Adapting to the educational needs of New Mexico has been the core of New Mexico Highlands University’s mission since it was established as the New Mexico Normal School in 1893. As the first institution of high education in the New Mexico, it educated teachers for schools throughout the Territory. In 2026, NMHU will launch a fledging Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to meet a critical need for nurses and nurse educators in the state of New Mexico.
“We all know that Nursing and health care is an essential need here in Northern New Mexico,” NMHU President Dr. Neil Woolf stated during an announcement of the Higher Learning Commission’s recent campus visit as part of authorization of NMHU’s DNP degree program.
Nursing faculty member Kelly Young, DNP, explained that approval to launch the DNP program is the first step toward full accreditation. Steps toward full accreditation cannot be initiated until the degree program is actively launched. NMHU will undergo an accreditation visit by the Commission on College Nursing Education (CCNE) in the fall of 2026.
The Nursing Department at NMHU already has a proven track record since establishing its RN to BSN program in 2008, the first in the University’s efforts to address the critical nursing shortage in the state. Since that time, the program has grown, including the addition of highly qualified faculty and both undergraduate (RN to BSN) and graduate (MSN-FNP) degrees. The existing master’s degree enables existing nurses to advance their careers to serve as family nurse practitioners.
The quality of healthcare throughout the state, especially in rural regions such as those served by NMHU, faces a crisis because of a profound shortage of nurses. In a 2024 report by hospital leadership to the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, the number of nursing job openings had increased to 8,800 unfilled positions in 2024 compared to 6,000 in 2023. Every unfilled position poses a potential threat to quality healthcare.
The need for qualified nurses is increasing. As it does, so does the need for those capable of serving as nurse educators. NMHU recognized the need to expand its nursing program to the doctoral level to provide senior nursing staff for health providers as well as enhancing the pipeline for nurses at all levels by increasing the number of those qualified to teach.
Adding the DNP doctoral degree to NMHU’s educational programs advances the effort to address nursing workforce requirements and demonstrated growth in the state’s oldest institution of higher education. The DNP degree is NMHU’s first professional doctoral degree, addressing the need for rural-based institutions to provide their service area with higher educational opportunities at all levels.