Doctor of Nursing Practice Program (DNP) Online

DIRECTOR: Ann H. Cary, Ph.D., MPH, RN OFFICE: 205 Stallings Hall
COORDINATOR OF THE POST-MASTER'S DNP PROGRAM: Gwendolyn George, DNP, FNP-BC OFFICE: 120 Stallings Hall
COORDINATOR OF THE POST-BSN TO DNP PROGRAM: Cynthia Collins, Ph.D., ANP-BC, GNP OFFICE: 114 Stallings Hall

WEB PAGE: css.loyno.edu/nursing/

The DNP program comprises two post masters to DNP tracks and one post BSN to DNP track. The post masters to DNP track is for currently certified Nurse Practitioners or masters prepared nurses seeking executive leadership. Students can choose one of two plans of study depending on their career goals: post masters to DNP for Nurse Practitioners with an emphasis in Integrated Behavioral Health; or, post masters to DNP to prepare you as an executive nurse leader. The post BSN to DNP track prepares BSN nurses to be family nurse practitioners with an emphasis on incorporating comprehensive behavioral health components. Graduates of the post BSN to DNP program are eligible to apply for certification as a family nurse practitioner.

Mission of the Doctor of Nursing (DNP) Practice Program

The mission of the DNP program is congruent with the philosophy and organizing framework of the School of Nursing and flows from the mission statement of the College of Social Sciences and the statement of purpose of Loyola University New Orleans. The mission of the DNP program is to provide a rigorous Jesuit education: to prepare advance nursing practice leaders to direct health care systems and interprofessional teams; to refine critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills to reduce health disparities and advance quality of care; to translate the science of nursing and health care to clinical practice; and to execute new practice options for doctorally prepared nurses in health care systems.

Accreditation 

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (2006-2016): School of Nursing Accredited by NLNAC (2007-2015).

Goals of the DNP Program

The goals of the DNP program are as follows:

1. Prepare advanced nursing practice leaders in doctoral nursing education in the Jesuit tradition of social justice.
2. Prepare advanced nursing practice leaders to improve and extend health care to diverse populations.
3. Prepare advanced nursing practice leaders to evaluate scientific knowledge to ensure quality and improve outcomes in health care systems.
4. Prepare advanced nursing practice leaders to promote culturally relevant health care to reduce health disparities.
5. Prepare advanced nursing practice leaders to demonstrate information literacy to improve and transform health care.\
6. Prepare advanced nursing practice leaders to influence health care policy.

Objectives of the DNP Program

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

1. Analyze critical practice and system elements to provide comprehensive and ethically defensible health care delivery;
2. Design systems of care recognizing organizational dynamics and independent and interprofessional practices, which result in improved health status for populations;
3. Demonstrate leadership that facilitates health care system changes in practice delivery, resulting in improved quality of care;
4. Evaluate new practice approaches based on the critical appraisal and integration of nursing and interprofessional sciences;
5. Use best available evidence to assure quality in clinical practice;
6. Lead the development of culturally relevant systems;
7. Evaluate system influences which can remediate health disparities globally;
8. Demonstrate information literacy in complex health care decision-making;
9. Provide leadership for health care that shapes health care financing, policy, regulation, ethics, and delivery.

Admission Requirements For The Post-Masters DNP Program

Admission into the DNP program is competitive. Students are admitted into the DNP program based on a review of all materials provided to the School of Nursing faculty. Students will be admitted unconditionally.

DNP Admission Criteria

Loyola University offers an online DNP program for Post-Masters students in two tracks:

1. Nurse Practitioner track: applicants must hold current license and certification as a nurse practitioner in one of the following areas:
   1. Adult
   2. Family
   3. Gerontology
   4. Pediatrics
   5. Women’s Health
2. Executive Leadership track: applicants must have a master’s degree in nursing and have an interest in Executive Leadership.
   Students are admitted as a cohort for this 38-60 credit program. The number of credits will be determined by transcript evaluation to provide credit for supervised practice hours taken at the master’s level. This program is online with students coming to campus for 1 week in April prior to summer classes each year and prior to graduation to defend their capstone project.

