Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) ProgramGeneral Information
The University of Massachusetts Amherst offers the Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to prepare advanced practice nurses at the highest level. This professional nursing preparation will include advanced coursework in leadership, research translation, and clinical knowledge and skills. This degree emphasizes the evolving nursing roles in an increasingly complex health care system, new scientific knowledge, and ongoing concerns about the quality and outcomes of patient care. Applicants to the DNP program will choose from among the following specialization areas:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Public Health Nurse Leader
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Applicants who are already Advanced Practice Nurses (APRNs) will complete the core courses of the DNP program (DNP Completion).
Objectives of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
This program will prepare students to:
- Engage in nursing practice using the advanced knowledge from nursing and related disciplines to improve health outcomes.
- Provide leadership and collaborate with leaders in other professions for change in systems of care.
- Synthesize and translate evidence from nursing and other disciplines to manage complex health problems.
- Supply culturally proficient care to respond to health disparities and societal needs.
Core competencies essential for those preparing for direct care and population-based roles build on eight essential content areas:
- scientific underpinnings for practice
- organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement, and systems thinking
- clinical scholarship and analytic methods for evidence-based practice
- technology and information for the improvement and transformation of healthcare
- health care policy for advocacy in health care
- interprofessional collaboration for improving patient and population healthcare outcomes
- clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health
- advanced nursing practice for improving the delivery of patient care
Course Requirements
The DNP Program requires completion of core foundation and upper-level core courses, as well as courses in either the FNP, AGPCNP, PMHNP, or PHNL role concentration (see sample plans of study). If a student already holds a master’s APN degree, an individually tailored Plan of Study will be created based on transcript review. A post-master’s student must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits to complete the DNP degree. The final scholarly requirement of the DNP program is the DNP project, which is a requirement for graduation.
Faculty Advisors
All Elaine Marieb College of Nursing faculty members who have graduate faculty status are potential advisors for DNP students. Students will be assigned an advisor who is congruent with their area of interest wheneer possible. DNP students are expected to meet regularly with their advisors to outline their plan of study, discuss academic coursework, and to prepare for the comprehensive exame and capstone scholarly project.
DNP Role Course Sequencing and Preceptor Selection
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is focused on advanced nursing practice and requires a core of theoretical knowledge and a significant number of practice hours. The Elaine Marieb College of Nursing DNP curriculum adheres to the requirements of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), “Essentials of DNP Education", the guidelines established by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), and The American Association of Community Health Educators. The UMass Amherst DNP program stipulates that all students engage in practicum experiences to fulfill the hours required of a practice doctorate. Post-master’s DNP students are required to document the number of practicum hours they obtained in their previous master’s degree program.
How to Select Preceptors
Preceptors should hold advanced degrees (a graduate degree) in nursing or medicine. Nurse Practitioners (MS prepared NP experts or DNP graduates) or physicians are preferred preceptors, but Physician Assistants (PAs) may be approved on a case-by-case basis. College of Nursing faculty instructors must approve all preceptors before a student can begin a practicum experience.
Preceptors and agencies are selected based upon their best fit with the course objectives and practicum focus for each course. Students must submit all required practicum documents well in advance of any experiences with an agency or community preceptor. Practicum guidelines are found in both the Preceptor Handbook and the University’s Graduate Student Handbook.
Please plan well in advance with the Graduate Clinical Placements. It often works best if a student plans for and secures an approved preceptor(s) for courses up to a year in advance. The College supports students who are looking for clinical placements. The College Clinical Placement Coordinator is available to assist with identifying sites and DNP staff can assist with establishing affiliation agreements and other clinical site requirements. Up-to-date comprehensive information about clinical sites and preceptors is available in the DNP program folder.
If a student has not been successful in securing an approved preceptor prior to the beginning of any practicum experience, the student may be required to withdraw from the course. Withdrawal from a course will affect progression through the specialty courses and a new Plan of Study will be required.
Practicum Preceptor Selection
Preceptors should hold avanced (graduate) degrees in nursing or medicine. Nurse Practitioners (MS-prepared NP experts or DNP graduates) or physicians are preferred preceptors, but Physician Assistants (PAs) may be approved on a case-by-case basis. College of Nursing faculty instructors must approve all preceptors before a student can begin a practicum experience.
