Curriculum for the 100% Online Doctor in Nursing Practice

This course is designed to prepare students to be disciplined thinkers and effective communicators. The course explores general principles of analytical, expository, and argumentative writing and provides opportunity to review elements of the scholarly writing process; implement strategies to compose, review and proofread composition; critique one’s own work; and evaluate the writing of others. This course prepares the student for academic writing and formatting that will translate to publication.

As an introduction to research methodology and application to bedside care, students will be introduced to concepts related to research, evidence-based practice and Quality Improvement. The role of the DNP in each of these will be examined. Students will also be introduced to the SQUIRE Guidelines as the format for their scholarly project, as well as complete the National Institute of Health (NIH) Research Training in preparation for their project design and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval process. Discussion of criteria related to the accruement and documentation of DNP immersion hours will also be presented.

This course is designed to lay the foundation for the individual scholarly project. Concepts related to choosing an appropriate project that aligns with the timeline for completion will be discussed. Students will begin working on the development of their PICOT question, as well as complete a literature search pertaining to the topic area that is the focus of their project. Students will be assigned a faculty mentor for their individual project at the completion of this course.

After developing the PICOT question and completing a literature search based their topic of interest, students will begin drafting what will become the Review of Literature for their scholarly project. Students will submit the draft for review, feedback, and identification of needed revisions to their assigned faculty mentor. An updated log of completed DNP hours will also be submitted to the faculty mentor at the end of the course.
Pre-requisite: NUR 7100, NUR 7200

This course provides the foundation for the critical evaluation and synthesis of published health sciences evidence including an overview of the appropriate use and interpretation of commonly used statistical techniques for generating that evidence. Students will analyze the research methods and reported statistical results in published literature with an emphasis on implications for advanced nursing practice decisions. Students will develop plans for analysis of data collected with consideration of the alignment of project purpose with methods. Students will develop skills necessary to translate the statistical findings for stakeholders’ application to practice and quality improvement.

As a continuation of the work completed in Scholarly Inquiry I & II, students will develop the methodology for their individual project based on their finalized PICOT question. This course will also include submission to all required Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for approval in preparation for data collection.
Pre-requisite: NUR 7100, NUR 7200, NUR 7210

Once Institutional Review Board(s) approval has been granted, students will begin collecting data and scoring for analysis based on their methodology. Students will work with their individual faculty mentor throughout this process and submit an updated log of DNP hours at the end of this course.
Pre-requisite: NUR 7100, NUR 7200, NUR 7210, NUR 7500

This stage of project development focuses on statistical analysis, interpretation of the collected data, and discussion of results. Students will also reflect on study limitations, application to current practice, and recommendations for future study.
Pre-requisite: NUR 7100, NUR 7200, NUR 7210, NUR 7500, NUR 7510

In this final course of the scholarly project, students will prepare to successfully complete a faculty led scholarly defense with slide presentation. Dissemination of results will be attained by submitting a poster presentation for review and submission of final approved project to ProQuest for publication. Students will submit an updated log of DNP hours at the end of this course.
Pre-requisite: NUR 7100, NUR 7200, NUR 7210, NUR 7500, NUR 7510, NUR 7700

This course introduces the concept of executive leadership in nursing, as well as leadership styles and theories from nursing and other disciplines. Executive leadership in a complex healthcare industry requires the knowledge and skills to transform care delivery models to improve patient and organizational outcomes.

This course is specifically designed to synthesize leadership competencies in organizational theory and behavior, leadership principles and practices, and organizational structure and culture through prior graduate education and career experience. Nurse leaders will apply evidence-based transformational leadership methodology to create sustainable value within their own health care environments. This course lays the foundation for transformational management of change, influential nursing leadership, and excellence in process development at the system level.

This course covers economic theory, market drivers and restraints, health care finance and reimbursement, cost-benefit analysis, and health care entrepreneurism. Theory and application are integrated throughout the course with a particular focus on the clinical role of the DNP within the contemporary health care environment. Students will incorporate business concepts specific to the healthcare arena that focus on cost management and budgeting for the nurse leader.

Nursing as a profession has historically recognized the need for equity and inclusion regarding access to healthcare for individuals on a global scale. This need for improvements in environmental, safety, and health conditions is now reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) outlined by the United Nations. This course will provide a primer for the goals set forth by the United Nations, as well as highlight the role of nurse leader in collaborating with international organizations to achieve these goals.

As the ever-changing landscape of priority concerns related to population health emerge, nurse leaders provide a pivotal role in both assessment and implementation of interventions that meet the needs of the community. This course analyzes the role of the nurse leader in collaborating with community, state, and national partners to determine priority public health needs, as well as the role of epidemiological data in driving priority initiatives and changes to health policy.

