Latina Brooks, PhD, CNP, FAANP, Post-Baccalaureate/APRN DNP Program Director
Jesse Honsky, DNP, MPH, RN, PHNA-BC , Post-Master's DNP Program Director
Email: dnpasst@case.edu
Phone: 216.368.1907
Degree: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Program Overview
The online Doctor of Nursing Practice Program (DNP) is available to students enrolled in the executive and educational leadership sequences. The DNP innovative academic program designed to prepare nurses for leadership positions in advanced nursing practice roles. The Post-Master's DNP program is flexible in meeting the needs of distance education students, with a remote-hybrid format and cohort model that has partnerships with institutions around the country.
The Post-Master's DNP program admits students at two different stages in order to accommodate students with diverse educational backgrounds.
- Post-Licensure DNP (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) stage: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree awarded). This entry point into the DNP program is designed for registered nurses entering the MSN program. Students who apply to the MSN and DNP programs at the same time follow a blended curriculum in which students begin taking DNP courses while in the Masters’ program. Students are awarded an MSN degree when they complete MSN requirements and then continue with additional DNP courses. After receiving the MSN degree, students may sit for the certification exam in their advanced practice specialty and then apply to a Board of Nursing for credentials to practice as an APRN. Students already enrolled in the MSN program may also apply to the DNP program during the MSN program but are required to complete courses from both programs.
- Post-Master's DNP (Practice Doctorate stage; DNP degree awarded): This stage of the DNP program prepares nurses with MSN degrees to be clinical leaders at the pinnacle of their field. Students acquire in-depth knowledge in nursing theory, inquiry, policy, and leadership. Most post-masters’ DNP students are already practicing as advanced practice nurses, administrators, or educators. There are two elective sequences available online: Education Leadership and Executive Leadership.
Learning Outcomes
- Students integrate nursing science and theory with knowledge and theory from ethics, the biophysical, psychosocial, cultural, and organizational sciences to develop and evaluate new practice approaches.
- Students demonstrate leadership in the development and evaluation of care delivery approaches that meet current and future needs of patient populations from findings of nursing and other clinical sciences, as well as organizational, political and economic sciences.
- Students develop and evaluate effective strategies and ensure accountability for leading organizations, addressing quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, and managing ethical dilemmas inherent in patient care and research.
- Students use analytic methods to critically appraise existing evidence to determine best practices.
- Students apply relevant findings and use quality improvement methods to develop recommendations to improve practice and the practice environment.
- Students disseminate findings from evidence-based practice and research to improve health care outcomes.
- Students evaluate programs that monitor outcomes of care, care systems, and quality improvement including consumer use of health care information systems.
- Students provide leadership in the evaluation and resolution of ethical and legal issues within health care systems relating to the use of information, information technology, communication networks and patient care technology.
- Students demonstrate leadership in the critical appraisal, development, and/or implementation of institutional, local, state, federal, and international health policy.
- Students collaborate using communication, consultative, and leadership skills, with intraprofessional and interprofessional teams to improve quality and safety in health care.
- Students analyze scientific data and synthesize concepts related to clinical prevention and population health in developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to address health promotion and disease prevention efforts.
Program Requirements
Progression
Progression in the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program is contingent upon satisfactory academic achievement in all required courses.
Doctor of Nursing Practice students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above in all courses taken for credit as a DNP student at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing to be awarded the DNP degree. In addition, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) students in the DNP program must maintain an APRN GPA of 3.0 or higher in all APRN core courses (advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced physical assessment) and APRN clinical courses. All DNP students must successfully complete an oral presentation of their DNP project.
A grade of “I” (Incomplete) in a course is awarded when a student is meeting expectations in that course, is earning a passing grade, and due to extenuating circumstances is unable to complete a portion of the work on time for grade submission. This must be pre-arranged with course faculty, before the date on which grades are due. If a student receives a grade of “I” they have until the 11th week of the following semester to complete the outstanding work. In this case the “I” will convert to the grade earned. If a student does not complete the outstanding work by the 11th week of the following semester, in accordance with University policy, the grade will be converted to a failing grade (“F” or “NP”). Please refer to the full Incomplete policy in the School of Graduate Studies section of the Bulletin.