Preceptors and agencies are selected based upon their best fit with the course objectives and practicum focus for each course. Students must submit all required practicum documents well in advance of any experiences with an agency or community preceptor. Practicum guidelines are in the Graduate Student Handbook (https://www.umass.edu/graduate/policies/handbook).
Please plan well in advance with the Graduate Clinical Placements. It often works best if a student plans for and secures an approved preceptor(s) for courses up to a year in advance. The College supports students who are looking for clinical placements. The College Clinical Placement Coordinator is available to assist with identifying sites and DNP staff can assist with establishing affiliation agreements and other clinical site requirements.
If a student has not been successful in securing an approved preceptor prior to the beginning of any practicum experience, the student may be required to withdraw from the course. Withdrawal from a course will affect progression through the specialty courses and a new Plan of Study will be required.
DNP Core Courses
All DNP students take the core courses in addition to their specialty courses (except for Post Master’s DNP Completion students who do not need specialty courses).
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
| N603 | Theoretical Components of Nursing Practice | 3 |
| N605 | Scholarly Writing | 3 |
| N630 | Research Methodology in Nursing | 3 |
| N651 | Nursing Ethics, Health Policy & Politics | 3 |
| N701 | Healthcare Quality | 3 |
| N704 | Health Disparities and Social Justice | 3 |
| N715 | Intermediate Biostatistics | 3 |
| N725 | Leadership of Public Health Systems | 3 |
| N735 | Informatics for Nursing Practice | 3 |
| N742 | Defining Evidence for Problems & Solutions {Capstone I} | 3 |
| N798U | Evidence Based Proposal Development {Capstone II} | 2 |
| N798W | DNP Project Proposal Finalization and Approval {Capstone III} | 1 |
| N840 | DNP Project Implementation and Monitoring {Capstone IV} | 3 |
| N898A | DNP Project Completion, Evaluation and Dissemination {Capstone V} | 3 |
| TOTAL CREDITS | 42 |
DNP Concentration Courses
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Adult Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP) Courses
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Adulty Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) Course Descriptions and Sequencing
Prior to beginning any specialty courses in the FNP/AGPCNP program, students must successfully complete N614 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning, N615 Advanced Pathophysiology, and N619 Advanced Pharmacology. Students must also have completed (or take concurrently) N703 Pharmacotherapeutics and both FNPs/AGPCNPs N670 Family Systems and Interventions when enrolled in the first specialty courses in the sequence, N614 and N698A.
In the FNP/AGPCNP program curriculum, there is a series of five theory courses with five concurrent practicum courses that provide content and experience in the specialty area of advanced primary care/family nurse practitioner. After completing these specialty courses, students will engage in the Final Immersion Practicum taken during their final semester in the DNP program. All FNP/AGPCNP students are required to take these courses unless they have a master’s degree in a nurse practitioner specialty and have received some course waivers at the time of admission. These courses build upon each other and must be taken in the sequence outlined in the plan of study.
FNP and ACPCNP Course Descriptions:
N615 Advanced Pathophysiology - 3 credits
This course examines the conceptual basis and specific knowledge of pathophysiology and disease recognition for children and adults as observed in the primary care setting.
N619 Advanced Pharmacology - 3 credits
This course reviews in-depth the principles of pharmacology for classes of drugs commonly used in various health care practices. The most pertinent drug classes for nursing practice are included in this course.
N703 Pharmacotherapy Management - 3 credits
Integration of principles of pharmacology and therapeutic patient care management to construct, implement and evaluate optimal pharmacotherapeutic regimens for patients in various healthcare settings. This course includes an assignment with a local pharmacist.
N670 Family Systems and Interventions - 3 credits
Selected concepts, theories and research related to family dynamics and family coping, with an emphasis on practice strategies to support family well-being and mental health.
N643 Assessment and Diagnosis of Psychiatric and Mental Health Disorders - 3 credits
This course introduces the diagnostic processes in mental health/mental disorders using DSM 5 diagnostic criteria, ICD coding, and other mental assessment tools while considering family, community, and cultural influences.
