Program Overview

Introduction to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program at Virginia Commonwealth University is designed to prepare students for the highest level of professional nursing practice in advanced practice roles and specialties. The program focuses on quality and safety in advanced practice nursing, with the use of technology in the development of information systems for healthcare organizations.

Program Goals

The goals of the VCU School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice program are to prepare nurses for the highest level of professional nursing practice in advanced practice roles and specialties, and to lead the delivery of quality healthcare to diverse populations.

Student Learning Outcomes

The graduate will:

1. Synthesize knowledge and theories from nursing and related sciences to improve health outcomes for individuals, populations, and systems.
2. Integrate prevention and population health concepts into models of care.
3. Demonstrate leadership to foster interprofessional collaboration that advances healthcare practices and influences health policies.
4. Integrate evidence and organizational science into practice to enhance outcomes.
5. Enhance patient care and safety using quality processes and improvement science.
6. Incorporate current and emerging healthcare technologies and informatics into practice.
7. Demonstrate core competencies in their advanced practice concentration.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the School of Nursing, applicants must:

• Meet the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School.
• Be eligible for readmission or be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
• Submit a complete application with all required materials to the School of Nursing.
• Be a baccalaureate (or higher) graduate of an accredited nursing program.
• Have a current unrestricted Virginia or multi-state R.N. license or authorization to practice as an R.N. in the U.S.
• Provide additional information with the application according to the English language proficiency guidelines for applicants who are international or non-native English speakers without a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Nursing Practice with a concentration in nursing informatics is a 60-credit-hour degree program that requires completion of a D.N.P. project but no thesis. The focus of the program is quality and safety in advanced practice nursing with the use of technology in the development of information systems for healthcare organizations.

Curriculum Requirements

The curriculum includes:

• Core courses:
  • NURS 733: DNP Knowledge Synthesis and Competency Assessment
  • NURS 744: Foundations in Knowledge and Scholarship for Advanced Nursing Practice
  • NURS 745: Holistic and Ethical Leadership for Advanced Nursing Practice Roles
  • NURS 749: Epidemiology and Population Health
  • NURS 757: Health Information Technology and Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice
  • NURS 758: Health Policy and Health Economics for Nurse Leaders
  • NURS 762: Scientific Foundations for System-Based Care and Interprofessional Partnerships
  • NURS 764: Scientific Foundations for Healthcare Safety and Improvement
  • NURS 793: Planned Change Management for DNP Projects
  • NURS 794: DNP Project I: Project Planning and Implementation
  • NURS 795: DNP Project II: Project Implementation and Evaluation
• Indirect care core courses:
  • NURS 694: Integrating Advanced Physical, Physiologic, and Pharmacologic Health Sciences into Advanced Nursing Specialty Practice
  • NURS 715: Advanced Nursing Specialty Practice Competency Assessment I
  • NURS 716: Advanced Nursing Specialty Practice Competency Assessment II
  • NURS 746: Strategic Leadership and Management
  • NURS 748: Advanced Specialty Practice Practicum
• Concentration courses:
  • NURS 686: Nursing Informatics Theories, Frameworks, and Models
  • NURS 687: System Design, Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability
  • NURS 690: Healthcare Database Systems
  • NURS 739: Human Factors, Human-Computer Interactions, and Consumer Informatics
• Electives chosen with advisor approval

Practice Hours/Residency Requirement

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing requires a minimum of 500 practice hours focused on advanced-level nursing practice to support advanced competency development. The 500-practice hour requirement includes direct and/or indirect practice experiences.

Project Requirements

The D.N.P. program culminates in the successful completion of a scholarly work called the D.N.P. project. In collaboration with faculty and their project team, students design, implement, and evaluate a quality/safety project that is focused on a system change in a practice setting. The final product is a scholarly manuscript describing the project that is suitable for publication in a professional journal.