Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice

DNP Mission

The mission of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is congruent with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006). The DNP program is a practice focused doctoral program designed to prepare nurses at the highest level of nursing practice to lead in applying and translating research into practice in local, state, national, and global health systems. The focus of the DNP program is on evidence-based practice reflecting synthesis, application, and translation of credible research findings. The DNP program includes integrative practice experiences and an intense practice immersion experience that prepares advanced practice nurses caring for populations in primary and specialty care settings with emphasis on chronic illness management.

DNP Philosophy

The philosophy of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is congruent with University mission that emphasizes high-quality education, personalized learning environment, and attention to research, scholarship, and creativity to advance knowledge. Consistent with the Baccalaureate program philosophy, the DNP program seeks to further prepare leaders who are dedicated to the improvement of health care outcomes at the local, state, national, and global levels. Like the Master of Science in Nursing program, the philosophy of the DNP program includes advanced nursing practice and evidence based practice foci. An additional area of emphasis is chronic illness.

Mastery of these foci may occur in/through post-Baccalaureate to DNP preparation or through post-Masters to DNP preparation. Through either route, the DNP program philosophy holds that the basis for the highest level of nursing practice is the integration of nursing knowledge from the biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sciences. Further, education at the DNP level provides a basis for translating evidence-based research findings into safe, high-quality clinical practice for a wide variety of patient populations. Finally, DNP-educated advanced practice nurses are uniquely prepared to emerge as leaders utilizing a blend of clinical knowledge, organizational skills, economic understanding, political awareness, and technological proficiency to impact patient outcomes in complex health systems.

DNP Program Goals/Outcomes

1. Produce nurse practitioner leaders who will utilize the theoretical and scientific underpinnings for nurse practitioner practice to provide acute and chronic health care that is ethical, safe, evidence-based, culturally sensitive, interdisciplinary, technically sagacious and appropriate for a diverse range of individuals and aggregates.

2. Produce graduates who utilize research and nursing knowledge to influence healthcare policy and advocate for improvement in the health of individuals and aggregates, especially the chronically ill.

3. Produce clinical scholars who are committed to lifelong learning, ongoing leadership, and the improvement of health care delivery in the local community, in Mississippi, in the United States, and across the globe.

Admissions Requirements for Doctor of Nursing Practice:

See Graduate Admissions in this Bulletin for information regarding admission .

Program Requirements

In addition to the general degree requirements (see Academic Policies and Procedures and curriculum noted below), the student must successfully complete the following:

A minimum of 38 semester credit hours earned Post Master’s or a minimum of 78 credit hours earned Post BSN
Maintain overall GPA of 3.0/B average or better
Transfer only 6 graduate credits into any Program

Progression Policy

Once a student is admitted to DOCTORATE OF NURSING PRACTICE PROGRAM:

A grade of “B” or above is required in each nursing course:
1. Nursing courses may be repeated only once.
2. Students who fail to make a “B” on a second attempt of a failed nursing course or fails a subsequent nursing course is permanently excluded from the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.
A grade of “C” in non-clinical courses is allowed but more than 2 “C”s will result in expulsion. If the student’s GPA does not maintain a 3.0 or better they cannot graduate.
A “WF” in any course is counted as a failure in that course.
For each nursing course with an accompanying clinical course, a grade of “B” or above is required in the theory course with a pass in the associated clinical course in order to progress. If this does not occur, both the theory and the clinical course must be retaken together. If only one course component (Theory or Clinical) was failed it is considered as one failure; if both theory and clinical components are failed concurrently it is also considered as one failure.
Students may be dismissed from the program for unsafe practice, unethical or illegal conduct. In such cases a student will receive an automatic “F” in the nursing courses affected by the actions.

Post BSN to DNP

MUW Post BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP Plan of Study (Full-time and Part-Time)

Full Time

Term	Course
Fall I	NU 503 Advanced Health Assesement NU 503L Advanced Health Assessment Clinical (135 clock hours) NU 521 Science of Diagnostic Reasoning NU 508 Advanced Nursing Research NU 502 Advanced Theoretical Issues
Spring I	NU 501 Advanced Pharmacology NU 505 Primary Care Management I NU 505L Primary Care Management I Clinical (270 clock hours) NU 550 Advanced Primary Care Procedures NU 597 Clinical Research Project
Summer I	NU 506 Primary Care Management II NU 506L Primary Care Management II Clinical (270 clock hours) NU 512 Advance Practice Role NU 516 Population Health in Advanced Nursing Practice NU 570 Advanced Healthcare Policy and Politics NU 597 Clinical Research Project

Post BSN to DNP continues below and MSN to DNP entry begins here

Full Time Part Time

Fall II	NU 700 Philosophy and Theory NU 704 Informatics and Transformation of Health Care NU 708 Standards of Care and Evidence Based Practice NU 701 Quality and Safety in Complex Health Systems	Fall II	NU 704 Informatics and Transformation of Health Care NU 708 Standards of Care and Evidence Based Practice
Spring II	NU 713 Chronic Disease in the Human NU 714 Population Health NU 750 Inter- professional Collaboration HED 517 Introduction to Biostatistics	Spring II	NU 713 Chronic Disease in the Human NU 714 Population Health HED 517 Introduction to Biostatistics
Summer II	NU 800 DNP Project II (optional)	Summer II	NU 800 DNP Project I
Fall III	NU 770 Health Care Policy & Economics NU 721 Clinical Analysis and Diagnostics NU 800 DNP Project I	Fall III	NU 700 Philosophy and Theory NU 701 Quality and Safety
Spring III	NU 712 Leadership in Complex Health Care Systems NU 799 DNP Residency I (1: 6.75 ratio) NU 800 DNP Project II	Spring III	NU 750 Inter-professional Collaboration NU 799 DNP Residency
		Summer III	Optional NU 799 II or NU 800 II
		Fall IV	NU 721 Clinical Analysis and Diagnostics NU 770 Health Care Policy & Economics NU 800 DNP Project
		Spring IV	NU 712 Leadership in Complex Health Care Systems NU 799 DNP Residency II

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