N614 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning - 3 credits & N698A Practicum - 1 credit (must be taken concurrently)
N698A is the first practicum course in the FNP/DNP specialty concentration sequence. Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to perform comprehensive health assessments and develop enhanced capacity for clinical reasoning and laboratory test interpretation. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698A, the first clinical practicum experience in the FNP specialty that affords students the opportunity to develop+ competence and confidence in a precepted clinical experience while applying knowledge obtained in a concurrent theory course.
Students will select an agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 56 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698A UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. This first practicum experience, which starts mid-way through the semester, concentrates on the “Art” of Clinical Reasoning and, therefore, most any qualified provider from a variety of healthcare settings can be appropriate.
The concentration of the practicum is for students to learn the techniques and practices of the “Focused Case Visit” and the “Complete History and Exam Visit” to acquire a sound knowledge base in diagnostic reasoning and differential diagnosis prior to launching into the individual patient population courses. NPs and MDs who see patients of all ages in a primary care setting are preferred.
N610 Primary Health Care of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults - 3 credits & N698E Practicum: Primary Health Care of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults- 3 credits (must be taken concurrently)
Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to assess, maintain, and promote the health and well-being of culturally diverse children, adolescents, and young adults. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698E. Students will select an agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 168 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698E UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a provider who services infants through young adults either in a family practice or in a practice that specializes in the care of children and young adults. Primary care and family practice NPs and MDs or pediatric NPs or pediatricians are appropriate choices for preceptors for this semester. Students will concentrate their experiences with patients with simple acute or stable chronic health problems.
N620 Primary Health Care of Adults and Older Adults - 3 credits & N698X Practicum: Primary Health Care of Adults - 3 credits (must be taken concurrently)
Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to assess, maintain, and promote the health and well-being of culturally diverse adults and older adults. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698X. Students will select an agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 168 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698X UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a provider who adult patients either in a family practice or in a practice that specializes in the care of adults and older adults. Primary care NPs and MDs and ANPs are preferred choices for preceptors. Internal Medicine Specialists, GNPs, or Geriatricians can be appropriate choices for preceptors for this semester as approved by the faculty. Students will concentrate their experiences with patients with simple acute or stable chronic health problems.
N723 Complex Health Problems in Primary Care I - 2 credits & N798K Practicum: Complex Health Problems in Primary Care - 2 credits (must be taken concurrently)
Content and practicum focus is on building knowledge and skills beyond the provision of primary care for singular simple acute or stable chronic conditions of separate populations of patients to a focus on health care of patients of all ages with complex health problems. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N798K. Students will select an agency and a preceptor(s) in their community and engage in 112 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N798K UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a family provider or a pediatric and an adult provider to assure that complex patients of all ages will be seen; providers can be NPs or MDs or a combination of both.
N733 Complex Health Problems in Primary Care II - 2 credits & N798KA Practicum: Complex Health Problems in Primary Care II - 2 credits (must be taken concurrently)
This course provides students specializing in the advanced practice role of the Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner the opportunity to build their knowledge and skills beyond that of the singular simple acute or stable chronic conditions of separate populations of patients that has been the focus of previous courses in the specialty. This course affords the opportunity to focus on health care of patients of all ages with complex health problems. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N798KA and completing 112 clinical practicum hours.
N706 Complex Health Problems with Multiple Chronic Conditions II - 2 credits & N798S Practicum: Complex Health Problems with Multiple Chronic Conditions II - 2 credits (must be taken concurrently)
This course provides students specializing in the advanced practice role of the Adult Gerontological Primary Care or FNP (DNP) Nurse Practitioner student the opportunity to build knowledge and skills beyond that of the singular simple acute or stable chronic conditions. This course affords the opportunity to focus on health care of adult and older adult patients (including frail elders) with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) and complex health problems. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N798S. The N798S UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. Students must recruit a MD or NP geriatric/gerontology and adult provider to assure that complex patients will be seen; providers can be NPs or MDs or a combination of both for a total of 112 hours (52 hours needs to be in sub-acute rehabilitation and long-term care practice environments).
