The DNP degree will prepare graduates to provide the most advanced level of health care based on evidence-based scientific, medical, and nursing research and practice guidelines. As a graduate of USF’s DNP program, you will be a doctorally-prepared nurse of the highest caliber, fully prepared to have a prominent leadership role in healthcare settings. An additional education concentration is available to prepare you to educate tomorrow’s nurses.
Online
$799/credit hour
24 Months
Most classes run in eight-week cycles. The DNP program is a natural outgrowth of the university’s highly acclaimed graduate nursing programs. Faculty prepare you to lead at the highest level of nursing practice and to transform the practice setting. As the demands of healthcare continue, you will be prepared to practice at the highest level of knowledge and expertise and translating it into evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes. Due to State Board of Nursing requirements and a shortage of clinical placement sites, students who wish to enroll in the MSN Education, FNP or DNP programs must reside in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and New Mexico.
This degree can be used to advance your career as a health care leader, advanced practice nurse or educator!
RELATED PROGRAMS
Graduate Certificate: Teaching in Nursing
1. Theoretical and Empirical Knowledge for Evidence-based Practice
Translate theoretical, scientific, and contemporary practice knowledge and other disciplines into clinical practice and advance scholarship through evaluating outcomes of evidence-based improvement strategies.
2. Effective, Compassionate, Ethical, Culturally Sensitive, and Holistic Nursing Care
Interpret and synthesize outcome data of personalized delivery of healthcare with respect to the cultural and spiritual beliefs of patients from diverse cultures.
3. Quality Improvement and Culture of Safety
Advance quality improvement practice through activities of modeling, tutoring, and disseminating outcomes within complex systems of health care.
4. Advocacy and Social Justice
Evaluate the risks to population health and policies addressing inequities and lead a collaborative approach to achieve equitable health through activities of advocacy and scholarship incorporating ethical principles.
5. Leadership
Lead team-based change initiatives through the thoughtful use of outcome metrics.
6. Communication and Collaboration
Enhance personal, collegial, and collaborative approaches which protect population health and enhance the effectiveness of patient-centered care.
7. Informatics and Technologies
Evaluate the use of technologies in health care and promote its ethical and safe use to support patient-centered care and equity in digital access to information.
8. Professionalism
Advance the profession through engaging in ongoing self-reflection, interdisciplinary peer and systems review, and leadership roles.
The University of St. Francis is accredited by both the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (ibhe.org). Leach College of Nursing programs are further accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation).
Our programs are top-ranked! In addition to the university being recognized for excellence, U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review have both placed USF nursing programs on their lists of outstanding online nursing programs for several years. In addition, the Leach College of Nursing was thrilled to be awarded in 2021 with the Health Resources & Services Administration’s prestigious Nurse Faculty Loan Program Grant. The grant, worth close to $250,000 annually, seeks to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty nationwide, and through loan cancellation, decrease the financial barrier that nursing instructors often experience. Obtain your DNP to teach, and you can be assisted by this grant!
“I am so honored to be a graduate of USF’s DNP program. The kind of support, mentorship and coaching that I received during my educational journey was second-to-none. I will always remain grateful to USF for reaching out and giving me encouragement to return to the program. Thank you.”
DNP Program Graduate
Curious to know more about online learning and what it entails? USF prides itself on delivering a practical, real-world curriculum and faculty expertise in a medium proven to be conducive to the needs of working adults. Explore USF’s online learning environment here!
Continuing and adult students are eligible for some aid and scholarships. Review our scholarships page to see what’s available to make financing your education easier.
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Graduate students are invited to participate in student life, even if you’re an adult or studying from afar! Learn about the resources USF provides to all students to prepare them for success.
