Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree in Systems-Level Leadership

Program Overview

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The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is an online doctoral degree program with a specialty area in Systems-Level Leadership that can be completed in 12 to 24 months. To complete the program in 12 months, students enroll in two 3-credit courses each term for six consecutive terms. A second option allows students to enroll in one 3-credit course each term and complete the program in 24 months. The program prepares students to lead healthcare organizations.

Program Highlights:

• All courses are offered online
• Access to courses 24/7
• Six terms per year
• No physical campus visits required
• Full-time program - 12 months
• Part-time program - 24 months
• Up to 9 doctoral-level credits may be transferred toward the DNP
• High-quality, affordable DNP program

The 36-credit program focuses on the improvement of evidence-based outcomes using theoretical knowledge and system-level initiatives to advance nurses to the highest level of nursing practice. The program prepares nursing leaders with competencies in advanced nursing practice, organizational leadership, economics and finance, healthcare policy and technology.

Learn how Dr. Susan Utterback went from our DNP program to her dream job.

View our DNP Student Handbook 

Download our Degree Program Profile Sheet for an overview of our DNP Program. 

Admission Requirements

• MSN degree from an institutionally accredited higher education institution recognized under the TESU Transfer Credit Policy and Guidelines and a nationally accredited school of nursing. (CCNE, CNEA or ACEN) or BSN degree from a nationally accredited school of nursing and master's degree in a related discipline from an institutionally accredited higher education institution recognized under the TESU Transfer Credit Policy and Guidelines.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the master’s program
• Names and contact information for two academic and/or professional references
• Well-written statement of background and goals and an essay (instructions)
• Relevant professional work experience recommended
• Current valid active license in the United States or United States Territory where the DNP project will be completed is required
• Current résumé

After students have completed the application, it should be uploaded with all supporting documents.

Application Deadlines:

• Ongoing. Students can begin courses in any of the six annual 8-week terms.

Credit Transfer

• A maximum of 9 doctoral level credit hours may be transferred into the DNP program from another DNP program. The allowance of credits will be based on syllabi review by the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions.
• A minimum of 27 DNP level credit hours must be completed at TESU in the DNP program to earn the DNP degree from TESU.
• Courses transferred into the DNP program must have been completed at an institutionally accredited higher education institution recognized under the TESU Transfer Credit Policy and Guidelines and a nationally accredited school of nursing (CCNE, CNEA, or ACEN).
• Courses transferred into the DNP program must have been completed at an equivalent accredited international institution of higher education and an equivalent accredited international school of nursing, if credits were earned outside the U.S.
• Courses transferred into the DNP program must have been completed within five years of enrollment in the TESU program.

Program Progression

• A minimum of 1,000 post baccalaureate supervised clinical hours must be completed for the DNP degree; a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours must be completed during the DNP program at TESU. Students are required to complete more than 500 hours at TESU. 
• DNP students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in the DNP program. 
• Students may not accrue clinical hours during a term when they are not enrolled in a DNP program.
• Students must earn a minimum grade of B to receive credit for a DNP course.  Students may only repeat two DNP courses per TESU graduate policy.
• The program must be completed within five years of admission into the program.
• The School reserves the right to remove any student from the DNP program who exhibits unprofessional behavior or violates the Academic Code of Conduct.

Graduation Requirements

• DNP students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good standing at TESU to be certified for graduation.
• DNP students must complete the program within five years. 
• A minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate supervised clinical hours must be completed for the DNP degree; a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours must be completed during the DNP program at TESU.  

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Thomas Edison State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

 

 

 

 

Courses Full-Time Option

Full-Time 12-Month Option Sample Course Sequence

Term I:

NUR-7630	Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology	3
NUR-8000	DNP Role Development	3

Term II:

NUR-8050	Scholarly Inquiry: The Basis for Evidence-Based Practice	3
NUR-9020*	Scholarly Immersion I: Project Identification and Mentored Practicum	3

*Practicum preceptor and site approval, as well as CITI Ethics training, are required before enrollment in this course.

Term III:

NUR-8200	Integrating and Evaluating Population Health in Advanced Nursing Practice	3
NUR-8320	Organizational and Systems Leadership I	3

Term IV:

NUR-8100	Health, Healthcare Policy, and Politics	3
NUR-8420	Organizational and Systems Leadership II	3

Term V:

NUR-8250	Health Economics and Finance	3
NUR-9120**	Scholarly Immersion II: Project Management and Mentored Practicum	3

**IRB approvals from the practicum facility, and TESU, are required before enrollment in this course.

Term VI:

NUR-8150	Information Systems and Technology Impacting Healthcare Delivery	3
NUR-9220	Scholarly Immersion III: Project Completion and Mentored Practicum	3

Total Credit Hours: 36

Courses Part-Time Option Sample Course Sequence

Part-Time 24-Month Option

Check with associate dean for graduate nursing course sequence.