DNP Concentration Courses
Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Course Sequence and Course Descriptions and Sequencing
The DNP Post-Baccalaureate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) role concentration prepares clinical experts in the delivery of care to the psychiatric-mental health population. They work with individuals, families, groups, and communities, assessing, diagnosing and treating individuals and families with psychiatric disorders or the potential for such disorders using their full scope of therapeutic skills.
More information the PMHNP role may be found at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association website.
In addition to the DNP core courses, the PMHNP students take:
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Courses
PMHNP Course Descriptions
N615 Advanced Pathophysiology - 3 credits
This course examines the conceptual basis and specific knowledge of pathophysiology and disease recognition for children and adults as observed in the primary care setting.
N619 Advanced Pharmacology- 3 credits
This course reviews in depth the principles of pharmacology for classes of drugs commonly used in various health care practices. The most pertinent drug classes for nursing practice are included in this course.
N703 Pharmacotherapy Management - 3 credits
Integration of principles of pharmacology and therapeutic patient care management to construct, implement and evaluate optimal pharmacotherapeutic regimens for patients in various health care settings. this course includes and assignment with a local pharmacist.
N670 Family Systems and Interventions - 3 credits
Selected concepts, theories and research related to family dynamics and family coping with an emphasis on practice strategies to support family well-being and mental health.
N614 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (3 credits) and N698A Practicum: Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (1 credit) (must be taken concurrently)
Content and practicum focus is on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to perform comprehensive health assessments and develop enhanced capacity for clinical reasoning and laboratory test interpretation. Application of this knowledge occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698A, the first clinical practicum experience in the FNP specialty that affords students the opportunity to develop competence and confidence in a precepted clinical experience while applying knowledge obtained in a concurrent theory course.
Students will select and agency and a preceptor in their community and engage in 56 hours of practicum experiences to meet course objectives. The N698A UMass faculty will supervise this practicum course in conjunction with the student’s approved preceptor. This first practicum experience, which starts mid-way through the semester, concentrates on the “Art” of Clinical Reasoning and, therefore, most any qualified provider from a variety of healthcare settings can be appropriate. The concentration of the practicum is for students to learn the techniques and practices of the “Focused Case Visit” and the “Complete History and Exam Visit” to acquire a sound knowledge base in diagnostic reasoning and differential diagnosis prior to launching into the individual patient population courses. NPs and MDs who see patients of all ages in a primary care setting are preferred.
Specialty Courses:
N643 Assessment and Diagnosis of Psychiatric and Mental Health Disorders – 3 cr.
N580 Integrative Therapies in Health Care
N707 Neuropsychopharmacology- 3 credits
N612 Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Children and Adolescents- 3 credits
N622 Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Adults and Older Adults- 3 credits
N721 Advanced Psychotherapy Modalities with Individuals, Groups and Families- 2 credits
N798GF Practicum: Advanced Psychotherapy Modalities with Individuals, Groups and Families- 2 credits
This course consists of a supervised clinical practicum experience in a community-based inpatient or outpatient mental health care agency providing psychotherapeutic mental health care to individuals, groups, and families, 112 clinical practicum hours.
N722 Psychiatric Mental Health- Complex Health Problems- 3 credits
N798X Practicum: Psychiatric Mental Health- Complex Health Problems- 3 credits
This course will consist of a supervised clinical practicum experience in a health care agency/facility providing psychiatric mental health care to individuals, 112 clinical practicum hours.
N898D Practicum: Final Direct Care residency- 2 credits
This final practicum is an essential component of the DNP program that affords students the opportunity to immerse themselves in their area of specialty practice as they complete 12 hours of practicum experiences in one semester. This practicum provides an intensive immersion opportunity for students to further enhance and integrate their prior learning and to gain experience with designated DNP essentials and specialty competencies.
DNP Concentration Courses - Public Health Nurse Leader (PHNL) - Role Course Descriptions and Sequencing
The Public Health Nurse Leader (DNP- PHNL) specialization prepares nurses to assume leadership positions in a variety of settings.
Critical Need for Public Health Nurse Leaders
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for nurse leaders who are trained in population-level health assessment and intervention. The need for public health nurse leaders is expected to grow significantly in the coming decade as our society confronts the impacts of infectious diseases, natural disasters, climate change, growing concerns about health disparities and social justice issues, and an aging population with a growing number of patients with chronic and acute conditions.
