Doctor of Nursing Practice for MSN Holders
Description
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is carefully designed for experienced, advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders. With a strong focus on Professional Practice Leadership, our program develops nursing leaders who improve health care outcomes in clinical practice, research and management. We offer a blended learning format, allowing our students to fit course requirements around their schedules.
Learning Outcomes
Our DNP program will prepare students to:
- Integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, the biophysical, psychosocial, analytical and organizational sciences.
- Demonstrate leadership in organizations and health care systems to promote safe and efficient care delivery to both individuals and populations.
- Conduct practice-based research and evidence-based quality improvements.
- Utilize technology and informatics to improve health care and to implement change in health care systems.
- Design, influence and implement health care policies that affect health care financing, practice regulation, access to care, safety, quality, and efficacy of care.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary professionals and teams to improve patient and population health outcomes.
- Assume a leadership role in the design of evidence-based interventions that enhance clinical prevention and population health.
(Adapted from the AACN Doctoral Essentials [2006])
Admission Requirements
- MS in nursing or a related Master's degree (3.5 graduate GPA) from a regionally accredited U.S. post-secondary institution.
- Evidence of RN licensure in good standing and board certification in the U.S. (notarized copies of certification/license) in an advanced practice specialty (NP, CNS, CNM, CRNA) or experience (at least two years post-Master's) as a nurse manager/nurse executive. Board certification in management (CENP, CNML) is preferred but not required for nurse managers.
- Applicants must have taken an undergraduate statistics course at a regionally accredited U.S. post-secondary institution within 7 years prior to the application deadline. The course must be equal to a semester in length and a grade of B or better is required. The course may be in progress at the time of application but cannot be completed after acceptance or enrollment in the DNP program, as it is an admission requirement.
DNP - Executive Leadership Track
The Doctor of Nursing Practice - Executive Leadership Track includes 252 total clinical hours, 43 credit hours, and a minimum of 248 DNP Project hours.
Former Simmons MSN students who completed NURP 589 and NURP 450 during their program may waive NURP 660 and NURP 670 if taken within the past 5 years.
Full Time Course Sequence
Term 1
| NURP 600 | Arrive & Thrive: Leadership Strategies for Nurse Leaders & Advanced Practice Nurses | 1 |
| NURP 640 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 |
| NURP 660 | Evidence-Based Practice: Informatics | 2 |
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
| NURP 610 | Scholarly Writing | 2 |
| MGMT 507 | Health Care Negotiations and Problem-Solving | 3 |
Term 5
Term 6
| NURP 750B | DNP Project Seminar II | 2 |
| NURP 680 | Social Justice and Ethical Leadership in Global Health Care | 3 |
| NURP 680A | Social Justice Clinical Course | 2 |
Term 7
| NURP 750C | DNP Project Seminar III | 2 |
| NURP 751E | DNP Symposium - Executive Leadership | 2 |
| AND | |
| One of the following: | |
| MGMT 508 | Leadership and Change | 3 |
| OR | |
| HPED 521 | Learning Theory and Practice | 3 |
Part-Time Course Sequence
Term 1
Term 2
| NURP 600 | Arrive & Thrive: Leadership Strategies for Nurse Leaders & Advanced Practice Nurses | 1 |
| NURP 660 | Evidence-Based Practice: Informatics | 2 |
| NURP 675 | Quality Improvement in Health Care | 3 |
Term 3
Term 4
| NURP 680 | Social Justice and Ethical Leadership in Global Health Care | 3 |
| NURP 680A | Social Justice Clinical Course | 2 |
Term 5
Term 6
| MGMT 507 | Health Care Negotiations and Problem-Solving | 3 |
| NURP 750A | DNP Project Seminar I | 2 |
Term 7
Term 8
| NURP 750C | DNP Project Seminar III | 2 |
| NURP 751E | DNP Symposium - Executive Leadership | 2 |
| AND | |
| One of the following: | |
| MGMT 508 | Leadership and Change | 3 |
| OR | |
| HPED 521 | Learning Theory and Practice | 3 |
DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner Track
The Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner includes 65 credit hours and 756 total clinical hours.
