Doctor of Nursing Practice
*Please note that Admissions for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program are currently suspended.
For Registered Nurses with a Master’s degree who are looking to advance their career, Felician University offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program with tracks in Advanced Practice and Executive Leadership. The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program prepares graduates to deliver safe, high- quality healthcare to the nation at the highest level of independent and interprofessional practice.
Utilizing complex decision making and organizational and systems leadership, graduates are prepared to shape and sustain advances in healthcare policy and engage in clinical scholarship to create, implement and evaluate strategies that address emerging practice issues. Graduates are equipped with the expertise to transform healthcare by redesigning systems of care, developing innovative practice models and generating system-wide quality improvements in the practice environment and the healthcare delivery for individuals, families and populations.
The theoretical content for courses in the DNP is offered via a cohort model through an online delivery method with on-campus intensives in designated courses. With the guidance of qualified faculty, and based on meeting the course objectives, students select an approved practicum site for the completion of a minimum of 500 scholarly practice hours.
Program Outcomes – Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree
Graduates of the program will:
- Integrate nursing science and theories from other disciplines in the development and evaluation of new practice approaches which will improve health care delivery.
- Effect changes in clinical nursing practice through organizational and systems leadership utilizing systems theory as a framework for quality improvement.
- Critically analyze current evidence to implement quality improvement modalities to promote effective, efficient and safe patient centered care.
- Utilize information systems and technology to improve and transform health care which contributes to improved patient outcomes.
- Implement health policy initiatives which focus on clinical prevention and optimal health for vulnerable populations while advocating for social justice, equity, and ethical polices in health care.
- Collaborate with all members of the health care team to improve patient-centered care and to benchmark outcomes and quality improvement initiatives.
- Implement and analyze clinical prevention and intervention initiatives for diverse populations in order to effect improvement in the nation’s health.
- Advance the nursing profession through leadership initiatives which support other nurses to achieve excellence in advanced nursing practice.
- Lead with ethical comportment in all aspects of advanced nursing practice.
Admission Requirements – Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree
- A completed application.
- Submission of all official academic transcripts from previously attended college(s)/university(ies).
- Master’s degree in nursing or related field (e.g. MBA, MPA, MHA) from a nationally accredited program. If the Master’s degree is in a non- nursing field, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a program that is nationally accredited and approved by the Board of Nursing is required.
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in graduate coursework.
- Licensure as a registered professional nurse. Submission of all professional nursing licenses. The licensee cannot have any current or pending disciplinary action against their nursing license from any Board of Nursing. Applicants who are licensed in a state outside of New Jersey will be evaluated on an individual basis.
- Successful completion of an undergraduate or graduate level statistiCS-course and a graduate level nursing research course.
- Two professional letters of recommendation supporting the applicant’s potential to succeed in a doctoral program.
- International academic credentials are reviewed by an international accrediting agency (World Education Services) on an individual basis.
- A minimum score of 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 6.5 IELTS is required of graduates of non-English-speaking countries.
- Curriculum vitae.
- A 2-3 page essay which includes professional goals that are congruent with doctoral study. Within the essay, the applicant should identify a clinical issue or problem that has potential for a DNP project related to an area of professional expertise or interest. The practice issue should address relevancy to the program of study and planned implementation to effect practice change at the organizational, system, local, regional or national level for improving patient and population health outcomes.
- A notarized copy of the photo page of a government-issued identification such as passport or driver’s license.
- Personal interview.
Admission Requirements Specific to the DNP Program Track
At a selected point in the program following admission, a criminal history background check is conducted, and students must comply with all requirements mandated by the practicum site in order to progress. Exclusion from the placement site as a result of criminal history background check results or failure to comply with other mandated requirements shall result in dismissal from the program.
Completion of all clinical or practicum hours must be completed in approved facilities. Program start dates are dependent upon enrollment.
Evidence of 500 post-baccalaureate academically supervised hours is evaluated on admission. If less than 500 post-baccalaureate academically supervised hours have been completed, an analysis will be conducted, and the number of hours required to reach the 500 required hours will be identified along with a plan to complete the hours.
- Advanced Practice Track Admission Requirements
- Master’s Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited program.
- National certification in a specialty.
- Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse.
- Current professional practice in the Advanced Practice role.
- Executive Leadership Track Admission Requirements
- A Master’s degree in Nursing or related field (i.e., MBA, MPA, MHA).
- Portfolio assessment (May indicate need for additional coursework).
Degree Requirements – Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree
Successful completion of:
- 36 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on- campus intensives plus 500 academically supervised hours.
- Completion of up to 500 academically supervised gap hours, if required. Gap hours are identified upon admission.
- Successful DNP Project presentation.
- Completed DNP Project Signature Page.
- Completed Thesis/Scholarly Project/Portfolio Release Form.
- Evidence of payment for DNP Project bound copies.
- Delivery of DNP Project manuscript for archival purposes.
- Degree requirements must be completed within a 7-year period from the date of admission, including the project work. Leaves- of-absence are included in a 7-year timeframe.
Program Requirements
Doctor of Nursing Practice
| NURS-700 | The Dnp-Prepared Prof: Explor & Analysis | 3 |
| NURS-702 | Advocacy & Action for Health Care Policy | 3 |
| NURS-707 | Methods Evid. Base Pract I | 3 |
| NURS-715 | Financial Management | 3 |
| NURS-708 | Methods for Evidence Based Practice II | 3 |
| NURS-741 | Clinical Prevention and Population Healt | 3 |
| NURS-730 | Impacting Healthcare Outcomes | 3 |
| NURS-800 | Knowledge Integration: Evidence Appraisa | 3 |
| NURS-810 | Knowlodge Applicaiton: ProjectýImplementatation I | 3 |
| NURS-705 | Nursing Informatics | 3 |
| NURS-815 | Knowledge Application:ýProject Implementation II | 3 |
| NURS-820 | Knowledge Dissemination | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36 |