Doctorate of Nursing Practice
This content is from the catalog. Contact the office of the registrar or the Graduate College to request changes.
Program Description
The DNP program in the Department of Nursing is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses at the highest clinical level. The DNP program will graduate community leaders who have the knowledge and skills to address the health disparities of vulnerable and rural populations. The program will prepare graduates to function in a variety of community and acute care health settings as primary care providers, leaders, managers, and consultants.
The Post-Master's DNP Certificate Program is a 29 credit hour online program for nurses with previous advanced practice preparation (Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Anesthetists). The online program can be completed with full-time study in 14 months (or four (4) semesters), or part-time study.
The BSN to DNP program is an 82 credit hour program that will prepare graduates to practice in the family nurse practitioner role. The program consists of both online and on-campus courses. The student is required to be licensed and complete clinical rotations in Missouri. The program will be available to students from Missouri. The program can be completed in three (3) years of full-time study. Part-time study is not an option for the BSN to DNP.
DNP Program Requirements
Completed applications will be reviewed beginning December 1 for summer admission.
The successful applicant will:
- Submit an application and meet all requirements for admission to the Graduate College at Missouri State University, including complete, official transcripts of all college programs and course work. Apply for the semester that courses will begin. This should be determined after meeting with the program director. The applicant should select the Pre-DNP program on the Graduate College application if prerequisites are needed prior to beginning the DNP program.
- Submit a separate DNP program application to the Department of Nursing. Available on the nursing website.
- Submit a $50 nonrefundable application fee to the Department of Nursing. This fee is in addition to the MSU Graduate Application Fee.
- Have graduated from an Advanced Practice Nursing program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the National League for Nursing Accreditation (NLNAC). Graduates from non-accredited program will be considered on an individual basis. (Post Master's only).
- Have graduated from a Bachelor of Science (BSN) program that is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the National League for Nursing Accreditation (NLNAC). Graduates from international nursing programs or non-accredited programs will be considered on an individual basis. (BSN to DNP only).
- Submit evidence of current certification in an area of Advanced Nursing Practice: nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, or clinical nurse specialist. (Post-Master's only).
- Complete a minimum of clinical practice experience that equates with one year of full-time experience.
- Hold a current unencumbered RN license in the state in which clinical practicums will occur within the United States. (Post-Master's only).
- Have a cumulative GPA of all previous graduate-level education course work of 3.25 (on a 4.00 scale) or above. Students who have less than a 3.25 cumulative GPA must submit verbal, quantitative, and analytical scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test (GRE). See current Graduate Catalog Admission section for minimum GRE requirements.
- Submit evidence of current health and professional liability insurance.
- Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification. Students taking CPR for the first time or whose CPR certification has expired must take a 4 hour face-to-face American Heart Association BLS Healthcare for Provider's CPR course. Online didactic course and written test are available at OnlineAHA.org for a fee for those students show need to recertify. No online practice and skills testing will be accepted.
- Complete all prerequisite courses; healthcare infomatics, epidemiology (Post-Master's only), and a graduate course in statistics with a grade of "C" or higher before the program begins. Admission will be contingent on the student completing prerequisite courses prior to enrolling in DNP courses.
- Meet the Department of Nursing technical standards of the DNP program to successfully undertake the course of study (available by request from the program).
- Submit evidence of current immunizations or immune status (MMR, Tetanus, Varicella, Hepatitis B series) and a PPD (or chest X-ray or documentation of appropriate follow up for PPD positive individuals). Individual agencies may have additional requirements.
- Be prepared to meet the technical and technology proficiency requirements for online courses.
Admission Process
For applicants with complete admission packet
- Applicant's who demonstrate a match between their project goals and the areas of expertise of the faculty will be given priority in the admission process. (Post-Masters only)
- Competitive applicants will be invited to interview with the DNP Admission Committee. An interview is required to determine the fit between the candidate's goals, and the DNP program and faculty.
Selection Factors
Admission into the Doctorate of Nursing Practice Program is highly selective and competitive, and a limited number of students will be admitted each year. Completion of all admission requirements does not ensure admission to the Program. The DNP Admission Committee will consider the following characteristics of competitive applicants:
- Academic potential to successfully complete the program within the required time frame
- Understanding of and commitment to the role of the advanced practice nurse
- Personal maturity
- Interpersonal communication skills, including written and verbal
- Quality and quantity of health care experiences
- Quality of leadership and service activities
- Capacity for performance of the technical functions and tasks required of the advanced practice nurse.
Additional Requirements of the Program
Students will be required to initiate and pay for any additional security checks and drug screenings required for placement into agencies for clinical experiences. Some agencies require annual screening and affidavits.
Admission is contingent on completing the following immediately after acceptance to the program:
1. Payment of a clinical tracking fee. See the Department of Nursing website for a full list of program costs.
2. Applicants must apply and pay for the state/federal Background Check and receive a response that the applicant has not been convicted of any crime or other disqualifications that would prohibit licensure as an advanced practice nurse or completion of clinical experiences in clinical settings.
3. Pay for and complete a urine drug screen without disqualifying offenses.
RETENTION POLICIES
To remain in the DNP program, the student must:
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 with no more than 3 credit hours of graduate work below a grade of "B" (3.00) and no hours of graduate work below a grade of "C". Receive a "pass" in all clinical evaluations.
- Not repeat more than one course.
