Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The purposes of the DNP program at the FNU are to prepare family nurse practitioners (FNP), women's health nurse practitioners(WHNP), and certified nurse-midwives (CNM) who will bring leadership skills to the solution of health care systems problems, improve primary care practice, and enhance individual and/or aggregate health.. .

The ultimate goal of the program is to improve the delivery of primary care and the health status of populations with special focus on rural and underserved communities.

Graduates of the program will:

1. Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical scholarship.
2. Critically analyze complex primary care clinical situations and health care systems to promote optimal outcomes.
3. Evaluate and apply conceptual models, theories, and research in order to improve the health status of individuals as well as diverse populations with a focus on rural and underserved communities.
4. Design, deliver, direct, and disseminate evidence-based practices.
5. Analyze the social, economic, political and policy components of health care systems which affect primary health care planning and delivery.
6. Assume leadership roles in the development of primary health clinical practice models, health policy, and standards of care.
7. Employ professional values and ethical decision making in advanced practice nursing and midwifery.
8. Contribute to the body of nursing and midwifery knowledge.
9. Use information systems to design, select, use, and evaluate health care programs, outcomes and systems.
10. Demonstrate competence as a clinical educator.

Description of the DNP Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) was conceived as the highest degree for clinical nursing practice. The FNU DNP program was initially designed as a post-master's degree program for family and women's health nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives who aim to improve skills in leadership, clinical scholarship, evidence-based practice and clinical evaluation. All students entering the DNP program must be registered nurses who have completed a master's of science degree in nursing (MSN) or a master's in nursing (MN) and are nationally certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) or Nurse-Midwife (CNM). The DNP practicum builds upon and expands the competencies of the master's prepared advanced practice nurse.

The DNP program is 33 semester credits. These include 8 credits (360 contact hours) of the DNP practicum, The DNP practicum builds upon and expands the competencies of the master's prepared advanced practice nurse. The curriculum is delivered using distance education strategies over the course of approximately five 11-week terms. There are two required on-campus experiences. The first is a three-day orientation to the program called DNP Bound. The second on-campus experience is at the midpoint of the program, when students will attend a three-day residency during which they will present their proposed projects to their student colleagues and faculty. During terms Four and Five, students spend approximately 20 hours per week in a DNP practicum site, which may be their site of employment or elsewhere.

The DNP curriculum has been carefully constructed to incorporate the eight essential competencies for the DNP program delineated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The AACN competencies for the DNP program address the following:

1. Scientific underpinning for practice
2. Organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking
3. Clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice
4. Information systems/technology and patient care technology for the improvement and transformation of health care
5. Health care policy for advocacy in health care
6. Inter-professional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes
7. Clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health
8. Advanced nursing practice

The DNP completion program is a full-time plan of study designed for student to take 2 courses per term. Students are accepted into a cohort and progress through the program with their cohort group.

First Term:

N701 Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology (4-0)
N702 Evidence Based Practice I (3-0)

Second Term:

N703 Evidence Based Practice II (3-0)
N704 Leadership and Organizational Theory (3-0)

Third Term:

N706 Evidence Based Practice and Information Technology (3-0)
N707 The Nurse as Educator (2-0)

Fourth Term:

N711 Clinical Practicum I (0-4)
N705 Ethics and Health Care Policy (3-0)

Fifth Term:

N712 Clinical Practicum II (0-4)
N720 Capstone Project (4-0)

Total 25 Didactic Credits + 8 Clinical Credits (360 hours) = 33