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Doctor of Nursing Practice: Family Nurse Practitioner

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The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is designed for those nurses who are interested in assuming an advance practice nursing role as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).  DNP graduates are prepared as clinical experts in the delivery of primary care, with a focus on critical thinking, leadership, and political policy skills needed to advocate and create changes in healthcare practice at all levels.  The program includes 24 credit hours of core knowledge essential for practice as a leader including coursework in nursing theory and research, health information systems, organization leadership, health policy, quality improvement, statistics, and evidence-based practice;  38 credit hours of advance practice nursing cognate courses that develop family nurse practitioner‘s knowledge and skills so they are prepared to care for individuals across the lifespan. Content includes key health issues facing our nation related to chronic illness management, health promotion and disease prevention strategies; six credit hours of elective coursework; and six credit hours for a final DNP scholarly capstone project. The program includes over 1000 hours of immersion in clinical practice to build and assimilate knowledge for advanced practice at a high level of complexity.  These experiences also provide the context within which the final DNP scholarly project is completed.

Program Goals

The goals of the DNP program are for students to:

  • Integrate theory, practice, and research in advance nursing practice roles.
  • Employ knowledge of health policy, nursing, and related sciences in the provision of cost-effective nursing care to diverse populations.
  • Utilize quality improvement science and informatics to improve patient outcomes.
  • Demonstrate competency in interdisciplinary communication, ethical analysis, and clinical reasoning in the management of patient care across all environments.
  • Assume leadership roles in clinical or academic settings.
  • Demonstrate clinical practice expertise, specialized knowledge, and expanded responsibility and accountability in the care and management of individuals and families across the lifespan with acute and chronic illness.

General Requirements

  • Complete the Colorado Mesa University graduate application and application fees.
  • Possess a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • Possess a current, unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in State of Practice.
  • Have maintained a GPA or 3.0 or better in nursing coursework earned toward a baccalaureate degree in nursing.
  • Have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better for prior graduate work.
  • Provide two copies of official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.
  • Provide three letters of professional and academic recommendation.
  • Submit a 2,500 word count essay demonstrating writing and common knowledge of nursing current events.
  • Interview, if required, with members of the Graduate Admission Committee.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate from the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, a student must complete the prescribed course of study with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and complete the capstone DNP scholarly project requirement.  Students are expected to complete their program within six (6) years.

Program/Student Info

Program Requirements

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Course Descriptions

 

Application Information

 

DNP Information Packet

 

DNP Application

 

Miscellaneous Information

Contact Information

Map of Campus

Background Check Information