In response to current cost-conscious trends in the nation's health care system, the School of Nursing is offering a new graduate degree, the doctor of nursing science. The only one of its kind in Maryland, the DNSc program focuses on health outcomes measurement, health care economics, statistical analysis and informatics.

Offered during the summer, the DNSc degree program is geared toward nurses in leadership or academic positions and will complement the school's existing PhD program, which focuses on basic discovery and clinical intervention studies.

"The health care marketplace is demanding nurses who can develop efficient ways of evaluating practice and patient care based on outcomes measurement," says Sue K. Donaldson, dean of the school. "We are responding to this need by increasing the range of research skills and the number of doctorally prepared nurses. Nurses in our DNSc program will be well-prepared for advanced leadership roles in a variety of settings such as health care systems administration, care delivery and practice, academia, professional organizations or government agencies."

The program focuses on analyzing and transforming health care data into information that can be used by health care providers and policy-makers to evaluate patient care, program quality, client satisfaction and economic outcomes. The 50-credit program takes four to five years to complete. Applicants need a minimum of a master's degree in nursing or the equivalent and must be proficient in statistics, computers, and research design and methods.

"The mission of Hopkins' School of Nursing is to provide leaders in health care who will advance the profession through cutting-edge research, practice, service and education," Donaldson says. "Graduates of our DNSc program will contribute new knowledge to the field of nursing."

For more information or to apply to the DNSc program, contact the Admissions Office at 410-955-7548.