In addition to the DNP core courses, PHNL students take:
Public Health Nurse Leader (PHNL) Courses
Public Health Nurse Leader (PHNL) - Role Courses and Sequencing
The PHNL program includes 4 practicum courses, three of these courses are 3 credit practicum courses that require 168 hours of supervised practice, for a total of 504 hours. In the final semester of the DNP program, students will take the Final Immersion Practicum N898A for 6 credits (336 hours – of which 150 hours may be used to implement the required DNP Scholarly Project).
PHNL Course Descriptions
EHS565 Environmental Health Practices (3 cr)
Concepts of control methods used by environmental health and engineering practitioners. Topics include water, wastewater, solid wastes, food sanitation, vector control, housing, and accident control measures.
HPP601 Application of Social and Behavioral Theories in Public Health Interventions (3 cr)
Methods and approaches to community health. Family, school, and community dimensions and potentials. Types and use of various methods leading to community action. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
HPP620 Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System (3 cr)
The organization, finance, and delivery of health care in the U.S. Examines the role of government in financing care, maintaining quality, the relationship between health policy and politics, historical forces that have shaped our health care system, and contemporary issues and controversies.
HPP628 Financial Management of Health Institutions (3cr)
The fundamental tools for management control and decision making in health care organizations. The budgeting and financial management process. Prerequisite: PUBHLTH 620.
N540 Epidemiology for Clinicians (3cr) This course provides in-depth theoretical knowledge on concepts and principles of epidemiology and its application in health promotion and disease prevention. Its focus will be on key areas of epidemiology.
N640 Advanced Public Health Nursing I (3 cr) This course is designed to provide advanced practice nurses specializing in the role of the Public Health Nurse Leader with the knowledge and skills required to identify and analyze population-based public health problems as they occur in the local, national, and global community. Analysis and evaluation of health problems at the community and population level will occur with evidenced based strategies designed to strengthen health promotion and disease prevention, research, practice, education, and policy. Application of this knowledge also occurs in the concurrent clinical practicum N698G. Specific course objectives include:
N750 Advanced Public Health Nursing II course (3cr) This course is an examination of the theories, models and process of public health program planning, with a focus on designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating population-based public health programs, including financial program management and effective grant writing strategies.
N760 Contemporary Issues in Public Health Practice III (3 cr)
As the final course in the DNP Public Health Nurse Leader specialty sequence this course provides students with the opportunity to examine the complexity of current global problems in public health and explore political, cultural, ethical, and environmental considerations affecting the development and implementation of targeted public health interventions.
DNP Post-Masters Completion Courses (For currently certified APNs)
The online Post-MS DNP Completion program prepares established Advanced Practice Nurses to reach the highest level of the nursing profession and to deliver expert care, innovative practice, and translate evidence-based care to the clinical setting.
Students who enter this DNP Program option must be Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) who are currently certified as FNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP, ANP, PNP, GNP, ACNP, Nurse Midwife, Nurse Anesthetist, or CNS.
All DNP students - DNP Final Project Description
The DNP Project begins with the student selecting a problem arising from clinical or public health practice. Graduates of the DNP program are uniquely prepared to help bridge the research-practice gap by appropriately developing, tailoring, implementing, and evaluating theoretically and evidence- based projects and programs and disseminating the results. Graduates are then able to deliver the intended benefit of the research evidence to the group, population, or community. The DNP project gives students a supervised opportunity to independently undertake this research translation process.
The problem under study in the DNP project must represent an identified need, as evidenced by a review of current literature, a community assessment, or other method of needs identification. For the project to be most effective, the stakeholders present at the site must agree that there is a need for the project and must be consulted and involved throughout the project. Indeed, the project may be done in partnership with the clinical agency, health department, College, church, government or community agency, voluntary organization, or community group.
The project literature review must support the need for the project and suggest an evidence base for the project. The literature review should include research studies on innovations that can be synthesized and developed into a program to address the practice problem. Further, the student must be seen as a credible authority on both the problem and the research-based innovation/program by stakeholders in the setting, thus, the focus of the problem and innovation/program must be on advanced nursing practice in the student’s specialty area. Finally, the student must be sufficiently familiar with the specific site in which the program will be implemented to tailor the program to the site’s organization, resources, and constraints.
