Mar 29, 2024  
2014-2015 Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Catalog 
    
2014-2015 Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Doctor of Nursing Practice, D.N.P.


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The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a professional degree with a focus on advanced practice in clinical or organizational settings. A rigorous program of study, the DNP curriculum provides students with opportunities for advanced study at the doctoral level in areas such as evidence-based practice, organizational and systems leadership, health policy and theoretical foundations for advanced practice. New cohorts will be admitted in Fall semesters.

Mission

The mission for the DNP program is to prepare expert practitioners to meet the needs of the complex healthcare environment, utilizing the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes.

Purpose/Objectives

The purposes of the DNP are to prepare graduates at the highest level of nursing practice to provide complex hospital and community-based care for patients and families; to redesign and evaluate nursing and health care systems and to address the dire shortage of clinical nursing faculty to mentor and educate future nurses.

The major objectives of the DNP program are to provide a more educated workforce to meet the needs of the recipients of health care and health care employees; to bolster the number of doctorally-prepared faculty credentialed to teach in nursing education programs; and to expand educational options for masters prepared nurses.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the DNP Program will be able to:

  • synthesize advanced theoretical concepts from nursing and other disciplines to support clinical and leadership practices,
  • incorporate scholarship, research, and analytic methods to lead evidence-based practice change and continuous quality improvement,
  • generate clinical prevention and population health improvement strategies,
  • translate complex scientific findings into clinical and leadership practice,
  • integrate processes which support technology-enhanced and data-based health care,
  • foster intra-and interdisciplinary collaborations which advance the level and quality of care across populations and systems,
  • utilize knowledge of health policy to facilitate advocacy initiatives, social justice, and ethical care,
  • assume high-level leadership roles in organizations and systems which positively impact the health of individuals and populations.

DNP ESSENTIALS http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/DNPEssentials.pdf

Admission Requirements

Students are admitted as a cohort into the post-master’s DNP program. At this time, cohorts will be admitted in Fall semesters. Didactic courses in the program are offered online. However, students will be required to participate in on-campus activities immediately prior to the start of the program and at the conclusion of the program when presenting synthesis projects. In addition, there are several courses in the curriculum (residency courses) with practicum requirements. Prior to NURS 801 Biostatistics, students must provide evidence of completion of a graduate level statistics course. The graduate level statistics course must be current and must be approved by the DNP Program Coordinator. Students must meet all criteria for admission to the UL Lafayette Graduate School.

Admission requirements for admission to the DNP Program include:

  1. A completed application form and payment of the UL Lafayette Graduate School Application Fees.
  2. Receipt of official transcripts from each degree-granting college or university previously attended.
  3. An earned master’s degree in one of the following areas of advanced nursing practice.
    1. Nurse practitioner.
    2. Nursing administration/leadership.
  4. Cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on Master’s level coursework on a 4.0 scale.
  5. Evidence of current, unencumbered U.S. nursing licensure (no restrictions):
    1. RN license.
    2. APRN license (nurse practitioners).
  6. Three recommendations from individuals who can attest to the applicant’s capacity for doctoral study.
    1. One recommendation must be from a former faculty member in a nursing program, a current or former nursing supervisor or nursing leader.
    2. One recommendation must be from someone who can attest to the competencies and expertise of the applicant at the Advanced Practice level.
    3. The third recommendation may be from an individual of the applicant’s choice; however, the letter should address the applicant’s ability to successfully complete doctoral education in nursing.
  7. Current resume or curriculum vitae.
  8. A document, prepared by the applicant which addresses the following:
    1. Applicant’s goals for doctoral study which are congruent with DNP Program goals (See The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice which can be accessed at www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/DNPEssentials.pdf).
    2. Focused area of interest for synthesis project.
    3. Statements reflecting how acquiring the DNP degree is important to fulfillment of the applicant’s career goals. The document must be typewritten, double-spaced, in 12 point, Times New Roman font and should be no longer than three pages in length.
  9. Completion of a telephone interview with the DNP Program coordinator.
  10. Prior to enrollment in residency courses, students will be required to submit to background checks, drug and alcohol screening, and must meet program health requirements. These screenings will be conducted at the student’s expense.
  11. Students should be proficient with methodologies utilized in distance education and must possess computer equipment and technology which is compatible with university learning management systems such as Blackboard and Moodle.
  12. A formal letter of application should be mailed to the DNP Program coordinator.

UL Lafayette Graduate School Application Forms

The DNP program reserves the right to limit the number of students enrolled in nursing courses to make the most effective use of the educational resources available. In the event that enrollment in these course must be limited, students will be selected by their academic ranking based upon DNP admission requirements and their cumulative GPA in graduate nursing courses.

Tuition and fees are determined by the Board of Supervisors for full-time, part-time and non-resident students.

Degree Requirements

To earn the Doctor of Nursing Practice the student must complete all degree plan requirements including:

  • A minimum of 39 credit hours in the DNP program.
  • Complete a DNP synthesis project.
  • Maintain a 3.0 GPA at all times.
  • Attain a minimum of 1000 hours of post baccalaureate supervised academic program practice hours in DNP residency courses.

Students who earn less than a “B” in a course will be required to repeat that course. A course may be repeated only once. Courses with a grade of “C” or less may not be applied towards the degree requirements.

Contact Information

  • Email: dnp@louisiana.edu
  • Office Phone: 337/482-5601
  • Office Fax: 337/482-5650
  • Office Location: V.L. Wharton Hall, Room 307

Curriculum


Your ability to progress in the curriculum is dependent upon your following this schedule. for example, some courses are only taught once each year and many have pre-requisites.
 

Total: 12 Credits


Total: 8/60 Credits/Clock Hours


Total: 11/180 Credit/Clock Hours


Total: 8/180 Credit/Clock Hours


Total Credit Hours: 39


Total Clinical/Clock Hours: 420


Notes:


In  NURS 821 - Residency I , NURS 822 - Residency II , and  NURS 823 - Residency III , students are expected to undertake a minimum of 60, 180, and 180 residency hours respectively. Students requiring additional residency hours must also register for NURS 809 - Advanced Directed Studies I  NURS 810 - Advanced Directed Studies II  NURS 811 - Advanced Directed Studies III , or  NURS 812 - Advanced Directed Studies IV .

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