As a condition of the application process, all applicants must provide the following:

1. A completed application to our D.N.P. program
2. BSN or equivalent and master’s in nursing from a school accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
3. Official transcripts from each degree-granting college or university attended.
4. Copies of current, unencumbered RN license and advanced practice license (if applicable), in the state in which all clinical practica for this program will occur.
5. Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher on earned graduate degree course work.
6. Minimum of one year’s recent post-master’s work experience.
7. Three letters of recommendation from persons knowledgeable about the applicant’s aptitude for doctoral study, such as former professors.
8. Copy of a current Basic Cardio Life Support (BCLS).
9. Two page type-written, double-spaced essay must be submitted online when filling out an application, addressing three areas: 1) description of goals for doctoral study, 2) research translation area of interest for the capstone project, and 3) career goals.
10. Formal in-person interview with one or more Loyola School of Nursing faculty members.
11. Prior to admission or as a condition of progression, evidence of completion of a 3 credit hour graduate-level statistics course with an earned grade of C or better prior to NURS 920 Biostatistics.**
12. Transcript evaluation will determine practice hours credited to master’s program.
13. Certified Background Check: Sixty days prior to enrollment, you are required to apply for a certified background review, at your expense, by a provider designated (www.backgroundcheck.com) by Loyola University New Orleans (School Code: LO22) with the results reported to Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing.

** Graduate-level statistics course must be taken prior to the Spring term of the first year.

A deposit will be required when a student accepts an offer of admission to the DNP program. This deposit will be applied to the tuition bill after the final drop/add period in the second semester. The deposit will not be refunded for any reason should the student who accepts admission subsequently not enroll in the semester authorized for admission.

Admission Requirements For The Post-Baccalaureate DNP Program

Admission into the DNP program is competitive. Students are admitted into the DNP program based on a review of all materials provided to the School of Nursing faculty. Students will be admitted unconditionally.
Post-BSN to DNP Admission Criteria

Post-BSN DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner Track

1. A completed application to our Post-BSN D.N.P. program
2. BSN from a school accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
3. Official transcripts from each degree-granting college or university attended.
4. Proof of current, unencumbered RN license, in the state in which all clinical practice for this program will occur.
5. Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher on all course work.
6. Minimum of one year’s recent nursing experience.
7. Three letters of recommendation from persons knowledgeable about the applicant’s aptitude for doctoral study, such as former professors.
8. Copy of a current Basic Cardio Life Support (BCLS).
9. Two page type-written, double-spaced essay must be submitted online when filling out an application, addressing three areas: 1) description of goals for doctoral study, 2) research translation area of interest for the capstone project, and 3) career goals.
10. Formal in-person interview with one or more Loyola School of Nursing faculty member(s).
11. Prior to admission or as a condition of progression, evidence of completion of a 3 credit hour graduate-level statistics course with an earned grade of C or better prior to NURS 920 Biostatistics. **
12. Certified Background Check: Sixty days prior to enrollment, you are required to apply for a certified background review, at your expense, by a provider designated (www.backgroundcheck.com) by Loyola University New Orleans (School Code: LO22) with the results reported to Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing.

** Graduate-level statistics course must be taken prior to the Spring term of the second year.

Transfer Credits

Students who have earned academic credit at another accredited college or university may be allowed to transfer up to six credits into the DNP program with a minimum grade of “B”. In all cases course work will be evaluated for equivalency to Loyola requirements; therefore, students must provide course descriptions and syllabus to assist faculty in the evaluation process. However, 32 of 38 credits of course work must be earned at Loyola for the Post-Master's DNP and 71 of 77 credits of course work must be earned at Loyola for the Post-BSN DNP.

Registered Nurse Licensure, Certification and Background Check Requirements

Upon entering the D.N.P. program, each student must supply a copy of a current unencumbered, unrestricted and valid registered nurse license in the state in which practicum course will occur. D.N.P. students who are nurse practitioners must show proof of continuing licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse and proof or certification in one of the following tracks: adult, family, gerontology, pediatric or women's health.

Sixty days prior to enrollment, the student is required to apply for a certified background review at their own expense, by a provider designated by Loyola University New Orleans with the results reported to Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing: Attention: Lisa Williams . Information on this process will be provided to the student upon acceptance of an admission offer.

DNP Program

Post – Masters DNP Program

The Post-masters DNP program is 38 semester credit hours in length. In addition to theoretical coursework, the program requires 540 hours of practice experience conducted in the practicum, and capstone courses beyond the master's level. The overall practice hours for the DNP are a minimum of 1000 hours of which a minimum of 540 hours are satisfied by the DNP curriculum. The remaining hours are validated in the master's curriculum by a transcripts analysis or certified letter describing the number of practicum hours earned from the accredited school awarding the masters degree. All new DNP students are required to attend a 5 day orientation on the campus of Loyola annually prior to the first semester of enrollment (May). All continuing students are required to attend a 5 day on campus session on Capstone projects at the conclusion of the first year of study and again to defend their Capstone project.

