DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE
Jacksonville University’s first doctoral degree, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is offered through the School of Nursing. The program began in the Fall 2011.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice is a dynamic and energetic program that prepares nurses for leadership positions in multiple domains of health care. Students gain knowledge of various disciplines including nursing, medicine, economics, informatics, education and health policy with a goal of impacting health outcomes and transforming health care delivery. The DNP is the terminal degree that prepares nurses in the application of research to clinical nursing practice at the highest individual, population and systems levels.
The JU DNP program has two cognates. The Advanced Practice cognate is designed for nurses in advanced practice specialties and has a clinical focus on individuals and populations. The Leadership cognate has an emphasis on nursing within systems and organizations. The Leadership cognate emphasizes nursing leadership at the executive level.
The JU DNP is a post Master’s program designed to accommodate the working schedules of practicing nurses. The practice-focused program may be taken full or part time. Courses are offered in a hybrid format with some evening classes and the remaining course content delivered online. JU created the DNP to be attractive to advanced practice nurses and nurse administrators and educators who are working and designed it to accommodate their schedules and allow for customization to individual interests.
DNP students interested in obtaining certification as Family Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Nurse Practitioner or Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may take NP coursework while pursuing the DNP degree. This option is considered on an individual basis and a specific course of study is designed.
Admission to the DNP program is offered on a rolling basis. Students may start the program in the Fall, Spring or Summer semesters. The admission application may be found here:
According to data released by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in 2011, enrollment in doctoral nursing programs has been rapidly increasing during the last five years, with a surge of as much as 35% last year.
Program of Study
The DNP program consists of 39-48 hours post Master’s degree. Students take 27 hours of coursework before beginning their clinical project and residency hours. The number of residency hours required is based on student clinical hours obtained during their MSN program. On average students complete approximately 270 clinical residency hours in the DNP program. The clinical practice project allows the DNP student to apply and integrate knowledge to explore or give meaning to a clinical issue or to improve patient health or outcomes in their area of specialization. Ideally students are able to integrate their clinical practice project and clinical residency experiences when possible. Course Descriptions
Core Coursework
Core coursework is as follows
All Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) students are required to complete the following coursework. Full time and Part time options are available:
DNP Core |
Code |
Course Title |
Credits |
NUR 610 |
Information Systems and Technology of Advanced Practice |
3 |
NUR 630 |
Epidemiology and Biostatistics |
3 |
NUR 650 |
Theory Application in Advanced Practice Nursing |
3 |
NUR 660 |
Ethics in Clinical Practice |
3 |
NUR 670 |
Leadership and Health Policy |
3 |
NUR 680 |
Nursing Theory and Research III |
3 |
NUR 710 |
Clinical Practice Project I |
3 |
NUR 711 |
Clinical Residency I |
1-4 (varies) |
NUR 720 |
Clinical Practice Project II |
3 |
NUR 721 |
Clinical Residency II |
1-4 (varies) |
NUR 730 |
Clinical Practice Project III |
3 |
NUR 731 |
Clinical Residency III |
1-4 (varies) |
|
|
Subtotal
30-39 |
*Options available for additional certifications in Family Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Nurse Practitioner, and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner for qualified DNP students.
Cognate Coursework
In addition, all DNP students must complete one 3-course, 9-credit hour cognate chosen from Advanced Practice or Leadership:
DNP Advanced Practice Cognate |
Code |
Course Title |
Credits |
NUR 600 |
Organizational Theory, Health Care Management, and Finance |
3 |
NUR 620 |
Advanced Diagnostic Reasoning and Treatment II |
3 |
NUR 640 |
Clinical Manifestations of Disease Process and Emerging Therapies |
3 |
|
|
Subtotal 9 |
DNP Leadership Cognate |
Code |
Course Title |
Credits |
NUR 602 |
Business of Healthcare |
3 |
NUR 622 |
Quality Management to Improve Health Outcomes |
3 |
NUR 642 |
Executive Leadership and Innovation |
3 |
|
|
Subtotal 9 |
Total hours including core and specialty cognate |
39-48 |
Admissions Requirements
Admission is open to qualified men and women of any race, color, religion, and national or ethnic origin. Graduate admission is processed through the School of Nursing. Admission to the graduate nursing program is limited. The admission process is competitive based on the following criteria:
- A $50.00 nonrefundable application fee
- Application
- Copy of current drivers license
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities.
- MSN degree from a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or National League of Nurses Accreditation Commission accredited program.
- Licensed or eligible for licensure as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner in the United States for the Advanced Practice cognate
- Licensed or eligible for licensure as a Registered Nurse in the United States for the Leadership cognate
- Three letters of reference - two clinical and one professional/academic
- Curriculum Vitae
- MSN GPA of 3.3 or higher
- Graded essay
*Students admitted to the program may not start residency hours until verification of unencumbered background check and verification of supervised clinical practice hours in graduate program specialty area.
Applicants who have successfully completed their MSN degree may apply to, and be provisionally accepted into the first year of DNP coursework while seeking ARNP or CNS certification.
Admission to the DNP degree program is selective and limited to those students who demonstrate a potential for successfully completing the program. The decision is based upon evaluation of the applicant’s undergraduate and graduate coursework, clinical and work experience, recommendations, and personal interview.
To apply for the DNP program, contact Dr. Hilary Morgan at hmorgan@ju.edu or click the links below"
All application materials for the DNP program should be addressed to:
Dr. Hilary Morgan
Jacksonville University, School of Nursing
2800 University Blvd N.
Jacksonville, FL 32211