Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

The online Doctor of Nursing Practice degree enables the graduates to transform the health care delivery system and design new systems to improve the context in which health care is offered. Nurses prepared at the DNP level will function from strong evidence based foundation, effectively assessing health care policy, organizational effectiveness, and economic trends in health care to design new models for patient care services. The practice doctorate is designed for nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice, and offers an alternative to research focused doctoral programs. In accordance with the DNP Essentials (AACN, 2006), 1,000 advanced practice post-BSN practice hours must be documented to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Duquesne's DNP builds on the student's master's degree. The number of practice hours a student is awarded is based on faculty review of official transcripts, course descriptions, and feedback from schools. A total of 500 hours may be awarded to the student from their Master's degree program. The accepted hours must be from courses that are listed on an official transcript from a nationally accredited institution and must demonstrate scholarly rigor and critical engagement with subjects relevant to the DNP competencies. All DNP Students are required to complete a minimum of 500 practice hours in the DNP Program. A DNP Residency is also a graduation requirement. Residency experiences are individualized and based on the student's unique professional goals. DNP Program Outcomes - The graduate of the DNP program will: Demonstrate effective clinical judgment through the synthesis and interpretation of multiple data sources and the efficient use of multidisciplinary collaborative approaches. Function as a morale advocate for patients, families, and communities, advancing their empowerment in complex situations. Model astute awareness of patient and family needs, anticipating their changing requirements and ensuring patient comfort and safety in all care planning. Actively seek opportunities to teach, mentor, and facilitate the professional development of colleagues. Develop, integrate, and foster strategies to address issues within the system to enhance patient care services and outcomes. Integrate system-wide responses to health care diversity requirements among patients and staff. Develop creative educational programs for the system to address patient needs, staff development, and student achievement. Foster the exploration of new knowledge to address issues in the delivery of health care, especially nursing care. Advocate for culturally competent environments and systems of care. Sponsor and model ethical decision making in all aspects of practice with the self, patient, family, community, and health care delivery systems.