Purpose & Outcome

The purpose of the D.N.P. degree program in nursing is to prepare nursing leaders for the highest level of clinical nursing practice. The core D.N.P. essentials include translation of research into practice, transformational leadership, and advanced expert nursing practice. To support these essentials, coursework includes nursing/change theory, foundations of advanced nursing practice, health policy, informatics, leadership, and population-based health. The pinnacle experience of the program is an evidence-based scholarly practice project. The goal of the project is to produce an actual, deliverable product that has originated from practice experience. Students will identify a problem and use evidence-based research to develop a proposal to implement and evaluate a practice change initiative. Practice change projects include pilot studies, program evaluations, quality improvement projects, evaluation of new practice models, or consulting projects. Projects may be clinical or systems. in nature. The theme that links these forms of scholarly experiences is the use of evidence to improve either practice, patient or systems outcomes.  

The D.N.P. degree is for nurses with either a bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing or a master’s degree with a major in nursing who plan to continue in a practice role (versus an academic/research role). This degree aligns with national guidelines and organizations that pronounced this degree as the terminal practice degree for all nurse administrators and advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists. 

The purpose of the D.N.P. program is to:  

1. Prepare transformational nursing leaders to improve health and healthcare outcomes. 

2. Prepare a cadre of highly qualified advanced practice nurses to lead the translation of research into practice and deliver expert nursing care.

3. Fulfill the practice mission of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing as a unit within the University.

The program outcomes for the D.N.P. include the ability to: 

1. Design and evaluate new models of care based on integration of theoretical and empirical knowledge from nursing and related disciplines.

2. Translate evidence to guide practice and improve outcomes of care. 

3. Analyze data which predicts and explains variations in practice.

4. Provide inter-professional leadership within an increasingly complex health care delivery system. 

5. Prepare leaders to use information systems and technology to support and improve patient care and health care systems. 

6. Prepare leaders to direct and deliver high quality, cost-effective care for diverse populations. 

7. Shape health policy and systems of health care in the local, regional, state, national, and international forums. 

8. Perform independently at the most advanced level of ethical specialty nursing practice.