Post-Masters NP Curriculum

Students progress through the curriculum as a cohort following the rotations schedule below. This is an online-only program.

DNP Curriculum

Semester I Total Credits: 6 N900 Philosophy of Science (3 credits) N905 Ethics & Social Justice  (3 credits)	Semester II Total Credits:9 N920 Biostatistics (3 credits) N925 Program Planning (3 credits) N915 Evidence-based Practice & Research Translation (3 credits)	Semester III Total Credits: 8 N910 Epidemiology (3 credits) N950 Integrating Behavioral Health in Primary care (3 credits) N930 DNP Advanced Practicum I (2 credits)
Semester IV Total Credits: 6 N945 DNP Advanced Practicum II (3 credits) N940 Health Policy & Economics (3 credits)	Semester V Total Credits: 6  N955 Informatics & Finance (3 credits) N935 Leadership of Systems Change & Innovation (3 credits)	Semester VI Total credits: 3-6 N960 Capstone Project (3-6 credits)

 Post-Masters Executive Leadership Curriculum 

Summer 1 N900 Philosophy of Science (3 credits) N905 Ethics & Social Justice (3 credits)	Fall 1 N920 Biostatistics (3 credits) N925 Program Planning (3 credits) N915 Evidence-based Practice & Research Translation (3 credits) *N999 Practicum (if needed) (2cr, 120 hrs) Practicum: 60 or 80 hours	Spring 1 N910 Epidemiology (3 credits) N954 Organizational Behavior (3cr: 2cr theory, 1 cr Practicum)   N930 DNP Advanced Practicum I(2 credits) *N999 Practicum (if needed) (2 cr. 120 hrs) Practicum: 120-240 hours
Summer 2 N940 Health Policy and Economics (3 credits) N945 Advanced Practicum  Practicum:180 hours	Fall 2 N935 Leadership of Systems Change & Innovation (3 credits) N955 Informatics & Finance (3 credits) *N999 Practicum (if needed) (2 cr, 120hrs) Plus N960 with advisor approval.  Practicum: 0, 120, or 240 hours.	Spring 2 N960 Capstone (3-6 credits) Practicum: 180 hours

Total Practicum Hours: 540-1020

*N999 Practicum. (2cr hrs, 120 practicum hours, may be repeated 4 times).

*N960 may be repeated though re-registration in order to complete capstone project and successful defense.

On admission, each student's record is evaluated to determine how many hours of practicum are needed to finish the curriculum with 1000 or more hours of total graduate practicum time, which is required to obtain a DNP. Semesters designated for this practicum above are recommended. With advisor approval, the student may have an alternate plan for completing these. The following scale will be used to determine how many times N999 must be repeated, based on the number of practicum hours obtained in prior graduate courses. 

1. If the student has 99 hours or less, N999 must be repeated 4 times for 8 cr hrs, 480 practicum hours
2. If the student has 100-219 hours, N999 must be repeated 3 times for 6 cr hrs, 360 practicum hours
3. If the student has 220-339 hours, N999 must be repeated 2 times for 4 cr hrs, 240 practicum hours
4. If the student has 340-459 hours, N999 must be taken 1 time for 2 cr hrs, 120 practicum hours
5. If the student has at least 460 hours, N999 is not required

Post-Baccalaureate to DNP Track

The Post-Baccalaureate to DNP Track is a full time 77-79 semester credit hours in length. This coursework is taken over 3 years or 9 semesters. In addition to theoretical coursework, the program requires a minimum of 1000 hours or practice experience conducted in the practicum, and capstone courses. All new DNP students are required to attend a 5 day orientation on the campus of Loyola annually prior to the first semester of enrollment (April). All continuing students are required to attend a 5 day on campus session each consecutive year. Students come to campus in the final semester to defend their capstone projects to the faculty.

Year I
Semester I SUMMER	Semester II FALL	Semester III SPRING
N800 Theoretical Foundations (3 credits) N905 Ethics & Social Justice (3 credits)	N805 Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits) N810 Advanced Health Assessment (3 credits) N815 Family Theory (3 credits) N860 Gerontology in Primary Care (3 credits)	N820 Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics N825 Primary Care Theory I (3 credits) N830 Primary Care I Practicum (3 credits= 180 hours)
Total Credits: 6	Total Credits: 12	Total Credits: 9
Year II
Semester IV SUMMER	Semester V FALL	Semester VI SPRING
N900 Philosophy of Science (3 credits) N910 Epidemiology (3 credits)	N835 Advanced Research Methods (3 credits) N840 Primary Care Theory II (3 credits) N845 Primary Care II Practicum (3 credits= 180 hours)  N920 Biostatistics (3 credits)	N850 Primary Care Theory III (3 credits) N855 Primary Care III Practicum (3 credits=180 hours) N915: EBP (3 credits)
Total Credits: 6	Total Credits: 12	Total Credits: 9
YEAR III
N930 DNP Practicum I (2 credits= 120 hrs.) N940 Policy and Economics (3 credits)	N950 Prescribed Elective (3 credits with 60 hrs.) N955 Informatics & Finance (3 credits) N935 Leadership (3 credits) N925 Program Planning (3 credits)	N945 DNP Practicum II (3 credits=180 hrs.) N960 DNP Capstone (3 credit= 180hrs.)
Total Credits: 5	Total Credits: 12	Total Credits: 6

