DNP Program Overview

Course Work

To earn the DNP, post-MSN students will be required to complete 33 credit hours in the following areas: leadership, organizational systems, economics, health policy, applied research, evidence-based practice, epidemiology, clinical practicum, and capstone clinical research project.

Clinical Practicum and Capstone Project

Postmaster's DNP students must complete a minimum of 500 practicum hours.

The practicum experiences culminate in a Capstone Research Project that reflects a clinical and/or population focus as well as a strong emphasis on improving health outcomes.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

  1. Develop and evaluate new practice approaches based on theories and empirical evidence from nursing and other disciplines.
  2. Demonstrate organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement/patient safety for health care systems and populations.
  3. Design, implement and evaluate processes to improve health practices and outcomes at the institutional, local, state, regional, national, and international health delivery levels.
  4. Demonstrate leadership in the selection, use, evaluation, and design of information systems/technology for improvement and transformation of health care.
  5. Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of health policy and its impact on health outcomes at the institutional, local, state, regional, national, and international health care delivery levels.
  6. Engage in interprofessional collaboration in complex health care delivery systems.
  7. Design, implement, and evaluate care delivery models and strategies to improve population health.
  8. Demonstrate advanced levels of accountability and systems thinking to advance and uphold professional nursing values.
  9. Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability in designing, delivering, and evaluating care in complex situations.

Transfer Credits

Students will be allowed to transfer up to 12 graduate credits from an institution fully accredited to offer graduate course work. The UNMC College of Nursing's Professional Graduate Nursing Program Admissions, Progression, Graduation and Scholarship Committee will evaluate the course syllabi and materials for quality and suitability as equal to or superior to courses offered at the University of Nebraska.