Since 1912, The College of St. Scholastica has been preparing students for a life of purpose by emphasizing the Benedictine values it was founded on. Shaped by the Catholic Benedictine heritage, The College of St. Scholastica provides intellectual and moral preparation for responsible living and meaningful work.
Nurses who obtain a DNP degree or Post-Graduate Certificate are prepared to use quality improvement strategies to develop, implement, and sustain changes at the organization and policy levels; use organization and systems leadership to improve health outcomes and patient safety, and advocate for health care policy focused on social justice and equity.
The graduate nursing program at CSS has the following program competencies:
Synthesize knowledge from the arts, sciences, and humanities in promoting at least one of the four spheres of care: wellness, chronic disease management, regenerative/restorative, or palliative.
Evaluate values and behaviors consistent with professional nursing standards and Benedictine values.
Appraise the use of information and technology to promote health and safety within dynamic health care systems.
Develop evidence-based interventions that promote the health and well-being of nurses, individuals, or communities.
Generate collaborative partnerships to address social determinants of health and advocate for health equity.
Evaluate resources needed to design safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations.
The BS to DNP program is completed in either 3 full-time or 4 part-time years of study. Students entering the Post-Graduate program complete the degree in 1 to 2 years, depending on previous coursework.
Students often ask what the expected 'time commitment' is for the program. Each course is different and each student has different abilities, so time can vary greatly. However, the following calculation is often used as an estimate:
Formula: Number of credits in the course X 45 / length of the course in weeks
Example: 3 credit course X 45 = 135 hours / 15 weeks = 9 hours per week
Example: 3 credit course X 45 = 135 hours / 7.5 weeks = 18 hours per week
That being said, it should not come down to a question of "how many hours per week should I spend on coursework" but rather "am I doing enough to understand and apply the concepts being taught." Some courses will be easy for you and others will be more difficult, which will require more time!
Clinical courses in the BS-DNP program require on-campus simulation days, often 2-3 times a semester (for each course). The dates are provided in advance of each semester. Students must attend on-campus days in order to progress in the program and participate in clinical rotations.
Most courses in the DNP program require students to participate in Zoom webinars. You can expect to have 2-4 meetings per course, per term. Faculty make every effort to hold required webinars on TUESDAYS, which has been designated as the 'webinar day' for graduate nursing courses. As active participation is mandatory, we suggest students do not plan to work or attend clinical on Tuesday for the length of the program. These meetings have different purposes and vary by course. Common purposes are student presentations and case study discussions. Proctored examinations (through an online live proctored website) will also typically take place on Tuesdays.
The DNP program prepares you as a nurse leader who drives quality improvement, improves patient safety, and advocates for health care policy change. To accomplish this, you need to work effectively as part of a cohesive team. Many courses will help you practice leadership and teamwork skills. You will be asked to lead small and large projects that involve other students requiring flexibility, prioritization, and effective communication.
This program combines online and face-to-face courses. Online learning requires discipline. U.S. News and World Report offers five tips to help you succeed with any online course.
Confirm technical requirements for online classes. This will be accomplished through the technology module as part of your program orientation. The online courses are delivered through our learning management system (LMS) called Brightspace. Part of your program orientation includes familiarizing yourself with the layout and features of Brightspace.
Connect with your course faculty early. You can expect regular email communication from your course faculty, however, it will be up to you to seek out your faculty member via email or phone number (as identified in the course syllabus) for questions and concerns related to course content and assignments. You are not alone but have an entire support team and resources to assist in your success. Resources such as the writing center, access center, and student resource center are highlighted in this program orientation.
Create a schedule and manage your time wisely. While you will be provided with a course schedule that outlines due dates and times, it will be up to you to develop a schedule in which you set aside time to review the unit lesson and complete the assignments prior to the deadline. Planning out the term tasks early on will help reduce your stress as you juggle multiple demands from courses, work, and family commitments.
Stay organized. The course content is delivered over seven weeks with assignment(s) due weekly. If you fall behind at the beginning, it will be difficult to catch up. One way to stay organized is to set goals. There are no regular meeting patterns in online courses, so it falls on you as a student to organize your work. Some tools to assist include the course schedule, weekly learning modules, and announcements located in Brightspace, the learning management system.
Have a consistent workspace. Experts indicate that online students need a designated space or consistent location that is free from distractions/outside interferences in order to study and complete assignments. You’ve likely chosen online education because of the flexibility it offers as you manage life constraints such as your family, work, and travel, so it is important that your workplace allows you to concentrate on your work as a student. A distraction-free zone can increase the quality of your work.