be one of the best schools in the state as per US News & World Report, Incredible Health, and Niche.
Washburn’s DNP programs are designed with the working nurse in mind. Courses are offered online, allowing students to access their lessons at the most convenient time. There are also on-campus experiences, which can help students improve their assessment and interventional skills. A minimum of 1000 clinical hours, meanwhile, should be completed prior to graduation.
Washburn’s first-time FNP pass rates have ranged from 82% to 100% in the past four years. These numbers are significantly higher than the state’s average first-time pass rates of 75% to 91%.
Recently, Washburn’s first-time PMHNP examinees garnered an 83% passing rate.
Program Overview:
Accredited by CCNE since 1973, the WSU School of Nursing started operating within the confines of the University of College. The BSN program was offered that same year, followed the MSN program, which was launched in 1981. The DNP program, meanwhile, was approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in 2007.
WSU’s DNP programs all require the completion of 74 credit hours. Students must also submit a DNP evidence-based project and pass the oral defense to graduate.
To be admitted to the program, applicants must have a 3.0 GPA in the undergraduate nursing courses.
WSU’s DNP program is listed as second-best in the state, according to DNPPrograms.com.
NP Programs in Other States
Oklahoma
Colorado
Nebraska
Missouri
Texas
New Mexico