Former Simmons MSN students who completed NURP 589 and NURP 450 during their program may waive NURP 660 and NURP 670 if taken within the past 5 years. Current APRNs may waive CHSO 404, NURP 424, and NURP 530 if they successfully completed (with a grade of B or better) a three-credit course taught across the lifespan in Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Health Assessment.
Full-Time Course Sequence
Term 1
Term 2
| MGMT 508 | Leadership and Change | 3 |
| NURP 424 | Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURP 505 | Family Theory: Health & Illness | 2 |
| NURP 675 | Quality Improvement in Health Care | 3 |
Term 3
Term 4
| NURP 610 | Scholarly Writing | 2 |
| NURP 561 | FNP I: Adult Gerontology in Primary Care I | 2 |
| NURP 562 | FNP II: Women’s Health in Primary Care | 2 |
| NURP 563 | FNP III: Pediatrics in Primary Care | 2 |
| NURP 534 | Immersion & Clinical Qualification Course | 1 |
Term 5
| NURP 564 | FNP IV: Adult Gerontology in Primary Care II | 2 |
| NURP 565 | FNP V: Behavioral Health in Primary Care | 2 |
| NURP 510 | FNP Clinical Decision-Making I | 2 |
| NURP 750A | DNP Project Seminar I | 2 |
Term 6
Term 7
Part-Time Course Sequence
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
| NURP 424 | Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURP 505 | Family Theory: Health & Illness | 2 |
| NURP 675 | Quality Improvement in Health Care | 3 |
Term 4
Term 5
| NURP 561 | FNP I: Adult Gerontology in Primary Care I | 2 |
| NURP 562 | FNP II: Women’s Health in Primary Care | 2 |
| NURP 670 | Health Policy | 3 |
Term 6
| NURP 563 | FNP III: Pediatrics in Primary Care | 2 |
| NURP 564 | FNP IV: Adult Gerontology in Primary Care II | 2 |
| NURP 610 | Scholarly Writing | 2 |
| NURP 534 | Immersion & Clinical Qualification Course | 1 |
Term 7
Term 8
Term 9
DNP - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse
Practitioner Track
The Doctor of Nursing Practice - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner includes 67 hours and 756 total clinical hours.
Former Simmons MSN students who completed NURP 589 and NURP 450 during their program may waive NURP 660 and NURP 670 if taken within the past 5 years. Current APRNs may waive CHSO 404, NURP 424, and NURP 530 if they successfully completed (with a grade of B or better) a three-credit course taught across the lifespan in Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Health Assessment.
Full-Time Course Sequence
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
| NURP 426 | Clinical Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURP 540 | Neurobiology & Differential Diagnosis of Mental Disorders | 2 |
| NURP 541 | PMHNP I: Psychotherapy Across the Lifespan | 2 |
| NURP 542 | PMHNP II: Diagnosis & Management | 2 |
| NURP 534P | PMHNP Immersion & Clinical Qualification Course | 1 |
Term 5
Term 6
Term 7
Part-Time Sequence
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
| NURP 424 | Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURP 610 | Scholarly Writing | 2 |
| NURP 675 | Quality Improvement in Health Care | 3 |
Term 4
Term 5
| NURP 426 | Clinical Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURP 540 | Neurobiology & Differential Diagnosis of Mental Disorders | 2 |
| NURP 541 | PMHNP I: Psychotherapy Across the Lifespan | 2 |
Term 6
| NURP 542 | PMHNP II: Diagnosis & Management | 2 |
| NURP 543 | PMHNP III: Diagnosis & Management | 3 |
| NURP 544 | PMHNP IV: SMI & Addictions Medicine | 2 |
| NURP 534P | PMHNP Immersion & Clinical Qualification Course | 1 |
Term 7
Term 8
Term 9