Abstract: Doctor of Nursing Practice（DNP） program in Duke University is among the best in nursing schools in the United States. The program aims to train nurse leaders in interdisciplinary health care teams and advanced practice registered nurses（APRNs） to improve systems of care，patient outcomes，quality，and safety.Online courses supplemented by comprehensive on-campus orientation provide opportunities for those who want to pursue a DNP while earning an advanced nursing practice specialty. Additionally，DNP mentor team is comprised of faculty who are actively engaged in research，scholarship and teaching with broad experience in advanced clinical practice，leadership and patient safety，to guide the DNP students and guarantee the academic quality. The purpose of this article is to introduce this program，analyze the advantages and existing problems in the development of the DNP program，and further to provide valuable insights for the development of DNP program in China.

Key words: Education, Nursing, Graduate； Advanced Practice Nursing； Doctor of nursing practice