Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the terminal degree for nurses in clinical practice. It is a 38-credit, post-master’s program intended to prepare nurse leaders for clinical practice. The DNP program uses an online delivery method. Both 2 Year and 3 Year Plans of Study are available.

Graduates who possess a DNP degree are prepared to assume clinical and leadership roles in both academic and practice settings. Knowledge acquisition in the DNP program includes the ability to analyze organizational and clinical systems, critique evidence to support clinical practice and improve patient outcomes, and develop practice guidelines to enhance patient safety.

Building on the foundation of the master’s program, the DNP program will prepare the student for the highest level of clinical nursing practice. The DNP graduate will:

1. Integrate the science and theory of nursing practice with scientific and theoretical knowledge from other disciplines to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes.
2. Integrate knowledge of effective communication and leadership skills based on professional standards to work as an effective member of an inter-professional team in the provision of safe, high quality, patient-centered care.
3. Demonstrate the appropriate and ethical use of information technology and research methods to improve practice and the practice environment.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree requires Registered Nurses who graduated with a clinical focus in their master’s programs to complete a minimum of 38 credits, depending on prior course/clinical work taken at the master’s level. All DNP students must satisfy a minimum of 1,000 supervised clock hours of practice experiences to demonstrate attainment of the doctoral level competencies. Students may receive credit for up to 640 clock hours from their master’s educational program; each applicant’s supervised clock hours of practicum experiences from their master’s programs are validated as part of the admission process. DNP applicants without a clinical focus in their master’s program must complete the necessary coursework to obtain a post-master’s certificate in a clinical area and pass their respective certification exam, in addition to completing the 38 credits of DNP coursework. 

View the Graduate Catalog Addendum to see revisions to the DNP curriculum starting in Fall 2016.

Visit aacn.nche.edu for more information on accreditation and FAQs for DNP programs.