Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Focus
The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP) has three options: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse-Midwifery, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The DNP degree prepares the graduate for advanced practice nursing with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide clinical expertise, judgment, scholarship, and leadership at the highest level of nursing practice in the primary health care setting. Graduates will be eligible for national APRN certification and licensure specific to the population focus.
Students are able to choose a full-time three year or part-time four year course plan for completion of the DNP degree. DNP applicants with prior graduate nursing education will submit transcripts for review of potential equivalent coursework. This gap analysis will inform an individualized Program of Study.
DNP Program Learning Outcomes
This program reflects the 2021 AACN Master's Essentials. Students completing the graduate nursing program will:
- Evaluate, integrate, translate, and apply evidence from nursing science and other disciplines in the delivery of care.
- Create, communicate, and evaluate person-centered care that includes holistic, individualized, just, culturally aware, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based and developmentally appropriate.
- Analyze current population health gaps and create and evaluate cost-effective, evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of the target population.
- Advance the scholarship of nursing through the integration of best evidence and ethical conduct of scholarly activities.
- Employ improvement science to ensure system effectiveness for safe, person-centered care within a physically, psychologically, secure, and just environment.
- Collaborate across professions and with other stakeholders to optimized care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.
- Coordinate the resources of the complex healthcare system to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations.
- Use information and communication technology to anticipate, manage and improve healthcare in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards.
- Model a sustainable professional identity of accountability, ethical comportment, and collaborative disposition.
- Participate in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, resilience, and well-being; students will contribute to life-long learning; and students will support the acquisition of nursing expertise and the assertion of leadership.
BSN to DNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) Program Requirements
| NRSG 601 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NRSG 602 | Adv Physio/Pathophysiology | 4 |
| NRSG 603 | Advanced Pharmacology I | 2 |
| NRSG 604 | Evidence Based Practice I | 3 |
| NRSG 605 | Evidence Based Practice II | 3 |
| NRSG 606 | Statistical Applications | 3 |
| NRSG 607 | Diagnostic Reasoning | 3 |
| NRSG 608 | Design H C Delivery Systems | 3 |
| NRSG 609 | Advanced Nursing Leadership & Roles | 3 |
| NRSG 610 | Health Care Informatics | 3 |
| NRSG 611 | Program Planning & Evaluation, Outcomes, & Quality Improvement | 3 |
| NRSG 612 | Ethics, Law, and Policy for Advocacy in Healthcare | 3 |
| NRSG 613 | Finance & Budget H C Systems | 2 |
| NRSG 614 | Vulnerability and Health Care in Diverse Communities | 3 |
| NRSG 619 | Advanced Primary Care Skills and Procedures | 2 |
| NRSG 620 | Adv Pharm II | 3 |
| NRSG 625 | Advanced Diagnostics in Primary Care (Elective) | 2 |
| NRSG 651 | FNP Diagnosis & Management I | 3 |
| NRSG 652 | FNP Diagnosis & Management II | 3 |
| NRSG 653 | FNP Diagnosis & Management III | 3 |
| NRSG 654 | FNP Role Transition | 2 |
| NRSG 655 | FNP Advanced Clinical I | 4 |
| NRSG 656 | FNP Advanced Clinical II | 3 |
| NRSG 657 | FNP Advanced Clinical III | 5 |
| NRSG 658 | FNP Advanced Clinical IV | 5 |
| NRSG 674 | Graduate Nursing Scholarly Project Seminar ( ) | 2 |
| or NRSG 673 | Writing for Scholarly Projects | |
| NRSG 675 | DNP Scholarly Project | 3 |
| NRSG 675 | DNP Scholarly Project | 3 |
Total Credits - 82
BSN to DNP (Nurse Midwifery) Program Requirements
The Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Midwife (DNP-Nurse Midwife) is one of three advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) options with the DNP degree. The focus of the DNP - Nurse Midwifery option is to prepare graduates in the Hallmarks of Midwifery to enhance the health of individuals and families in the provision of person-centered, evidence-based, inclusive and equitable midwifery care with an emphasis on rural and underserved populations. Graduates generate new knowledge through innovation of practice change, the translation of evidence, and the implementation of quality improvement processes in specific practice settings, systems, or with specific populations to improve health or health outcomes. Graduates are eligible to sit for national certification by the American Midwifery Certification Board.
After successful application and admission into the DNP - Nurse Midwife program, students will complete the following plan of study over 8 semesters.
