Post-Master's DNP
Program Overview
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a professional doctorate designed to prepare nurses for the highest level of practice in a complex healthcare environment. In this time of major healthcare reform and concerns about the quality and safety of care, the DNP prepared nurse will be leading the way to promote improved quality, safety and access to healthcare for people across our state and nation. The TTUHSC SON DNP graduate has the scientific knowledge and practice expertise to advance quality outcomes and create access to healthcare across a multitude of settings from rural health clinics to major urban health systems.
The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is to provide a rigorous education to prepare clinical scholars who translate science to improve population health through expert leadership that powers innovation in health care for West Texas, the state, and the nation.
The DNP program curriculum is based on the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice national standards and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Practice Doctorate Nurse Practitioner Entry-Level Competencies (2006).
- AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice
- Practice Doctorate Nurse Practitioner Entry-Level Competencies
The program is designed for master's prepared nurses who are working. Classes are both on-line and in "executive sessions" over 3 - 4 days on-campus at 3 times during the semester. The TTUHSC program is 45 credit hours and can be completed over six consecutive semesters.
TOEFL Scores – Applicants from a country where the primary language is not English must provide evidence of achieving a total score of 84 or higher with a speaking score of 26 or higher and a writing score of 27 or higher on the TOEFL iBT. This may only be waived if the student has received a degree from an accredited college/university in one of the listed countries: Australia, Canada (except the Province of Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean countries (including Anguilla, Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands), Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales), United States.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon program completion, the graduate will be prepared to:
- Integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sciences to foster a culture of heaths and transform clinical practice and health care delivery systems.
- Develop and operationalize effective, culturally relevant, and evidence-based clinical practice approaches that meet current and future needs of patient populations.
- Design and implement evidence-based strategies to analyze and improve outcomes of care at the practice, system, or population levels.
- Apply, use, and evaluate health care information systems, information literacy and patient care technology to advance quality, patient safety, and organizational effectiveness.
- Facilitate interprofessional team building and collaborative leadership skills to create positive change and improve outcomes in complex health care systems.
- Exercise leadership skills to analyze, develop, influence, and implement health policies that advocate social justice, equity, and ethics within all health care arenas.
- Analyze epidemiological, biostatistical, environmental, and other appropriate scientific data to develop culturally relevant and scientifically based health promotion and disease prevention initiatives.
- Employ advanced leadership skills, systems thinking, and accountability to design, deliver and evaluate evidence-based management practices to improve patient, population and health system outcomes (Executive Leadership track).
- Employ advanced practice levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability to design, deliver, and evaluate evidence-based care to improve patient and population outcomes (Advanced Practice Nursing Track).
Admission Requirements
All DNP applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Current licensure as a registered nurse in the United States
- Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited college or university with nursing program accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or ADN to MSN degree from a regionally accredited college or university with nursing program accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
- Official transcripts from each institution of higher education attended by applicant must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar
- GPA of 3.0 or higher for master's degree
- Three letters of reference attesting to the applicant's academic ability and potential, including one from a current professional colleague
- Personal Statement
- Interview with a DNP Admissions Committee faculty member
- Current CV or resume
- Approval by a state Board of Nurse Examiners to practice as a Nurse Practitioner
- Current certification by a nationally recognized credentialing body as a Nurse Practitioner
- Minimum of one year's experience as a nurse practitioner
- BLS certification
- Minimum of one year's experience in a healthcare leadership position
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006) requires students graduating with the DNP degree have achieved 1000 clinical hours from a combination of clinical hours in the master’s program and the DNP program. Each student will achieve a minimum of 500 clinical/practice hours in the TTUHSC DNP program. The student may or may not have achieved 500 clinical hours in his/her master’s program. To ensure students meet the required minimum 1000 clinical hours, students with an MSN degree (in a field in which they did not achieve 500 clinical/practice hours) must have a portfolio review to determine an action plan for achieving the required clinical/practice hours. The additional 500 clinical/practice hours (for students who do not have 500+ clinical hours in their MSN program) is documented from a portfolio review upon entry into the DNP program and a plan will be developed to achieve any additional hours required. The portfolio may include a resume or CV, written description of the individual’s practice experience, participation in academic and specialized programs in the student’s specialty area, national certification in a specialty area, and/or or additional activities and experiences that exemplify expert practice in nursing and healthcare leadership. The clinical/practice hours accepted to meet the 500 hour requirement at the master’s level must be outside of the individual’s normal scope of paid employment.
For students with a master’s degree in a field other than nursing, a gap analysis is conducted to determine how the student has achieved competencies detailed in AACN’s The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (2012) through a combination of academic course work and nursing experience. An action plan is developed based on the gap analysis to ensure the student has the necessary competencies to be successful in the DNP program.
Application
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that their application is complete: Application Instructions
Deadlines
| Admission Term | Application Open | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | No Admission | |
| Spring | No Admission | |
| Summer | September 1 | January 15 |