Doctor of Nursing Practice with an Emphasis in Educational Leadership
Overview
Pursue a DNP in Nursing Education to Improve Patient Outcomes
The Doctor of Nursing Practice with an Emphasis in Educational Leadership, within the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, prepares nurse leaders to design and implement evidence-based strategies for practice that improve healthcare education delivery, patient outcomes and educational programs. Emphasis is placed on employing methods of curriculum design and development, applying teaching strategies and designing assessments to evaluate teaching and learning outcomes. The DNP in nursing education program encourages students to engage with populations from the values-based perspective of a Christian worldview and understand the effects of various worldviews on cultures, patient care and healing, within current healthcare systems.
This DNP in nursing leadership program is designed for MSN-prepared nurses who want to deepen knowledge and build skillsets to lead and strengthen nursing education programs in academia or a clinical agency/facility. Nursing faculty and deans interested in the development of curriculum, application of teaching strategies and evaluation of teaching and learning outcomes will also benefit from this DNP program.
Students must have access to a clinical site to complete their practice immersion hours and Direct Practice Improvement (DPI) project. Practicum hours during the three education-specific courses are in addition to the practice immersion hours and may be completed at a clinical or academic site. For more details on this, please contact your university counselor or student services counselor.
Degree Outcomes
Serve in a Clinical or Academic Setting at the Highest Level
Graduates of this clinical and education-focused doctoral program expand on their healthcare knowledge to teach or lead nursing education in a clinical or academic setting. Equipped with this DNP in nursing education degree, students may lead in initiating an educational intervention with current nurses and providers for changing patient outcomes to actionably impact healthcare settings beyond just elevating the knowledge level of providers. Graduates, through the vocation as both nurses and educators, will also be prepared to design and advocate for improved systems and processes that better the health, wellbeing and educational opportunities of the populations they serve. If you are an active RN who is currently practicing as a nurse educator, completion of this program may allow you to sit for the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) exam to become a CNE.
What You Will Learn
Learn to Shape Better Healthcare Systems and Delivery
Students will examine course topics such as:
- Foundations for using information systems and technology
- Insight into emerging areas of human health to make diagnostic and practice management decisions
- Scientific underpinnings and application
- Translating research into evidence-based practice
- Population management and data analysis
- Best practices for curriculum development and issues in nursing program development
The DNP in nursing leadership program concludes with a DPI project that allows students to create a project proposal centered around a chosen health care issue. You will gather, analyze and develop data with the goal to improve patient care.
Career Outcomes
Pursue an Education-Focused Career in Healthcare
Potential career opportunities include becoming a nursing education leader in practice for both patient and nursing development. Nursing educators will lead business initiatives in centers for nursing excellence, workforce development, nursing practice and education partnerships.
Graduates may transition to academic settings to become a nursing professor and work in nursing education administration college offices. Graduates may also become a dean with expanded expertise in current theoretical and scientific foundations of healthcare practice, clinical solutions and organizational change leadership.
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course introduces learners to the skills and mindset necessary for success on the doctoral journey. These skills include critical thinking and analysis, navigating resources, academic writing for the doctoral level, identifying and understanding scholarly research, and the role of the practitioner-scholar.
Course Description
This course provides the foundations for using information systems/technology to support and improve patient care and health care systems. The course is designed to provide the tools needed to manage individual and aggregate level information and use information systems/technology to evaluate programs of care, outcomes of care, and care systems using industry standards and related ethical, regulatory, and legal principles. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course. Prerequisite: DNP-801.
Course Description
Advanced nursing practice requires practice expertise and specialized knowledge in making diagnostic and practice management decisions. This science-based course gives learners insight into emerging areas of human health to improve health outcomes and establish programs of clinical excellence and emphasizes guidance and coaching of individuals and families through developmental, health-illness, and situational transitions from a holistic perspective. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course.
Course Description
This course creates a base for the application of science into advanced nursing practice and includes philosophical, ethical, and historical foundations. Nursing science frames the development of theories and concepts to guide nursing practice and determine the nature and significance of health and health care delivery phenomena. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course.
Course Description
This course focuses on a core set of skills and knowledge application activities related to the translation of research into practice, the evaluation of practice, and improvement of health care outcomes. Learners examine evidence to guide improvements in practice and outcomes of care. Literature reviews focus on gaps or tensions in the translation of research into practice. Ethical considerations are also examined in the context of health care research. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course.
