Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Drive the future of healthcare as an advanced nursing leader!

The mission of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Ethical Leadership is to provide a high quality educational experience to advanced nursing leaders who will drive the future of healthcare. We empower our students to embody caring and authentic leadership in the pursuit of academic excellence that will prepare them for interprofessional practice. To achieve this end, we inspire broader vision to refine critical thinking, espouse ethical decision making, and integrate evidence-based practice to achieve positive health outcomes in our global community.

DNP Format

The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Ethical Leadership is designed for the working practitioner. The 30 credit hour online curriculum is challenging, rigorous, and highly stimulating. Participants will complete the program as a cohort (a group moving together through the program). The two-year program begins each August, extends over five semesters, and is a sequential course of study that includes an Advanced Nursing Project. Learners will attend two immersions (via ZOOM) during each August of the two years. If a student is unable to progress with the cohort, he or she will be allowed to resume coursework with the next available cohort.

DNP Aggregate Outcomes

Upon completion of the program the graduate will be able to:

1. Integrate advanced knowledge of nursing theories, methods of inquiry, humanities, and related sciences to translate best evidence for application to improve nursing practice.

2. Synthesize science-based theories and concepts from nursing and other disciplines to assess, evaluate, and integrate health care phenomena to impact positive patient outcomes at the individual, group, community or global level.

3. Advocate for interprofessional collaborative initiatives to examine complex systems and develop effective methods to create positive change for improving patient and population health outcomes.

4. Engage in experiential learning and research to promote advanced level nursing scholarship grounded in ethical and moral decision making.

5. Advance the effective use of health care information technologies and systems to ensure safe high-quality outcomes with the generation of data-driven decisions.

6. Integrate clinical change through organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking to achieve excellence in practice.

7. Translate knowledge into personal, professional, and leadership practice to improve patient outcomes and synthesize best practice for improving the nation’s health.