Yale School of Nursing (YSN) is expanding its nursing education programs to help address a critical workforce need: preparing qualified nurses to enter the field faster.
The two new direct-entry programs - the Master of Nursing (MN) and Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing (GEPN) Direct Entry to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) - offer flexible, accelerated routes for people coming from other fields. YSN will continue to offer its existing GEPN-to-MSN pathway, giving students the option to pursue either master's- or doctoral-level advanced practice preparation.
A direct-entry program is a graduate nursing program built for people who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field and have no prior nursing background. You enter through graduate study rather than returning for a second undergraduate degree.
The launch of both programs follows careful planning to ensure that growth is matched by the resources needed to sustain educational excellence. YSN has aligned classroom and simulation capacity, faculty and teaching resources, and clinical training opportunities with planned enrollment, so that students entering these new pathways receive the same rigorous academic and clinical preparation expected across YSN programs.
"As the demand for nurses continues to grow, we must find thoughtful new ways to welcome talented people into the profession while maintaining our unwavering commitment to excellence in nursing education," said YSN Dean Azita Emami. "The Master of Nursing and GEPN-DNP pathways provide students with additional routes into nursing and opportunities to pursue careers spanning registered nursing practice, advanced practice, and doctoral-level leadership."
Tatiana Sadak, professor and deputy dean of YSN, spearheaded the development and implementation strategy for these programs in close partnership with divisional associate deans Alison Moriarty Daley and Laura Andrews. Together, they have helped shape new educational pathways that respond to the rapidly evolving demands of nursing practice, including advances in technology, increasingly complex patient needs, and the expanding roles of nurses across health care settings.
"The nurses of today and tomorrow need a broader and more sophisticated set of knowledge and skills to care for increasingly complex patients and lead in a rapidly changing health care environment," Sadak says. "These new programs are designed to meet that need-creating innovative educational pathways that prepare nurses not only for the demands of practice today, but also for the future of health care."
The MN program will prepare students for entry into registered nursing practice through an accelerated 16-month master's degree. The accelerated structure helps them spend less time out of the workforce and begin their nursing careers sooner. It combines graduate-level coursework, simulation, lab learning, and clinical practice across four full-time residential terms.
"Nationwide, and specifically in Connecticut, there is a critical shortage of registered nurses," Sadak said. "We're looking at how we can help build a pipeline of registered nurses for inpatient and outpatient settings."
She says this program would help YSN do just that, assisting people who initially pursued different degrees to receive training to become a nurse. "It's really important to offer different options for learners to come in at different levels," Sadak said. "This is the only way we can really support our health systems and our patients, which is the ultimate goal."
The GEPN-DNP program will help students become a doctorally trained advanced practice registered nurses in three years. Students begin with RN preparation, continue into their chosen nurse practitioner or nurse-midwifery specialty, and complete the DNP as part of one continuous pathway. It's for students who want the depth of doctoral preparation, the rigor of leading clinical training, and the mentorship of faculty shaping the future of care.
"Our mission at Yale School of Nursing is better health for all people," Sadak said. "The only way you can do that is when you stay with the development in the field."
For the MN program, students will start in Spring 2027, and for the GEPN-DNP, students will start in Fall 2027. The school plans to enroll 40 students in the former program and 30 in the latter.
"As we expand these pathways, our growth will be thoughtful and deliberate and will never come at the expense of the quality and high standards that define a Yale School of Nursing education," Emami said. "We are committed to ensuring that every student receives an exceptional education and that every graduate is exceptionally well prepared to lead, advance the profession, and deliver high-quality care in the communities they serve."
