Doctor of Nursing Practice

Questions regarding the program should be directed to Lauren Sullivan, Graduate Program Coordinator at 806.743.2748 or 1.800.851.8240 Fax-806-746-1622 or lauren.sullivan@ttuhsc.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DNP?

The Doctor of Nursing Practice is similar in concept to practice doctorates in other professions such as pharmacy (PharmD) and physical therapy (DPT). DNP-prepared nurses are equipped for leadership roles in nursing practice, business, administration, clinical research, and academia.

Individuals with practice doctorates are the most highly educated and qualified practitioners in their fields. Instead of focusing primarily on research and teaching, those with practice doctorates use their education and expertise in leadership roles on the front lines of their professions. They are also highly qualified to teach the next generation of clinicians and leaders.

History and Rationale for the DNP Nationally:

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), which represents all BSN and higher degree schools of nursing in the U.S., identified the need over ten years ago for a transition from master's degree education to doctoral education for advanced practice nursing due to the:

• growing complexity of the health care system
• growth in scientific knowledge
• sophisticated technology
• need for clinical career paths

AACN recognized that the growing shortage of nurses could not be met by just increasing basic enrollments as the shortage was also acute for advanced practice nurses such as nurse practitioners, clinical executive leaders, and especially for faculty to teach the increased enrollments.

The concept of the DNP was developed to meet the demand for practitioners able to practice and provide leadership at the highest level of practice and to meet the demand for highly prepared clinical faculty for schools of nursing.

Currently there are over 20 DNP programs in the U.S. with more than 200 in the planning stage. The practice-focused doctorate is a distinct model of doctoral education providing an additional option for obtaining a terminal degree in the professional discipline.

For more information regarding the DNP, please go to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing DNP website: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/index.htm and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties DNP Resource Center at http://www.nonpf.com/NONPF2005/PracticeDoctorateResourceCenter/PDResourceCenter.htm

DNP Program

The purpose of the TTUHSC School of Nursing DNP program is to further prepare advanced nurse practitioners for increasingly complex practice and clinical administrators for executive leadership roles, as well as to prepare clinical faculty to teach in nursing schools. The program has a strong focus on systems leadership, evidence-based practice, and rural health. The need for nurses prepared at the graduate level for clinical leadership positions is particularly acute in West Texas, which is a largely rural area. Thus, the focus on rural health includes access to clinical care and systems of care in rural communities.

The DNP program curriculum is based on the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice national standards and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Practice Doctorate Nurse Practitioner Entry-Level Competencies (2006).
AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice
Practice Doctorate Nurse Practitioner Entry-Level Competencies

The program is designed for master's prepared nurses who are working. Classes are both on-line and in "executive sessions" over 3 - 4 days on-campus at 3 times during the semester.  The TTUHSC program is 48 credit hours over six semesters with the following two tracks:

• Post-Masters Advanced Practice Nursing
• Post-Masters Executive Leadership

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon program completion, the graduate will be prepared to:

• Integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, biophysical, psychosocial, analytical and organizational sciences to advance health and health care delivery systems.
• Develop and operationalize effective, culturally relevant, and evidence-based care delivery approaches that meet current and future needs of patient populations.
• Design and implement scholarly evidence-based processes to analyze and improve outcomes of care at the practice, health care organization, or population levels.
• Select, use, and evaluate health care information systems and patient care technology to advance quality, patient safety and organizational effectiveness.
• Exercise leadership to analyze, develop, influence and implement health policies that advocate social justice, equity, and ethics within all health care arenas.
• Employ interprofessional team building and collaborative leadership skills to create positive change and improve outcomes in complex health care systems.
• Analyze epidemiological, biostatistical, environmental, and other appropriate scientific data to develop culturally relevant and scientifically based health promotion and disease prevention initiatives.
• Employ advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability to design, deliver, and evaluate evidence-based care to improve patient and population outcomes.
• Employ advanced leadership skills, systems thinking, and accountability to design, deliver, and evaluate evidence-based management practices to improve patient, population and health system outcomes.

Admission Requirements

All DNP applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Current licensure as a registered nurse in the United States
• Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited college or university with nursing program accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or ADN to MSN degree from a regionally accredited college or university with nursing program accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
• GPA of 3.0 or higher for master's degree
• Three letters of reference attesting to the applicant's academic ability and potential, including one from a current professional colleague
• Personal Statement
• Interview with a DNP Admissions Committee faculty member
• Current CV or resume

All NP applicants must meet the following additional requirements:

• Approval by a state Board of Nurse Examiners to practice as a Nurse Practitioner
• Current certification by a nationally recognized credentialing body as a Nurse Practitioner
• Minimum of one year's experience as a nurse practitioner
• BLS certification

All executive leadership applicants must meet the following additional requirements:

• Minimum of one year's experience in a healthcare leadership position

Applicants with unique credentials will be considered on an individual basis

Curriculum

The curriculum is based on the Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

COURSE TITLES		CREDIT HOURS
CORE LEADERSHIP COURSES
N6200/N6101 DNP Role Transition I and II		3
N6340 Advancing Policy and Politics in Health Care		3
N6320 Systems Leadership for Effectiveness, Quality and Safety		3
N6325 Informatics & Technology to Improve Health Care		3
N6350 Financial Operations and Business Management		3
EVIDENCE BASED INQUIRY COURSES
N6310 Practical Application of Statistics in Healthcare		3
N6330 Evidence-Based Inquiry  I		3
N6345 Population Health and Epidemiology		3
N7332 Evidence-Based Inquiry II		3
ADVANCED PRACTICE SPECIALIZATION	EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SPECIALIZATION
N7340 Advanced Practice Development	N7341 Advanced Practice Development	3
N7310 Health Behavior Complexity in Chronic Illness	N7321 Health Care Economics and Finance	3
N7330 Integrating Community Mental Health into Healthcare Systems	N7311 Leading Teams in Complex Health Care Environments	3
N7320 Integrating Complementary & Alternative Modalities (CAM) into Health Care Systems	N7331 Population Health at the Organizational and Public Policy Level	3
CAPSTONE PROJECT AND PRACTICUM COURSES
N7350 Capstone Project & Seminar		3
N7351 DNP Practicum & Seminar		3
Elective		3
TOTAL CREDITS		48