Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNP

34 Credits 

Overview

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is a fully online, post-master of science in nursing degree program focused on evidence-based practice, leadership, education, healthcare policy and advocacy, inter-professional collaboration, and expert advanced nursing practice. The DNP program fulfills the requirement of a terminal degree in nursing and will prepare nurses at the highest level of practice for leadership roles in the clinical setting, educational setting and healthcare systems leadership setting. Graduates will gain experience in applying and translating research into practice. The DNP program is 34 credits and can be completed in 7 semesters. 504 practicum hours will be obtained upon the completion of the DNP Quality Improvement project.

DNP courses are offered in an online, asynchronous format over 8-weeks or 16 weeks, allowing students to complete the program in 7 semesters. Didactic and practicum experiences will be facilitated by nurses who are educationally prepared at the doctoral level.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the DNP Program, the graduate will have the ability to:

1. Synthesize knowledge from nursing, the humanities and the sciences to create improvement plans to address healthcare outcomes for populations of diverse individuals.

2. Integrate ethical decision-making processes, evidence-based practices, and quality improvement science to address systems improvements which can positively affect patient health care outcomes.

3. Collaborate with members of other healthcare disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate processes and/or policies that focus on outcome improvement for populations of diverse individuals.

4. Integrate communication technologies and informatics processes to manage and address safe, quality-based, patient-centered health care.

5. Develop a leadership role in an organizational system to transform health care processes and/or educational processes which focus on the improvement of patient outcomes.

6. Propose organizational systems improvements that are patient-centered and demonstrate respect for the diversity and inclusion of all populations.