| Year 1 | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
| NRSG 601 - Advanced Health Assessment | 3 | ||
| NRSG 602 - Adv Physio/Pathophysiology | 4 | ||
| NRSG 603 - Advanced Pharmacology I | 2 | ||
| NRSG 614 - Vulnerability and Health Care in Diverse Communities | 3 | ||
| NRSG 604 - Evidence Based Practice I | 3 | ||
| NRSG 606 - Statistical Applications | 3 | ||
| NRSG 609 - Advanced Nursing Leadership & Roles | 3 | ||
| NRSG 640 - Advanced Pharmacology II Nurse Midwifery | 3 | ||
| NRSG 605 - Evidence Based Practice II | 3 | ||
| NRSG 607 - Diagnostic Reasoning | 3 | ||
| NRSG 641 - Midwifery Care During the Antepartum | 2 | ||
| NRSG 644 - Primary and Gynecologic Care | 4 | ||
| Year Total: | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Year 2 | Credits | ||
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
| NRSG 639 - Midwifery Clinical Care Skills and Procedures | 2 | ||
| NRSG 642 - Midwifery Care During the Intrapartum | 3 | ||
| NRSG 643 - Midwifery Care During the Postpartum and Care of the Neonate | 2 | ||
| NRSG 612 - Ethics, Law, and Policy for Advocacy in Healthcare | 3 | ||
| NRSG 610 - Health Care Informatics | 3 | ||
| NRSG 608 - Design H C Delivery Systems | 3 | ||
| NRSG 645 - Advanced Midwifery Clinical I | 3 | ||
| NRSG 613 - Finance & Budget H C Systems | 2 | ||
| NRSG 611 - Program Planning & Evaluation, Outcomes, & Quality Improvement | 3 | ||
| NRSG 646 - Advanced Midwifery Clinical II | 4 | ||
| NRSG 674 - Graduate Nursing Scholarly Project Seminar or NRSG 673 - Writing for Scholarly Projects | 2 | ||
| Year Total: | 10 | 11 | 9 |
| Year 3 | Credits | ||
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
| NRSG 675 - DNP Scholarly Project | 3 | ||
| NRSG 647 - Advanced Midwifery Clinical III | 4 | ||
| NRSG 648 - Advanced Midwifery Clinical IV | 6 | ||
| NRSG 675 - DNP Scholarly Project | 3 | ||
| Year Total: | 7 | 9 | |
| Total Program Credits: | 82 | ||
BSN to DNP (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) Program Requirements
| NRSG 601 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NRSG 602 | Adv Physio/Pathophysiology | 4 |
| NRSG 603 | Advanced Pharmacology I | 2 |
| NRSG 604 | Evidence Based Practice I | 3 |
| NRSG 605 | Evidence Based Practice II | 3 |
| NRSG 606 | Statistical Applications | 3 |
| NRSG 608 | Design H C Delivery Systems | 3 |
| NRSG 609 | Advanced Nursing Leadership & Roles | 3 |
| NRSG 610 | Health Care Informatics | 3 |
| NRSG 611 | Program Planning & Evaluation, Outcomes, & Quality Improvement | 3 |
| NRSG 612 | Ethics, Law, and Policy for Advocacy in Healthcare | 3 |
| NRSG 613 | Finance & Budget H C Systems | 2 |
| NRSG 614 | Vulnerability and Health Care in Diverse Communities | 3 |
| NRSG 616 | Psychiatric Case Formulation | 3 |
| NRSG 625 | Advanced Diagnostics in Primary Care (Elective) | 2 |
| NRSG 629 | Introduction to Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing | 2 |
| NRSG 630 | Adv Psychopharmacology II | 3 |
| NRSG 661 | PMHNP Diagnosis & Management I | 3 |
| NRSG 662 | PMHNP Diagnosis & Management II | 3 |
| NRSG 663 | PMHNP Diagnosis & Management III | 3 |
| NRSG 664 | PMHNP Diagnosis & Management IV | 2 |
| NRSG 665 | PMHNP Advanced Clinical I | 4 |
| NRSG 666 | PMHNP Advanced Clinical II | 4 |
| NRSG 667 | PMHNP Advanced Clinical III | 4 |
| NRSG 668 | PMHNP Advanced Clinical IV | 5 |
| NRSG 674 | Graduate Nursing Scholarly Project Seminar | 2 |
| or NRSG 673 | Writing for Scholarly Projects | |
| NRSG 675 | DNP Scholarly Project | 3 |
| NRSG 675 | DNP Scholarly Project | 3 |
Total Credits - 82
Post-Master's DNP Program Requirements
The DNP Post Mater's option is designed for nationally certified, currently practicing, masters prepared Nurse Practitioners who do not wish to add a separate practice focus. Graduates generate new knowledge through innovation of practice change, the translation of evidence, and the implementation of quality improvement processes in specific practice settings, systems, or with specific populations to improve health or health outcomes. A complete gap analysis of transcripts is used to determine if prior masters courses may be waived and the number of clinical hours to be credited towards the required 1000 DNP hours. Full and part-time course work is available.
| NRSG 605 | Evidence Based Practice II | 3 |
| NRSG 604 | Evidence Based Practice I | 3 |
| NRSG 606 | Statistical Applications | 3 |
| NRSG 608 | Design H C Delivery Systems | 3 |
| NRSG 609 | Advanced Nursing Leadership & Roles | 3 |
| NRSG 610 | Health Care Informatics | 3 |
| NRSG 611 | Program Planning & Evaluation, Outcomes, & Quality Improvement | 3 |
| NRSG 612 | Ethics, Law, and Policy for Advocacy in Healthcare | 3 |
| NRSG 613 | Finance & Budget H C Systems | 2 |
| NRSG 614 | Vulnerability and Health Care in Diverse Communities | 3 |
| NRSG 674 | Graduate Nursing Scholarly Project Seminar | 2 |
| or NRSG 673 | Writing for Scholarly Projects | |
| NRSG 675 | DNP Scholarly Project | 3 |
| NRSG 675 | DNP Scholarly Project | 3 |
Total Credits: 37
Scholarly Project
Each student completes and defends a scholarly project developed in collaboration with a faculty advisor and a committee conducted over two semesters during the final year of study. Examples of exciting and innovative student projects include: development of mental health outreach programs to the rural elderly; examination of alternative health practices for healing; and establishment of pediatric cancer support groups for the rural client.