Advanced practice registered nurses who are Master's-prepared can enroll in the online DNP completion program. They will gain additional knowledge and clinical expertise in a defined area of advanced nursing practice. Core knowledge in the scientific, philosophical, ethical, health policy, and business aspects of clinical practice will provide a foundation for the DNP on-campus residencies and final project. The program requires completion of a minimum of 30 credits.

NURS 700: Theoretical Foundations for Doctor of Nursing Practice (3 credits)
This course focuses on examining philosophical and scientific knowledge development in nursing practice and the implications for practice. Emphasis will be on the analysis, critique, and application of nursing middle-range and other related theories to nursing practice. (DNP Essential I)

NURS 710: Population-Focused Care (3 credits)
This course focuses on developing and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention interventions targeting population-based health. The environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural context of health behaviors will be explored. The use of epidemiology and evidence-based research to inform clinical prevention programs and policy solutions for population health disparities is emphasized. (DNP Essential VII) Prerequisite or Co-requisite: NURS 700

NURS 720: Evidence Synthesis for Practice (3 credits)
This course will address how to identify answerable questions relevant to the role of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). The student will identify specific patient/client problems or situations and critically appraise types of data generated through research in both qualitative and quantitative traditions. The focus is on evaluating the adequacy of research questions, methodologies, and the presentation of findings. The DNP will be prepared to use epidemiological data to identify the causes of disease and to evaluate health services. In addition, the course emphasizes an examination of knowledge transformation, including the systematic search for research evidence to answer researchable questions and the synthesis of evidence for knowledge translation across a body of research. (DNP Essential III) Prerequisite: NURS 710

NURS 730: Clinical Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (3 credits)
This course emphasizes the steps involved in the development of a business plan for creation of a new clinical service or program or a clinical practice. Students will conduct a needs assessment, develop mission and values statements, create the program design, conduct a financial and legal analysis, and design evaluation strategies and measures. (DNP Essentials II, II, IV, V) Prerequisites: NURS 700 and NURS 710

NURS 740: Quality Improvement, Information Management, and Leadership in Health Care (3 credits)
This course emphasizes strategic planning and management, systems and organizational theories, quality improvement, and information management. It acquaints students with the processes, tools, and techniques of strategic planning that will enable them to manage patient populations and to contribute effectively to strategic thinking and action in health systems. The course focuses on leadership and the process of health care delivery from a systems perspective, emphasizing continuous process improvement as crucial to achieving high quality outcomes. (DNP Essentials II and IV) Prerequisites: NURS 700 and NURS 710

NURS 750: Health Policy and Advocacy (3 credits)
This course emphasizes the leadership role of the DNP in influencing health policy makers and health policy development emphasizing interprofessional collaboration. The effect of nursing scholarship on health policy and advocacy will be explored. The regulatory and ethical environments that impact DNP practice are examined considering social justice and Ignatian values. Strategies for designing and leading the implementation of public, professional, and institutional policies relating to local, regional, national, and international health care and its delivery are considered. (DNP Essentials V, VI) Prerequisites: NURS 700 and NURS 710

NURS 701: Integrative Application of Evidence-Based Practice I (3 credits)
 This practicum course provides the student an opportunity to work within a practice setting to begin to design his or her scholarly project. The student also begins to establish the expanded advanced nursing DNP role focusing on a population of interest. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum experience. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Prerequisites: NURS 700 and NURS 710, Corequisite: NURS 761

NURS 702: Integrative Application of Evidence-Based Practice II (3 credits)
This practicum course provides the student an opportunity to work within a practice setting to begin to design his or her scholarly project. The student also begins to establish the expanded advanced nursing DNP role focusing on a population of interest. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum experience.  (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Prerequisite: NURS 701 and NURS 761, Corequisite: NURS 762

NURS 703: Application of Evidence-Based Practice III (3 credits
 The DNP student continues to work with a faculty mentor to implement his or her scholarly project. The student also establishes the expanded advanced nursing DNP role focusing on a population of interest. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum experience. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Prerequisite: NURS 702 and NURS 762 Corequisite: NURS 763

NURS 704: Application of Evidence-Based Practice IV (3 credits)
In this final practicum course, the DNP student completes the implementation and evaluation of his or her scholarly project. The student also completes the final written report of the project and disseminates the findings through preparation of a bound document or a manuscript suitable for a peer-reviewed publication along with an abstract that is submitted for a podium or poster presentation at a major conference. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum experience. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Prerequisites: NURS 703 and NURS 763 Corequisite: NURS 764

NURS 761: Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar I (2 credits)
This is the first of a series of four seminars that provide the DNP student with mentored opportunities to identify a practice issue and develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate an independent, analytic, scholarly project focusing on problems of advanced nursing practice within specific populations. Each seminar course builds on the knowledge and practice expertise of the DNP student, culminating in the completion of a scholarly project. The range of projects will be varied as they relate to the DNP student's unique area of nursing, e.g., quality improvement, analyzing policy, designing and using databases, designing and evaluating new models of care, collaboration with researchers to answer clinical questions, program development, implementation, and evaluation. The student also examines the DNP role in relation to clinical scholarship and leadership. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Prerequisites: NURS 700 and NURS 710, Corequisite: NURS 701

NURS 762: Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar II (2 credits)
The DNP student refines the design of his or her scholarly project, including the data collection and evaluation plans. Students must successfully complete an oral defense of the planned project prior to beginning implementation. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX)  Prerequisites: NURS 761 and 701, Corequisite: NURS 702

NURS 763 Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar III (1 credit)
The DNP student continues to refine the evidence-based scholarly project specific to a population of interest within a practice setting. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX)  Prerequisites: NURS 762 and 702, Corequisite: NURS 703

NURS 764: Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar IV (1 credit)
In this final seminar course, the student will present the final defense of his or her scholarly project through an oral presentation that addresses the topic of interest, the development and implementation of the project, how it addressed the needs of a selected population, and an evaluation of the project and outcomes. Students will apply knowledge and skills obtained in the didactic and integrative courses to address the ethical, legal, financial, and organizational aspects of the scholarly project. Prerequisites: NURS 763 and 703 Corequisite: NURS 704