Program Overview

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses to provide high-quality patient care and lead healthcare teams.

DNP Emphases

The DNP specialty emphases include:

• Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• Dual Acute Care/Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Dual Nurse-Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
• Family Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• Nurse-Midwifery
• Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• Post-MS to DNP: Leadership in Health Systems and Practice
• Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

Program Features

• Guaranteed Clinical Placements: The DNP program guarantees clinical placement sites for students in Utah.
• Distance-Accessible Education: The program offers distance-accessible education, allowing students to remain within their community.
• Nationally Ranked Program: The DNP program is ranked #22 among public universities in the United States.
• Certification Pass Rates: The combined national certification pass rate for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Certification stands at 99.5%.

Program Effectiveness Outcomes

The program has established the following outcomes:

• Outcome 1: 80% of students starting the program will graduate within 100% of the specialty track/emphasis length.
• Outcome 2: 80% of DNP nurse practitioner graduates who take the advanced practice registered nurse certification (APRN) certification examination will pass on the first attempt within one year of graduation.
• Outcome 3: 80% of DNP nurse practitioner graduates will report being employed in a nurse practitioner role within one year of graduation.
• Outcome 4: 80% of post-MS to DNP Leadership in Health Systems and Practice graduates responding to an alumni survey report they are employed in a role that is enhanced by knowledge and competencies gained through their education.

Program Learning Outcomes

By the end of the program, students will be able to:

• Knowledge for Nursing Practice: Lead the integration, translation, and application of evidence from nursing science and other disciplines to advance and lead healthcare delivery.
• Person-Centered Care: Create, communicate, and evaluate person-centered care that is holistic, individualized, just, culturally aware, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate.
• Population Health: Analyze current population health gaps and create and evaluate cost-effective, evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of the target population across the care continuum.
• Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline: Advance the scholarship of nursing through the integration of best evidence and ethical conduct of scholarly activities to improve health outcomes.
• Quality and Safety: Apply principles of improvement and safety science to ensure system effectiveness to enhance quality care and minimize harm, ensuring effective systems for safe, person-centered care in a secure and just environment.
• Interprofessional Partnerships: Effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary care team members, patients, families, communities, and stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.
• Systems-Based Practice: Lead and coordinate resources within complex healthcare systems to deliver safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations.
• Informatics and Healthcare Technologies: Use information and communication technology to manage and improve healthcare in accordance with best practices and professional and regulatory standards.
• Professionalism: Demonstrate a sustainable professional identity of accountability, perspective, ethical comportment, and collaborative disposition that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values.
• Personal, Professional, and Leadership development: Actively engage in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, resilience, well-being, and life-long learning to support the acquisition of nursing expertise and leadership.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at the University of Utah are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester: Opens on September 1, closes on December 1, 11:59 PM MT

Graduate Certificates

The university offers graduate certificates in:

• Informatics
• Nursing Education
• Gerontology We also offer post-APRN licensure certificates in:
• Adult/Gerontology Acute Care
• Family Primary Care
• Nurse Midwifery
• Women's Health
• Psychiatric/Mental Health