- Complete all requirements for the program by the (a) 5th year after admission into the BSN to DNP program, or (b) 3rd year after admission into the Post-Master's program.
- Demonstrate acceptable levels of maturity and integrity, as well as behaviors and attitudes normally expected of professional nurses in advanced nursing roles.
- Demonstrate acceptable professional progression in application of skills and knowledge throughout the program.
- Maintain current Healthcare Provider Course (BLS) certification, RN licensure, health and liability insurance, and all immunizations required by clinical agencies throughout the program.
- The student must notify the Department of Nursing within 5 days in the event of any legal infractions or any actions taken against their nursing license, or any investigation of such incidences.
- While the student's grades are important, retention in the DNP program is based on a composite picture of the student's ability to perform at a satisfactory level in the academic and clinical component of the educational program.
The Department of Nursing reserves the right to refuse enrollment or program continuation to any student. This refusal will be determined by the judgment of the DNP Admission, Progression, and Graduation (APG) Committee and the Department Head of Nursing and based on the student's ability to successfully complete academic or clinical assignments or function effectively in the roles required in the DNP program. This includes the demonstration of characteristics associated with a professional nurse, including behaviors involving professionalism, ethics and integrity.
TECHNOGOLICAL REQUIREMENTS
The Missouri State University BSN-DNP Program uses a combination of online and on-campus modalities. Didactic online content is delivered using asynchronous and synchronous formats. Applicants to the DNP program must be proficient using Blackboard (or other course platform systems), word processing, spreadsheet management, and presentation graphics software. Students are expected to be able to manage files, navigate the internet, access resources, locate scholarly references from the library, use a headset/microphone, computer camera, scanner and fax machine. Students who have deficiencies in these areas must seek training before the start of the program.
The Department of Nursing uses a Blackboard course management system for all courses. Additionally, the Adobe Macromedia software is used for synchronous course offerings and other experiences. Videoconferencing may be used with Adobe Macromedia or Skype software. Access to a personal computer with broadband (Cable or DSL) connections, a web camera, microphone with headset, and a laptop computer with wireless capabilities that meet the minimal hardware is required. Our multimedia content is optimized for Internet Explorer and Firefox.
CLINICAL EXPERIENCES
Clinical experiences for BSN to DNP students are individually arranged with preceptors, who have the appropriate educational and experiential qualifications. Students can complete their clinical experiences in their local community if appropriate sites and preceptors are available. However, students may need to travel outside of the local community for clinical experiences. All clinical sites and preceptors must be approved in advance by the DNP Program Director and a contract must be established with the clinical site before any clinical experiences occur.
For the Post-Master's DNP: Students are required to be on-campus minimum of two times during the program. The date and times for these on-campus visits will be published annually, prior to the start of the academic year.
Course Requirements: Post Master's DNP (29 hrs)
Summer 1
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 800 | DNP Leadership I Concepts for EBP | 3 hrs |
| NUR 802 | Emerging Science of Advanced Practice | 2 hrs |
Fall 1
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 830 | DNP Leadership II | 3 hrs |
| NUR 820 | Social Justice and Disparities in Health | 3 hrs |
| NUR 824 | Health Policy to Improve Disparities in Health and Healthcare | 2 hrs |
| NUR 991 | Transforming Practice I | 2 hrs |
Spring 1
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 860 | DNP Leadership III | 4 hrs |
| NUR 840 | Technology for Transforming Nursing and Health Systems | 2 hrs |
| NUR 992 | Transforming Practice II | 4 hrs |
Summer 2
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 993 | Transforming Practice III | 4 hrs |
Course Requirements: BSN to DNP (82 hrs)
Summer Year 1
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 711 | Roles and Leadership | 2 hrs |
| NUR 707 | Advanced Health Assessment/Health Promotion | 2 hrs |
Fall Year 1
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 700 | Epidemiology | 3 hrs |
| NUR 701 | Nursing Science | 3 hrs |
| NUR 761 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 hrs |
| NUR 734 | Clinical Reasoning | 5 hrs |
Spring Year 1
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 765 | Applications of Pathophysiology | 2 hrs |
| NUR 772 | Advanced Nursing Research | 3 hrs |
| NUR 788 | Health Policy/Issues | 3 hrs |
| NUR 703 | Population Health | 3 hrs |
| NUR 704 | Cultural Immersion | 1 hr |
Summer Year 2
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 800 | DNP Leadership I Concepts for EBP | 3 hrs |
| NUR 802 | Emerging Science of Advanced Practice | 2 hrs |
Fall Year 2
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 830 | DNP Leadership II Impacting Disparities in Health and Healthcare | 3 hrs |
| NUR 730 | Family Practice I | 6 hrs |
| NUR 820 | Social Justice and Disparities in Health and Healthcare | 3 hrs |
Spring Year 2
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 860 | DNP Leadership III Transforming Systems | 4 hrs |
| NUR 840 | Technology for Transforming Nursing and Health Systems | 2 hrs |
| NUR 750 | Family Practice II | 6 hrs |
Summer Year 3
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 991 | Transforming Practice I | 2 hrs |
Fall Year 3
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 770 | Family Practice III | 6 hrs |
| NUR 992 | Transforming Practice II | 4 hrs |
| NUR 824 | Health Policy to Improve Disparities in Health and Healthcare | 2 hrs |
Spring Year 3
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 790 | Advanced Practice Practicum | 5 hrs |
| NUR 993 | Transforming Practice III | 4 hrs |