Course Description
This course examines ideas that promote understanding of aggregate, community, environmental/occupational, and cultural/socioeconomic dimensions of health. Learners analyze epidemiological, biostatistical, occupational, and environmental data in the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical prevention and population health. Evidence-based recommendations for health promotion and risk reduction for individuals and families and concepts of public health are emphasized. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course.
Course Description
This course focuses on the analysis of data that is grounded in clinical practice and designed to solve practice problems or to inform practice directly. It emphasizes the use of analytic methods to critically appraise gathered evidence to determine and implement the best evidence for practice. Learners also learn to disseminate findings from evidence-based practice and research to improve health care outcomes. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course.
Course Description
This course prepares learners to develop effective strategies to ensure safety and quality health care for patients and populations and includes evaluation of health care outcomes. Learners engage in inquiry into the state of health care delivery, patient-centered care, sustainable change, and ethical principles surrounding practice. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course.
Course Description
This course explores the role of the nurse educator in higher education settings with specific emphasis on effective methods of facilitating learning and fostering critical thinking skills in diverse student populations. Learners are introduced to instructional strategies and methods grounded in evidence-based practice and learning theory and engage in the selection of appropriate strategies to facilitate learning. Learners also consider the effective integration of technology and simulation into teaching practice. Learners are expected to integrate the educational leadership competencies through completion of education practicum hours during this course. Practicum/field experience hours: 50.
Course Description
This course focuses on curriculum design and assessment of student learning outcomes in nursing education. Learners examine best practices for curriculum development, including performing needs assessments, writing learning objectives, and creating formative and summative assessments. Learners also consider selection of content and instructional strategies based on diverse student needs and collecting and employing assessment data to improve teaching and learning outcomes. Learners are expected to integrate the educational leadership competencies through completion of education practicum hours during this course. Practicum/field experience hours: 50. Prerequisite: DNP-836.
Course Description
In this course, learners examine issues related to nursing program development within the complex and highly regulated environment of nursing education. With a focus on regulatory and accrediting bodies, learners determine the best methods for designing, evaluating, and improving nursing education programs in order to meet the diverse needs of industry and other stakeholders. Learners also explore leadership issues in nursing education and the professional development and scholarly obligations of the nurse educator-scholar in the academic community. Learners are expected to integrate the educational leadership competencies through completion of education practicum hours during this course. Practicum/field experience hours: 50. Prerequisite: DNP-837.
Course Description
Advanced nursing practice requires political skills, systems thinking, and the business and financial insight needed for the analysis of practice quality and costs related to caring for the needs of a panel of patients, a target population, a set of populations, or a broad community. Learners conceptualize new interprofessional care delivery models that are based in contemporary nursing science and that are feasible within current organizational, political, cultural, and economic perspectives. Learners are expected to integrate and synthesize core program competencies and specialty practice requirements necessary to demonstrate proficiency in advanced nursing practice in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 50 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with this course.
Course Description
Learners finalize an issue in health care that will become the basis of an evidence-based research project to be carried out prior to completion of the doctoral program. Learners leave this course with a project goal/topic, a literature review, a proposed methodology, and a clear description of how addressing the issue presented will improve patient care. A project proposal is written in preparation for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. Learners are required to plan and document their learning goals and activities using the DPI Project Milestone Guide. Learners also continue work as necessary in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace to ensure that all programmatic requirements have been met. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 100 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with the three DPI Project courses. Prerequisites: DNP-801, DNP-805, DNP-810, DNP-815, DNP-820, DNP-825, DNP-830, DNP-835, and DNP-840.
Course Description
Learners submit a project for approval to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Once IRB approval is obtained, the learner conducts the project. Data is appropriately gathered for future analysis to determine if the practice investigated in the project brought about improved outcomes. Learners are required to plan and document their learning goals and activities using the DPI Project Milestone Guide. Learners also continue work as necessary in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace to ensure that all programmatic requirements have been met. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 100 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with the three DPI Project courses. Prerequisite: DNP-955.
Course Description
Data gathered during the project is analyzed and evaluated to determine the outcomes garnered by the project. A proposal for dissemination and mass implementation is created. Learners identify areas of future research and practice change for the continued improvement of health care. Learners are required to plan and document their learning goals and activities using the DPI Project Milestone Guide. Learners also continue work as necessary in the DNP Practice Immersion Workspace to ensure that all programmatic requirements have been met. Practice hours: Learners must be able to document a minimum of 100 concurrently or previously logged practice hours in association with the three DPI Project courses. Prerequisite: DNP-960.
Online
Evening
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* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program's published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution's catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who started the program in the same year and then graduated within the published program length.
Online and Evening program disclosures (31 months)* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.