Program Overview

Nursing (DNP) - Leadership

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with two pathways: the BSN Entry to DNP — Advanced Nursing Focus and the Post-Master’s Entry to DNP — Leadership Focus.

Program Description

The DNP program enables nurses to achieve the profession’s highest practice degree. The BSN Entry to DNP pathway allows individuals with a bachelor’s degree in nursing to become experts and leaders in health equity, while the Post-Master’s Entry to DNP pathway prepares registered nurses with a master’s degree to innovate improvements and lead teams in developing approaches to care that address population needs.

Program Leadership

• Program Director: KT Waxman, RN, DNP, FAAN
• Associate Director: Annette Carley, RN, DNP, NP

Admission Requirements

BSN Entry to DNP — Advanced Nursing Focus

1. Graduate of an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
2. Minimum GPA 3.0.
3. Registered Nurse with active license in CA.
4. College-level statistics course completed within five years of the start of the program.
5. Resume or curriculum vitae.
6. Three confidential letters of recommendation for most specialties.
7. Goal statement and personal statement.

Post-Master’s Entry to DNP — Leadership Focus

1. Graduate of an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in nursing.
2. Minimum GPA 3.0.
3. Completion of minimum 240 practice hours during prior master’s or post-master's coursework.
4. Registered Nurse with active license in CA or state where the DNP project will occur.
5. College-level statistics course completed within five years of the start of the program.
6. Resume or curriculum vitae.
7. Three confidential letters of recommendation.
8. Goal statement and personal statement.

Learning Outcomes

Post-Master’s Entry to DNP — Leadership Focus

1. Integrate nursing science, science-based theory, and systems knowledge into the development and evaluation of new practice approaches to care.
2. Apply analytic methods to the critical appraisal of literature and other evidence to develop and support best practice.
3. Convene and lead interprofessional, collaborative stakeholder teams to create change and advance positive health outcomes.
4. Generate, evaluate, and articulate innovative solutions to complex care issues.
5. Analyze the impact of local, national, and global health policy on determinants of care decisions.
6. Support cost and resource efficiency, quality, and accessibility of healthcare for diverse client groups.
7. Advocate for nursing and socially and ethically relevant policy in healthcare design and delivery.
8. Support and effectively lead quality improvement initiatives that enhance safe, quality, and evidence-driven care.
9. Demonstrate leadership skill in developing approaches to care that address population needs based on science and evidence.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 1,000 post-Baccalaureate practice hours for DNP degree conferral. The program includes a scholarly DNP Project, which represents a terminal synthesis of data related to an identified health care practice issue.

Core Courses

The program includes a series of core courses, such as:

• NURSING 263: DNP Prologue
• NURSING 263.11: Concepts and Contemporary Issues for the DNP
• NURSING 263.12: Critical Appraisal of Evidence-Based Practice
• NURSING 463.1: DNP Practicum
• NURSING 263A: DNP Project I: Project Conceptualization and Planning
• NURSING 263B: DNP Project II: Project Planning and Implementation
• NURSING 263C: DNP Project III: Project Implementation and Evaluation

Approved Electives

• NURSING 363: Foundations of Academic and Clinical Teaching in Nursing
• NURSING 363.1: Teaching in the Online Environment

Non-course Core Requirements

The scholarly DNP Project is a required component of the program, which is systematically conceived, planned, implemented, evaluated, and formally presented in collaboration with a project team.