The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree will prepare nurses for advanced roles as implementation scientists skilled in the translation of evidence into clinical practice, measurement of patient outcomes, and transformation of health care systems to ensure quality and safety.
The DNP program provides education in order for the graduate to analyze, evaluate, and advance quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of patient care and systems of care. This comprehensive knowledge base for advanced nursing practice allows the graduate to influence health care outcomes for individuals and populations. This may include providing direct care or management of care. Other opportunities for graduates of the DNP program include working in administration, executive leadership, health policy, informatics, and population health.
This program is approved for delivery via asynchronous distance education technology. Students will be required to come to campus for New Student Orientation and present their DNP projects prior to graduation.
Plan of Study Grid | First Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| NURS 725 | Theoretical Foundations of Healthcare | 3 |
| NURS 728 | Organizational and Systems Leadership | 3 |
| 1 | |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 6 |
| Spring |
|---|
| NURS 731 | Quality and Outcome Improvements in Healthcare | 3 |
| NURS 734 | Healthcare Policy and Economics | 3 |
| 1 | |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 6 |
| Summer |
|---|
| NURS 733 | Clinical Prevention and Population Outcome Improvement | 3 |
| 1 | |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 3 |
| Second Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| NURS 726 | Principles of Translational Science | 3 |
| NURS 729 | Analytic Methods for Research and Evidence Based Practice | 3 |
| NURS 735 | Scholarly Project Practicum I | 2 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 8 |
| Spring |
|---|
| NURS 727 | Applications of Translational Science | 3 |
| NURS 736 | Scholarly Project Practicum II | 2 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 5 |
| Summer |
|---|
| NURS 732 | Transformational Leadership in Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 737 | Scholarly Project Practicum III 1 | 2 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 5 |
| Third Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| NURS 730 | Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 738 | Scholarly Project Practicum IV | 2 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 5 |
| | Total Semester Credit Hours | 38 |
Practicum
The DNP degree requires a minimum of 1,000 hours of practice post-baccalaureate (BSN). Practice hours from a master’s nursing program can apply towards the 1,000-hour, post-baccalaureate practice requirement (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2015). DNP students holding a master’s degree in nursing and national certification as an advanced practice registered nurse (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist) can apply up to 500 hours towards the 1,000-hour DNP practice requirement. Students will complete the remaining hours through the DNP Scholarly Practicum Courses.
The student will submit verification of up to 500 practice hours from their master’s program in NursingCAS during the application process. All practice hour requests require review and approval by the DNP Program Coordinator.
Final Project
The DNP degree culminates in an integrated, practice-focused project led by a faculty mentor based upon availability and research/practice interest and aided by consultation from internal or external content experts. Following AACN (2015) guidelines, the focus of the DNP project is practice change through translation of evidence and quality improvement. The project may target nursing interventions that influence health care outcomes for individuals or populations. This project may address direct care, care management, administration of health care systems or development and implementation of health care policy.
