Doctor of Nursing Practice
Dr. Kathleen Williamson talks to her graduate students in the Evidence-Based Practice course, part of Widener Nursing's Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Video.
School of Nursing Associate Professor Dr. Mary Baumberger-Henry discusses the work of nursing theorist Virginia Henderson in her "Models and Theories for Advanced Practice Nursing" course. Video.
Lynn Freda, a nurse and graduate student in Widener's Family Nurse Practitioner master's program, talks about her experiences working with Dr. Shirlee Drayton-Brooks, professor at the School of Nursing. Video.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program prepares advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to provide clinical leadership in the delivery of culturally competent, evidence-based, disease state management and/or system-based care.
The graduate is also prepared for interprofessional collaboration and outcome management to support the provision of quality and safety in complex health care systems.
Widener University School of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader in advanced practice education with longstanding master’s and doctoral programs. The addition of the DNP program ensures that Widener University remains in the vanguard of nursing education.
The DNP is the recognized credential for advanced clinical practice. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) as well as the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) have prepared position statements recommending that the DNP be the required credential for entry into advanced practice by the year 2015.
The post-master’s DNP program is 37 credits. It can be completed in two to four years based on full-time or part-time study options.
Courses are offered in a hybrid format, blending web-based teaching methodologies and classroom instruction.
DNP Curriculum
The DNP degree curriculum model is designed as an MSN completion program with two levels. Level I is the current 41-46 credit MSN degree with CNS or FNP role options with a minimum of 500 AP clinical hours. The MSN specialties include the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) roles: adult emergency/critical care, and adult psychiatric/mental health. The nurse practitioner (NP) role is: family nurse practitioner. All specialty options meet the requirements for advanced practice (AP) certification. The 37-credit DNP program (Level II) requires an additional minimum 500 AP clinical hours beyond the master’s degree.
Level I (MSN)
| 41-46 credits, depending on CNS or FNP role selection |
| Core (19 credits) |
Nursing science, leadership, statistics, research, and selected cognates/electives |
| Support (9 credits) |
Advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, advanced health assessment |
| AP Specialties (16-18 credits) |
Adult-Gerontology: 16 credits, minimum 500 clinical hours
Adult-Gero with E/CC specialty: 16 credits, minimum 500 clinical hours
Family Nurse Practitioner: 18 credits, minimum 672 clinical hours |
| MSN degree awarded with eligibility for national AP certification. |
Level II (DNP)
| 37 credits, 560 clinical hours |
| Unit I: Core (21 credits) |
Nursing science, health policy, informatics, complex health care systems, ethics and genetics, and translational research |
| Unit II: DNP Clinical Practice Content (16 credits, 560 clinical hours) |
Evidence-based practice to improve care outcomes, and a capstone project. |
| DNP Clinical Practice Core (19 credits) |
DNP I: Clinical courses (4 credits, 112 clinical hours)
DNP II: Clinical residency (6 credits, 224 clinical hours)
DNP III: Capstone (6 credits, 224 clinical hours)
DNP Capstone advisement (3 credits, continuous enrollment until project completion) |
Students may enter directly into Level II with an earned MSN degree and national AP certification as a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner. Students without an earned master’s degree enter at Level I, earn a master’s degree, and acquire the appropriate AP national certification before proceeding to Level II.