DNP Clinical Practicum

Post-Masters DNP Practicum

The DNP requires:

1. The overall practice hours for the DNP are a minimum of 1000 hours of which 540 hours are satisfied by the DNP curriculum. The remaining hours are validated from the masters curriculum by a transcripts analysis or a certified letter describing the number of practicum hours earned from the accredited school awarding the masters degree. Students admitted to the Post- Masters DNP Executive Leadership track will obtain a minimum of 540 hours of practice hours in the DNP program but may be required to take additional practicum courses based on transcript analysis to meet the 1000 hour requirement.
2. Clinical experiences for DNP students will occur at health care organization sites in the state in which the nurse is licensed. The practice component is conducted with the assistance of preceptors who practice in the community where the student lives. Goals and objectives of the clinical experience are negotiated with the student’s faculty committee and advisor. Oversight of the practice experience is the responsibility of the faculty.

The Post-BSN DNP Practicum

1. The post-BSN to DNP track of the DNP program requires completion of 1080 hours of practice experience. The initial 540 hours are completed in three Primary Care Practicum courses, in which the student provides assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, and management of a variety of patients with primary care health-related problems, across the lifespan. The final 540 clinical hours are completed in the DNP advanced practicum courses, the integrated behavioral health practicum, and the DNP capstone project.
2. The clinical hours for post-BSN to DNP students in each of the 3 primary care practicum courses must be completed in a faculty approved primary care site. Typically these sites are outpatient clinics, community health centers, or medical practices. Students may complete these hours in a practice site that is closer to their geographical residence. The student is required to identify a qualified primary care NP or an MD in primary care/family practice to serve as a preceptor for each clinical practicum. It is understood that the student will not be seeing patients alone but under the direct supervision of their approved preceptor. The approval of clinical site, individual preceptor and oversight of the entire practicum experience is the responsibility of the NP faculty. There are policies and procedures in place to accomplish this process.
3. The final 540 clinical hours, which are completed during the DNP Advanced Practicum, Integrated Behavioral Health, and DNP capstone courses follow the same guidelines and procedures discussed earlier in section---- of the “DNP Clinical Practicum.”

Capstone Project Course and Other Program Requirements

The Loyola University New Orleans Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is a terminal practice degree in the same sense as the M.D. (physicians), PharmD (pharmacists) and D.P.T. (physical therapists) degrees and requires a rigorous analytical capstone project. The practice doctorate differs from the Ph.D. in Nursing. The Ph.D. focuses on the generation of research for new knowledge and culminates in a dissertation by the student. The D.N.P., however, is focused on translating the scientific research generated by the Ph.D. to health care in a timely manner so that patients experience the best applications of science and practice. The D.N.P. degree includes an integrated practicum or practice immersion experiences that generate a final scholarly project as a vital part of the experience. A completed scholarly practice portfolio provides evidence of student achievement of the Essentials and will result in at least one publishable scholarly paper to disseminate the results. The development, implementation and evaluation of this project will occur over three semesters throughout the practicum courses and culminates in the capstone course during the final semester. Each student will defend their DNP Capstone Project proposal in an open forum to an interprofessional committee of at least two members.

Practice Affiliation Agreement

Affiliation Agreements between the University and a clinical agency are required before a student commences the practicum. These are to be completed before the semester of the practicum and the student must verify with the faculty of record that all requirements noted in the affiliation are met prior to the practicum, i.e. immunizations, etc.

Human Subjects Review

Capstone projects are to be subjected to University Human Subject Review process. The organization in which Capstone is performed may also require an HSR at the organization prior to execution. 

Student Progression

Students must maintain a cumulative of 3.0 GPA and not earn a grade below B in any course to progress in the curriculum. Only DNP courses are calculated for the GPA.

Length of Time to Complete the Program

Students are required to complete the program within five years of their first term of enrollment.

View Nursing Course Descriptions