The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program in the School of Nursing (SoN) at St. Catherine University is a doctoral program for registered nurses (RNs) who seek a practice-focused doctorate degree. The SoN at St. Catherine University is a comprehensive, Catholic, liberal arts university that is inspired by its mission to "educate students to lead and influence” in baccalaureate, master’s, and clinical doctoral programs.

Program Description

The DNP program prepares students in advanced nursing practice, ethical leadership, social justice, interprofessional collaboration to improve population health, knowledge of the nursing discipline, informatics, evidence-based practice, organizational leadership, healthcare economics, and health policy. Courses meet online (asynchronous or synchronously) with 1-3 on-campus intensives per semester for DNP: NP options. All programs are designed to meet the needs of working adults, providing flexible learning experiences in the classroom and clinical or practicum settings.

Options:

DNP: Nurse Practitioner

• DNP: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
• DNP: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• DNP: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care
• DNP: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Post Graduate Certificates:

• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate
• Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate

DNP: Post-Master's

• DNP: Second Certification - Adult-Gerontology NP
• DNP: Second Certification - Family NP
• DNP: Second Certification - Neonatal NP
• DNP: Second Certification - Pediatric NP
• DNP: Second Certification - Psychiatric Mental Health NP
• DNP: Post Master's

Practice-Focused Doctoral Education

The DNP degree is championed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which has called for more highly educated advanced practice nurses to meet the healthcare needs of a changing population.

Careers for DNP Graduates

DNP-prepared nurses are educated to take on leadership roles in their specialty areas of practice, including advanced practice nurses, chief nursing executives, clinic directors, academic faculty, or system-wide quality improvement leaders. 

Accreditation

The DNP program is accredited by:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404.975.5000
Fax: 404.975.5020
www.acenursing.org

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the Post-Master’s DNP and secondary certification options

• A completed baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
• A completed master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program
• Graduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and a grade of not less than ‘B’ in every nursing course
• Two years of experience in nursing
• A current unencumbered RN nursing license
• Currently hold an advanced nursing position(s), such as clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner, nurse executive, nurse informaticist, or nurse educator

Admission requirements for the Nurse Practitioner DNP optionS

• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Baccalaureate nursing program or comparable master's level program in which the nursing degree is awarded must be accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and no grade less than "B-" in every nursing course
• *NNP option only: A minimum of one year of NICU clinical experience is required prior to starting the plan of study contingent on continuing to work as a NICU RN during the first year of studies. Two years preferred.
• A current unencumbered nursing license

Important Essential Abilities

For successful admission and continuance in St. Catherine University’s pre-licensure nursing programs, a specific set of essential cognitive, sensory, communication, psychomotor, and behavioral/ emotional/spiritual health abilities are required to be performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Read the full requirements