Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is to further educate clinical experts with the knowledge and skills in systems analysis and evidence-based integration and evaluation. It prepares individuals to design improved methodologies to promote safe, timely, effective, equitable and patient-centered care.

The DNP program is tailored to the needs of certified, advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists. The 36-credit program provides the advanced practice registered nurse with tools to engage in evidence-based, scholarly clinical practice. The two-year program uses a blended format to offer courses, with each course meeting on campus once per semester, with the remaining work conducted online. A minimum of 330 clinical hours are required and must be approved and academically supervised by a faculty member and/or preceptor. A scholarly project is required and will focus on utilizing evidence-based practice research to improve healthcare safety, quality and/or outcomes for individuals, groups or populations. The finished product will be a publishable manuscript.

The admission criteria requires a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing or closely related field (i.e., MPH) with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the master’s degree. Applicants must have a valid RN nursing license. This is in addition to recommendations, curriculum vitae and a written statement outlining the goal of the DNP project.

The program is designed as a cohort model, beginning during the summer session each year. Courses are offered year-round, allowing for completion in a two-year time frame. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor based on his/her clinical interests.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program outcomes integrate nursing science with advanced levels of system thinking and professional accountability to design, deliver and evaluate evidence-based practice to improve healthcare quality, safety and outcomes. These learning outcomes are:

• Initiate and participate in collaborative efforts with other disciplines to influence healthcare outcomes.
• Advocate for and provide leadership to develop policy that helps to share healthcare financing, regulation, access and delivery.
• Employ effective communication and collaborative skills in the development and implementation of practice models, peer review, practice guide-lines, health policy, standards of care and/or other scholarly products.
• Use information technology and research methods to design, direct and evaluate quality improvement methodologies to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered care.