Term I:

NUR-8000

DNP Role Development

3

Term II:

NUR-7630

Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology

3

Term III:

NUR-8050

Scholarly Inquiry: The Basis for Evidence-Based Practice

3

Term IV:

NUR-8100

Health, Healthcare Policy, and Politics

3

Term V:

NUR-8200

Integrating and Evaluating Population Health in Advanced Nursing Practice

3

Term VI:

NUR-8320

Organizational and Systems Leadership I

3

Term VII:

NUR-8420

Organizational and Systems Leadership II

3

Term VIII:

NUR-9020*

Scholarly Immersion I: Project Identification and Mentored Practicum

3

*Practicum preceptor and site approval, as well as CITI Ethics training, are required before enrollment in this course.

Term IX:

NUR-8250

Health Economics and Finance

3

Term X:

NUR-8150

Information Systems and Technology Impacting Healthcare Delivery

3

Term XI:

NUR-9120**

Scholarly Immersion II: Project Management and Mentored Practicum

3

** IRB approvals from the practicum facility, and TESU, are required before enrollment in this course.

Term XII:

NUR-9220

Scholarly Immersion III: Project Completion and Mentored Practicum

3

Total Credit Hours: 36

AACN The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021)	DNP Program Learning Outcomes
Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice Descriptor: Integration, translation, and application of established and evolving disciplinary nursing knowledge and ways of knowing, as well as knowledge from other disciplines, including a foundation in liberal arts and natural and social sciences. This distinguishes the practice of professional nursing and forms the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.	Apply interprofessional knowledge in the advanced nursing care to patients, families, and communities to enact clinical judgement and innovation in nursing practice.
Domain 2: Person-Centered Care Descriptor: Person-centered care focuses on the individual within multiple complicated contexts, including family and/or important others. Person-centered care is holistic, individualized, just, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate. Person-centered care builds on a scientific body of knowledge that guides nursing practice regardless of specialty or functional area.	Evaluate person-centered care to advance nursing care for patients, families, and communities to promote positive health outcomes.
Domain 3: Population Health Descriptor: Population health spans the healthcare delivery continuum from public health prevention to disease management of populations and describes collaborative activities with both traditional and non-traditional partnerships from affected communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others for the improvement of equitable population health outcomes.	Apply epidemiological methods and interprofessional evidence-based practices to improve population health outcomes.
Domain 4: Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline Descriptor: The generation, synthesis, translation, application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge to improve health and transform health care.	Develop and apply evidence-based nursing care for patients, families, and communities to improve and transform health care.
Domain 5: Quality and Safety Descriptor: Employment of established and emerging principles of safety and improvement science. Quality and safety, as core values of nursing practice, enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.	Ensure the advancement of nursing care to patients, families, and communities by promoting quality and safety.
Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships Descriptor Intentional collaboration across professions and with care team members, patients, families, communities, and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.	Coordinate interprofessional partnerships to deliver advanced nursing care to patients, families, and communities to optimize outcomes.
Domain 7: Systems-Based Practice Descriptor Responding to and leading within complex systems of health care. Nurses effectively and proactively coordinate resources to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations	Lead advanced nursing care to patients, families, and communities to obtain equitable outcomes.
Domain 8: Informatics and Healthcare Technologies Descriptor: Information and communication technologies and informatics processes are used to provide care, gather data, form information to drive decision making, and support professionals as they expand knowledge and wisdom for practice. Informatics processes and technologies are used to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards.	Apply and advance technology to enhance the delivery and outcomes of nursing care.
Domain 9: Professionalism Descriptor: Formation and cultivation of a sustainable professional identity, including accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition, and comportment, that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values.	Integrate professionalism in advanced nursing care with patients, families, and communities to reflect the nursing Code of Ethics and standards of practice.
Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development Descriptor: Participation in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, resilience, and well-being; contribute to lifelong learning; and support the acquisition of nursing expertise and the assertion of leadership.	Cultivate a capacity of personal health, well-being, lifelong learning and leadership to optimize nursing care for patients, families, and communities.