DNP Project Completion Process
In preparation for the DNP project, students are assigned one College of Nursing faculty member and will identify an appropriate project site mentor. Students are expected to work closely with their capstone course, faculty project chair, and project site mentor throughout the process of completing the DNP project. Students should anticipate the need for multiple drafts before final approval of the proposal and final DNP project report.
The project site mentor should have substantive expertise in terms of the topic of the DNP work. A project site mentor with a Master or Doctoral degree is preferred, but the project site mentor may have no academic credential yet be predominant EXPERT in a certain field. As the expert in the field of the student's programmatic intervention, they may have the background necessary to help guide the DNP project, providing detailed advice regarding the progress of the work from proposal development through actualization of the project, analysis of the results, and the conclusions.
The project site mentor must approve the proposal, the work, and final write-up along with the faculty members. A project site mentor can be a nurse practitioner, physician, and/or a public health leader within the facility or community where the project will be actualized. The designated project site mentor may be from anywhere in the world, so long as they have consented to the position on the committee and expressed a willingness to guide from a distance. The DNP Project Chair has final approval authority on the Project.
A student must receive a grade of C or above to pass the DNP Project requirement. Upon final completion and approval, the student should submit the DNP FORM, “Approval of DNP Scholarly Project” to the DNP office and their course instructor once the final approval is given.
The final requirement also includes posting your DNP Project on ScholarWorks on the UMass Amherst Library site (signatures are not required, names may be typed on the DNP Project Title Page). Instructions are provided to the student on how to do this within the course shell. All DNP projects should be presented to a professional audience either at Scholarship Day or at clinical site or a professional conference.
Protection of Human Subjects
Students must complete the “Human Subjects Determination” form through the Kuali website. This occurs once the proposal is written and considered “ready” for this step in the project process by the course faculty. The UMass Amherst Institutional Review Board (IRB) will determine whether the project needs additional IRB review and notify the student with a memorandum of determination via email. More Information is available at: https://www.umass.edu/research/compliance/human-subjects-irb
NOTE: Students may NOT begin data collection prior to receiving IRB determination.
DNP Final Project Course Descriptions
N742: Defining Evidence for Problems and Solutions- 3 credits
N798U: Evidence Based Proposal Development- 2 credits
N798W: DNP Project Proposal Finalization and Approval- 1 credit
This course focuses on finalizing the proposal for the planned scholarly project. Two drafts of the proposal are read by course faculty and feedback given. If your adviser is available over the summer, you may work on early approval and then application to IRB. All students are required to at least draft the Human Subjects form in this course. There are 56 hours of project hours required for this course for the refinement and approval of the DNP Project proposal.
N840: DNP Project Implementation and Monitoring- 3 credits
This course involves the actual implementation of the planned proposal. This includes seeking and obtaining advisor and IRB approval and a letter of support from the clinical site of project if you have not obtained one already. You will implement and work on your project at the designated site with your preceptor or mentor. There are 168 hours of project hours required for this course.
N898A: DNP Project Completion, Evaluation and Dissemination- 3 credits
This course is the fifth and final course in the DNP Project sequence and culminates with an evaluation of the completed project. You will complete and evaluate your DNP project at the designated site with your preceptor / mentor. There are 168 hours of project hours required for this course.
The DNP Project focuses on the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of a theoretically based research translation project designed as a programmatic intervention to address a practice problem.
Successful progression depends upon completing required course work, according to the student’s plan of study, maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and working closely with advisor. The advisor and student should be mindful of incomplete grades and students whose CGPA falls below 3.0 who will be in jeopardy of dismissal by the College of Nursing and the University.
Final Spring Semester of Study in the DNP Program
- N898D: Final Immersion Practicum- 2 credits
This final practicum is an essential component of the DNP program that affords students the opportunity to immerse themselves in their area of specialty practice as they complete 112 hours of practicum experiences in one semester. This practicum provides an intensive immersion opportunity for students to further enhance and integrate their prior learning and to gain experience with designated DNP essentials and specialty competencies.
Bill Leahy