This course will explore a variety of nursing theories including various theoretical perspectives of teaching and learning, as well as practical application of strategies to meet the diverse needs of learners. Students will apply theoretical frameworks to a health care or instructional problem to promote effective change within an organization or educational setting. Discussion of managing various challenges related to nursing leadership and education will be included throughout the course. (Dual credit for Nursing Education Certificate)

This course provides a foundation in assessment, measurement, and evaluation strategies for nursing education. Students will explore the theoretical basis for evaluation, as well as practical application of the strategies. The course is intended to prepare students to utilize strategies of measurement and evaluation in developing tests, interpreting test results, assessing clinical performance, and evaluating written assignments. Discussion of legal and ethical issues related to evaluation in nursing education will be included throughout the course. (Additional coursework required for students enrolled in NUR 7051 for the DNP Program elective.)

This course provides a foundation in curricular design, program development, and curriculum evaluation in nursing education. Students will explore internal and external contextual factors influencing curriculum design and implementation. This course is intended to prepare students to utilize foundational principles and concepts for the development and evaluation of nursing curricula in academic settings. This course will also prepare students for program development and evaluation in nursing education. (Additional coursework required for students enrolled in NUR 7053 for the DNP Program elective.)

Quality Improvement (QI) is often associated with identifying and correcting the cause of errors within a system’s setting. This process can also be used to proactively improve patient outcomes through increased clinical competence in both the experienced and new graduate nurse. Throughout this course, the role of the nurse leader in the process of attaining and maintaining competency for nurses will be explored. Identification and facilitation of quality improvement needs, as well as the role of the nurse leader in the process and sustainability of competency-based QI initiatives will be among the topics of discussion.

Both ethical and legal considerations are paramount in the role of the nurse leader. Not only does the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics play into the day-to-day decisions of managing patient care or prioritizing access to resources, but they also guide in decision-making pertaining to ethical dilemmas. In this course, students will apply ethical principles to navigate dilemmas commonly encountered in practice and explore the role of the ethics committee in acute care. Students will also examine the role of forensic (“pertaining to the law”) nursing in the care associated with vulnerable population, as well as ethical considerations in research design.

The Supplementary Study course is designed to accommodate DNP students who require additional time or feedback from faculty to complete required coursework and/or DNP hours. This course provides for continued faculty mentorship outside of the traditional course calendar.
Pre-requisite: Permission of the Director.

This course will explore a variety of nursing theories including various theoretical perspectives of teaching and learning, as well as practical application of strategies to meet the diverse needs of learners. Students will apply theoretical frameworks to a health care or instructional problem to promote effective change within an organization or educational setting. Discussion of managing various challenges related to nursing leadership and education will be included throughout the course. (Dual credit for Nursing Education Certificate)

This course provides a foundation in assessment, measurement, and evaluation strategies for nursing education. Students will explore the theoretical basis for evaluation, as well as practical application of the strategies. The course is intended to prepare students to utilize strategies of measurement and evaluation in developing tests, interpreting test results, assessing clinical performance, and evaluating written assignments. Discussion of legal and ethical issues related to evaluation in nursing education will be included throughout the course. (Additional coursework required for students enrolled in NUR 7051 for the DNP Program elective.)

This course provides a foundation in curricular design, program development, and curriculum evaluation in nursing education. Students will explore internal and external contextual factors influencing curriculum design and implementation. This course is intended to prepare students to utilize foundational principles and concepts for the development and evaluation of nursing curricula in academic settings. This course will also prepare students for program development and evaluation in nursing education. (Additional coursework required for students enrolled in NUR 7053 for the DNP Program elective.)

This course consists of a practical experience that is developed, approved, supervised, and evaluated by faculty and preceptors. The objective is to provide students an opportunity to synthesize, integrate, and then apply leadership knowledge and skills, that has been learned throughout the MSN curriculum, to a PICO question . Students will gain professional experience in an administrative environment and implement a project of particular interest setting them on a career trajectory. Careful consideration must be given to a site and preceptor, or permission of Program Coordinator. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000, NUR 5200, NUR 5400, NUR 5600, NUR 5800, NUR 6000, NUR 6200, NUR 6400)

This course is a continuation of NUR 6800. It consists of a practical experience that is developed, approved, supervised, and evaluated by faculty and preceptors. The objective is to provide students an opportunity to synthesize, integrate, and then apply leadership knowledge and skills, that has been learned throughout the MSN curriculum, to a PICO question . Students will gain professional experience in an administrative environment and implement a project of particular interest setting them on a career trajectory. Careful consideration must be given to a site and preceptor. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000, NUR 5200, NUR 5400, NUR 5600, NUR 5800, NUR 6000, NUR 6200, NUR 6400)