Proposed - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The Doctorate of Nursing Practice is a terminal professional degree representing the highest level of clinical nursing competence. The DNP program is designed to provide students the opportunity to assimilate and utilize in-depth knowledge of nursing, biophysical, psychosocial, analytical and organizational sciences, with sophisticated informatics and decision-making technology to develop collaborative strategies that optimize the health of individuals, families, communities and systems. Grounded in the Mercy and Jesuit traditions, the DNP program emphasizes the student’s development as an expert clinician with strong leadership capacity, a commitment to service, and skills to act as change agents, translating clinical research into improved health care.

The post-Master’s DNP curriculum is designed to admit Master’s prepared certified APRNs in the following clinical specialties: nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and clinical nurse specialist. The DNP program curriculum is based upon the AACN (2006) Essentials of Doctoral Education and also ensures achievement of the DNP competencies established by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

The DNP builds upon the Master of Science in Nursing degree and requires 36 credits. The curriculum includes formative course work that culminates in a capstone clinical practicum and a doctoral project. The post-Master’s DNP is designed for part time or full time study. Full time study consists of four 9-credit semesters (16 months). Part-time study (24 months) includes six 6-credit semesters. A combination of teaching and learning approaches, face to face, web enhanced and on-line delivery will be used.