If a student receives a grade of “F” or “NP” as the final grade in a required course, that grade will be entered on the transcript. The student will be required to repeat the course during the next semester in which the course is offered and will not be allowed to enroll in other courses for which the failed course is a prerequisite.
DNP Project
The DNP program culminates in successful completion of the DNP project. The DNP project is designed by the student in collaboration with a three-member committee approved by the Program Director. The project must focus on a practice issue related to improving patient outcomes. The written product can take the form of a written report or a manuscript suitable for publication. The procedures and written report must conform to the regulations of the FPB School of Nursing.
Students must successfully present their completed DNP project in an oral presentation with their committee members who are responsible for certifying that it meets acceptable scholarly standards. The final presentation is conducted on campus, in-person. The presentation is open to faculty and students; the chair determines whether the defense is open to those outside of the University. The committee determines the adequacy of the oral presentation and written product. A student will pass if two or more of the committee members agree that the student successfully responded to questions during the oral presentation and the written product met scholarly standards.
Completion of Program
Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice program (PMDNP) students have five years to complete the program. In unusual circumstances, students may petition the Program Director for individual consideration of this policy.
If a student does not register for courses without an approved LOA for two years (Fall & Spring), it will be necessary for the student to apply to be reinstated in the program. The student should submit the Post-Master’s DNP application form, essays and one recent recommendation. The essays should address how the student plans to be successful in completing the program. The student should contact the advisor to determine if the advisor agrees with the plan and the advisor and Program Director will make the decision about the need to repeat coursework. Please refer to the School of Graduate Studies’ Leave of Absence Policy and absence for maternity/paternity leaves and military service.
The France Payne Bolton School of Nursing has a unique approach to "distance" learning. Most classes are held in an Intensive Format, meeting for a specified number of days synchronously online. Intensive sessions are offered in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. For example, a 3 credit hour course will meet for 5-6 days. Papers and projects are due during the semester following the intensive session. In addition, 3 courses are taught asynchronously online throughout the entire semester. Students will come to campus for their elective sequence courses. NUND 619 and NUND 620 are arranged with the advisor and NUND 611 is arranged with the advisor and preceptor/s.
DNP Curriculum
The DNP curriculum listed below is intended for Post-Master's DNP students. Each student is expected to satisfactorily complete the Required Courses AND the two courses listed for one Elective Sequence.
Students completing the MSN/DNP Program should refer to that curriculum. The Nurse Anesthesia DNP Curriculum can be found below the Post-Master's DNP Curriculum.
Students in the Post Master's DNP executive and educational leadership elective sequences will complete core classes in a remote format. The majority of courses are offered synchronously and three courses are offered asynchronously. Students are also required to come to campus for immersion experiences, up two times over the duration of the program.
Required Courses
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| NUND 450 | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| NUND 504 | Theories for Nursing Practice and Scholarship | 3 |
| NUND 506 | Leadership in Organizations and Systems | 3 |
| NUND 508 | Health Care Policy | 3 |
| NUND 510 | Application of Health Information Technology and Systems | 1 |
| NUND 540 | Practice Focused Inquiry I | 3 |
| NUND 541 | Practice-Focused Inquiry II | 3 |
| NUND 610 | Translating Evidence into Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NUND 611 | DNP Practicum | 2 |
| NUND 619 | DNP Project Proposal Development | 2 |
| NUND 620 | DNP Project Implementation | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 29 |
Elective Sequence Requirements
Educational Leadership
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| NUND 509 | Foundations of Leadership in Nursing Education | 3 |
| NUND 609 | Systems Leadership in Educational Practice | 2 |
Executive Leadership
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| NUND 512 | Advanced Leadership and Management in Health Care Organizations | 2 |
| NUND 612 | Transformational Leadership in Executive Nursing Practice | 3 |
