Program Overview

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses to take on leadership roles in healthcare organizations. The program focuses on the development of expertise in nursing practice, leadership, and scholarship.

Program Overview

The DNP program is a post-master's degree program that requires the completion of 30-40 credit hours of coursework, depending on the student's background and experience. The program is designed to be completed in 2-3 years, with students taking 1-2 courses per semester.

Coursework

The DNP program includes the following courses:

• NUND 450: Applied Statistics: This course provides an advanced overview of statistical analysis and interpretation, with a focus on applications in clinical practice.
• NUND 504: Theories for Nursing Practice and Scholarship: This course examines the perspectives of the discipline, the nature of theory, and theory development in nursing.
• NUND 506: Leadership in Organizations and Systems: This course introduces students to organizational design and leadership, with a focus on developing skills to effectively lead individuals and teams.
• NUND 507: Management in Advanced Nursing Practice: This course focuses on management and entrepreneurial concepts related to advanced nursing practice.
• NUND 508: Health Care Policy and Planning: This course explores the leadership role of nurses in health policy development and implementation.
• NUND 509: Curriculum and Instruction: This course examines the theoretical underpinnings of education and innovative approaches to critical thinking.
• NUND 510: Application of Health Information Technology and Systems: This course provides an overview of health information technology and its applications in healthcare settings.
• NUND 512: Advanced Leadership and Management in Health Care Organizations: This course focuses on the system-level executive leadership role of nurses in healthcare organizations.
• NUND 540: Practice Focused Inquiry I: This course introduces students to practice-focused inquiry, including concepts related to population health.
• NUND 541: Practice-Focused Inquiry II: This course builds on Practice-Focused Inquiry I, with a focus on developing a plan for a scholarly practice-focused project.
• NUND 607: Advanced Leadership and Management in Healthcare: This course explores leadership strategies and competencies for adapting to strategic advances in knowledge, technology, and organizational processes.
• NUND 609: Theoretical Foundations of Educational Testing and Evaluation: This course provides an overview of educational measurement and evaluation.
• NUND 610: Translating Evidence into Nursing Practice: This course focuses on methods for developing best practice protocols and translating them into practice.
• NUND 611: Practicum: This course provides students with the opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate a specific clinical practice experience.
• NUND 612: Transformational Leadership in Executive Nursing Practice: This course focuses on transformational leadership and entrepreneurial concepts as applied to executive nursing practice.
• NUND 615: Teaching Practicum: This course provides students with the opportunity to engage in classroom, laboratory, and clinical teaching assignments in nursing.
• NUND 619: Proposal Development: This course guides students in developing a proposal for a practice-based research problem.
• NUND 620: Scholarly Project: This course provides students with the opportunity to complete a systematic investigation of a previously identified problem.

Program Requirements

To be eligible for the DNP program, students must have a master's degree in nursing and a current RN license. Students must also have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and provide transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.

Research Areas

The DNP program focuses on several research areas, including:

• Health care policy and planning
• Leadership and management in healthcare organizations
• Practice-focused inquiry and scholarship
• Translating evidence into nursing practice
• Transformational leadership in executive nursing practice

Admission Criteria

Admission to the DNP program is competitive, and students are selected based on their academic preparation, professional experience, and potential for leadership in nursing practice. The admission criteria include:

• Master's degree in nursing
• Current RN license
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement