Doctor of Nursing Practice: Post-Master's

Doctor of Nursing Practice: Post-Master's

St. Kate’s post-master’s DNP program is designed to meet the needs and demands of working adults. Completed within 21 months, this 36 credit program is based on best practices for online learning, combining synchronous and asynchronous learning with high faculty engagement.  Students visit campus twice during the program at the beginning and end and follow the same cohort of students throughout the entire program. 

Practicum experiences are structured in such a way that applied learning is enhanced and students have an opportunity to expand understanding of ethical leadership, social justice, interprofessional collaboration, knowledge of the discipline of nursing, informatics, evidence-based practice, organizational systems, healthcare economics and health policy. A final quality improvement project is required in order to demonstrate program outcomes and focuses on a specific practice issue identified by the student and supported by a DNP Project Team.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 36 credits. The overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. To complete your DNP, you will document the completion of 540 practicum/clinical hours. 

Years to Complete the Program

Students are expected to complete the DNP Program within four years of initial enrollment and will be allowed to re-sequence only once in the DNP course of study.

Curriculum

NURS 8500Underpinnings of the Discipline of Nursing4
NURS 8501DNP Practicum1
NURS 8502DNP Practicum1
NURS 8503DNP Practicum1
NURS 8511DNP as Change Agent2
NURS 8520Advanced Evidence-based Practice4
NURS 8536Healthcare Economics and Finance3
STAT 7000Introduction to Biostatistics3
NURS 7080Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice3
NURS 8300Advanced Outcomes Measurement and Evaluation3
NURS 8150Leadership for Advanced Nursing Practice 23
NURS 8540Health Care: Power, Policy and Politics4
NURS 8600DNP Project 14
Total Credits36
Optional "Electives"
Optional "electives" from nurse educator program for DNP students interested in teaching nursing
NURS 6693Learner Centered Teaching3
NURS 7453 Instructional Technology3
NURS7553 Curriculum Design in Nursing Ed3
1

May also be completed by taking NURS 8610 DNP Project: Part 1 and NURS 8620 DNP Project: Part 2 (2 cr each) or four 1-credit courses.

2

May be fulfilled by NURS 7653 for some MSN students. 

Clinical Practice

Students complete at least 540 advanced clinical practicum hours related to the systems change project. Students identify a site and site mentor for the systems change project, which may be conducted at the student's practice setting. Faculty collaborate with students to facilitate selection of mentors and clinical practicum experiences.

Fall Term
NURS 8500Underpinnings of the Discipline of Nursing4
STAT 7000Introduction to Biostatistics3
Spring Term
NURS 7080Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice3
NURS 8501DNP Practicum1
NURS 8520Advanced Evidence-based Practice4
Summer Term
NURS 8300Advanced Outcomes Measurement and Evaluation3
NURS 8511DNP as Change Agent2
Fall Term
NURS 8502DNP Practicum1
NURS 8536Healthcare Economics and Finance3
NURS 8150Leadership for Advanced Nursing Practice3
Spring Term
NURS 8503DNP Practicum 11
NURS 8540Health Care: Power, Policy and Politics4
NURS 8600DNP Project 24
Total Credits36
1

Taken during J-Term

2

Students completing this requirement in more than one term should contact the program director for registration advice