Nursing - D.N.P.

Program Description

Full Description

The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in Nursing is the terminal degree for nurses who want to advance their knowledge of nursing practice, gain leadership and technology skills and become clinical scholars. Students develop leadership skills to affect health outcomes for individuals and populations by translating scientific evidence into clinical interventions, managing healthcare systems and collaborating with other health care providers.

The Nursing major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Executive Nurse concentration prepares nurse leaders for the role of nurse executive at the highest level of healthcare administration.
• The Nurse Administration and Executive Leadership concentration prepares B.S.N. nurses for entry-, mid- and executive-level leadership roles.
• The Practice Leadership concentration prepares advanced practice and clinical experts to lead interprofessional teams focused on evidence-based practice, quality improvement and translational research.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Previous degree:
  • Executive Nurse concentration – master's degree in nursing or a related field
  • Nurse Administration and Executive Leadership concentration – bachelor's or master's pre-licensure degree in nursing
  • Practice Leadership concentration – bachelor's¹ or master's degree in nursing
• Minimum overall 3.000 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Completion of an undergraduate- or graduate-level statistics course with a minimum C grade
• Active, unrestricted registered nurse license in the state in which the student's practica will be completed
• Résumé or curriculum vitae that demonstrates professional experience in nursing
• Essay (300 words) describing professional goals and reasons for seeking the professional practice doctorate
• Three letters of reference from healthcare professionals or academic faculty who can speak to the applicant's professional and academic abilities
• Pre-admission interview
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:²
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

Students selected for admission to the nursing program must meet the College of Nursing's Clinical Compliance Policy. Priority admission to the Nurse Executive concentration will be given to candidates who hold American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification or American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Nurse Executive certification or who have experience in nursing management or administration.

¹

Post-baccalaureate students admitted to the Practice Leadership concentration also will be admitted to the M.S.N. degree in one of the advanced practice registered nurses concentrations. This dual admit will allow students to complete M.S.N. coursework and enroll in some D.N.P. coursework after successfully completing their first two full-time semesters of graduate study. Students must first complete M.S.N. coursework, earn the M.S.N. degree and obtain APRN national certification before they can continue with D.N.P. coursework and earn the D.N.P. degree.

²

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Priority deadline: March 1
• Spring Semester
  • Priority deadline: October  1

All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted by these deadlines will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Develop and implement systems-focused care and innovative strategies to promote positive, sustainable health and fiscal outcomes across the healthcare continuum.
2. Provide population-focused, advanced nursing care to diverse populations within a variety of settings based on evidence, ethics, theory and professional standards.
3. Provide leadership and interprofessional collaboration to plan, implement and evaluate programs of care delivery to improve outcomes for individuals, populations and aggregates.
4. Synthesize and translate evidence for implementation and dissemination for equitable, evidence-based and inclusive healthcare outcomes.

Roadmaps

Roadmaps

Executive Nurse Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Nursing Administration and Executive Leadership Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Practice Leadership Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • Fully online

Accreditation

The D.N.P. degree in Nursing at Kent State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.