An Innovative Rural and Urban DNP Collaboration School of Nursing, UNC Charlotte Dee Baldwin, PhD, RN, FAAN Dianna Inman, RN, DNP, MS, APRN-BC, CPNP School of Nursing, Western Carolina University Judy Neubrander, EdD, FNP-BC Linda Comer, PhD, RN, CNE Shawn Collins, DNP, PhD, CRNA Recommendations Collaborations require flexibly and creativity to develop a program that provides the students from both schools a seamless education experience. 
Communication is a key to success – frequent meetings that alternate sites and find a “neutral” location between the schools gives faculty equal footing. 
Leadership – Identifying a key leader at each institution that takes the leadership role and keeps everyone informed. All key stakeholders – internal “on-track”. 
Time - Allow time for the approval process. Approval times for curriculum and accreditation take two to three times longer when you are going through two higher education programs. Many letters and documents must have signatures from two provost and two chancellors. Communicating between the two schools at this level takes time and coordination. Introduction Two state-funded universities collaborated to develop a leadership focused DNP that would expose students to practice challenges in both rural and urban health care delivery settings. In order to conserve state resources, the schools chose to collaborate by sharing faculty expertise and support from each university. Implementation Intensive planning began four years prior to implementation. The program includes shared faculty teaching loads, and alternating teaching sites. The students enroll in one of the two universities and receive the DNP degree from the admitting university. The program is provided in a blended online and face-to-face format that allows for frequent student/faculty interaction while maintaining flexibility for students. The two Schools of Nursing worked closely to develop a curriculum and program structure that provides students with opportunities in both rural and urban health care settings. Students are encouraged to pursue scholarly projects that reflect the challenges of either a rural or urban health care setting, and to incorporate their leadership skills focused on the unique issues that face those health care settings. Results Challenges related to differing University processes, faculty philosophies, and distance between the two campuses were negotiated successfully during this process. Most frustrating for students and faculty were issues with access to different learning management systems. Accreditation decisions and processes posed challenging decisions for nurse administrators. The program is in its first year of implementation so outcome data is premature, but both students and faculty report strong commitment to the program. ASSOCIATE DEAN/DIRECTOR OF SON AT UNC CHARLOTTE DIRECTOR OF SON AT WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY COORDINATOR OF DNP PROGRAM AT UNC CHARLOTTE DIRECTOR OF DNP PROGRAM AT WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE DNP Program Coordinators/Directors UNCC and WCU Two elected DNP program faculty members from each school Associate Directors of the Graduate Division (ex-officio) from each school Organization of DNP