This comprehensive knowledge base for advanced nursing practice enables graduates to influence healthcare outcomes for individuals and populations in resource-limited locations. This may include providing direct care or management of care. Such environments include Arctic, Alpine, Desert, Tropical, Maritime, Space, Disasters, and areas of Low Intensity Conflict. 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 primarily via asynchronous distance education technology. Students will be required to attend on-campus experiences such as New Student Orientation, workshops and presentation of their DNP projects prior to graduation.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Semester Credit Hours
NRPR 725	Theoretical Foundations of Healthcare	3
NRPR 728	Organizational and Systems Leadership	3
NRPR 739	Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice	1
	Semester Credit Hours	7
Spring
NRPR 642	Survival and Systems - Leading Care Delivery in Extreme Environments	3
NRPR 644	Environmental Domains I - Nursing in Alpine, Arctic, Desert and Tropical Regions	3
NRPR 739	Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice	1
	Semester Credit Hours	7
Summer
NRPR 645	Environmental Domains II - Urban and Low Intensity Conflict Nursing	2
NRPR 646	Environmental Domains III - Maritime and Aerospace Nursing in Extreme and Austere Settings	2
NRPR 739	Residency in Advanced Nursing Practice	1
	Semester Credit Hours	5
Second Year
Fall
NRPR 729	Analytic Methods for Research and Evidence Based Practice	3
NRPR 735	Scholarly Project Practicum I	2
NRPR 740	Organizational and Operational Applications I - Alpine, Arctic, Desert and Tropical Environments	3
	Semester Credit Hours	8
Spring
NRPR 736	Scholarly Project Practicum II	2
NRPR 741	Organizational and Operational Applications II - Urban and Low Intensity Conflict	2
	Semester Credit Hours	4
Summer
NRPR 737	Scholarly Project Practicum III	2
NRPR 742	Organizational and Operational Applications III - Maritime & Aerospace Nursing in Extreme & Austere	3
	Semester Credit Hours	5
Third Year
Fall
NRPR 730	Informatics	3
NRPR 738	Scholarly Project Practicum IV	2
	Semester Credit Hours	5
	Total Semester Credit Hours	41

¹

Students with fewer than 500 documented practice hours prior to starting the program will complete necessary hours through completion of NRPR 739.

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.