The Department of Nursing offers course work leading to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The DNP program is designed to prepare graduates for independent practice in advanced practice nursing specialties. The DNP graduate will possess enhanced organizational and leadership skills in health care delivery, expertise in the application of evidence-based practice to improve patient and health care outcomes, and the ability to lead inter-professional teams.
The Department offers course work leading to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree with specialization in either the Post-Master’s DNP with a focus on Leadership or entry level BSN-DNP with a focus in Nurse Anesthesia.
The DNP program is comprised of core courses that cover scientific inquiry, evidence-based practice, clinical prevention and population health, information systems, health care policy, and organizational management and leadership. These core courses provide the foundation for doctoral nursing study and are taken by all DNP students. Additionally, each student is required to take the specialty courses in their specialization. Courses for each specialization in the DNP program are listed under each specialization heading.
Health Requirements
The health requirements for the Department of Nursing are to assure that the student:
1. maintains that level of health necessary to complete the course of studies and to perform the duties of a professional advanced practice nurse;
2. is free of any illness or disease that may endanger the health and welfare of themselves and others.
The pre-clinical physical examination shall include a complete physical examination administered by a certified nurse practitioner or physician with verified evidence of the following: current negative tuberculin skin test (PPD) within previous 12 months; immunization for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis within the previous ten years; immunizations for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella OR documented laboratory immunity. Influenza vaccine is required each year for the current flu season. In addition, students are required to submit proof of Hepatitis B immunization or sign a declination form. In addition, proof of a Covid vaccine is required.
The PPD skin test must be administered every 12 months while the student is in the clinical nursing courses. Documented evidence of the test must be provided. If the PPD test is positive or the student has a history of a positive PPD, a chest X-ray or Quantiferon Gold TB laboratory test is required.
In the event that specific agencies have further requirements, it is expected that students will meet the agency’s requirements.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at the University of Scranton are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202)-887-6791.
Post-Master’s DNP
The Post-Master’s DNP program is a 30-credit program with a focus in organizational and systems leadership. In addition to coursework, each student will complete an evidence-based scholarly capstone project with significant potential to positively change health care delivery or improve patient outcomes for vulnerable patients, families, communities, or populations. Also, each student will complete clinical practice hours related to the scholarly project and /or to advance knowledge in the student’s area of specialization. Advanced nursing practice will be given credit for the clinical hours completed in their master’s specialty program and will complete additional hours to fulfill the 1000 clinical hours total required for the DNP program. The number of clinical hours required for each student will be divided between the two DNP Scholarly Project courses ( NURS 780 - DNP Scholarly Project I and NURS 790 - DNP Scholarly Project II ). A minimum of 125 hours is required in each DNP Scholarly Project course. Additional hours above the 125-hour minimum will be dependent upon the student’s prior precepted clinical experience at the master’s level.
Admission Requirements
An applicant for the Post-Master’s DNP degree program must possess a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) from a CCNE, ACEN or CNEA accredited program with preparation or certification in an advanced nursing practice specialty, have an MSN GPA of 3.2 or higher, and be licensed as a registered nurse. The applicant must submit two professional references and a three to four-page essay describing current and past clinical practice, scholarly career achievements, and the proposed topic for the scholarly project. The topic may be a practice improvement issue or a clinical management problem. The paper should cite appropriate sources where applicable and follow APA format. An interview with the program director or a faculty member to clarify goals and objectives is required. Students are admitted to the Post-Master’s DNP program for the fall semester. At this time, applicants with competency-based transcripts will not be considered.
Academic Regulations
Post-Master’s DNP students are expected to conform to the regulations stated in both The University of Scranton Graduate Studies Catalog and the Department of Nursing Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Handbook.
Post-Master’s DNP students must receive a grade of Satisfactory in the scholarly project courses ( NURS 780 - DNP Scholarly Project I and NURS 790 - DNP Scholarly Project II ). The grade is based upon both faculty and preceptor evaluations of the student’s ability to meet course objectives and demonstrate safe advanced clinical nursing practice. A grade of Unsatisfactory will result in the failure of the scholarly project course and may result in dismissal from the program.
Scheduling
The Post-Master’s DNP Courses are offered online with synchronous and asynchronous learning in each course. The Post-Master’s DNP program can be completed in 21-months. Full-time students are admitted as a cohort in fall and graduate two years later in May. Part-time students are also admitted in fall and may take up to 6 years to complete the program. Courses are taken sequentially and learning is cumulative, building to completion of the scholarly capstone project. Full-time students are expected to take two courses (six credits) per semester for five semesters, which includes the summer between the first and second years. Students wishing to complete the program on a part-time basis should meet with the program director.
Capstone
All DNP students are expected to satisfactorily complete and defend a scholarly project as the capstone experience and part of the graduation requirements.
Curriculum
Total Program Credits: 30 credits
Full-Time