Nursing Practice

Website: https://nursing.utah.edu/

Student Services
10 South 2000 East, Rm 2200
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

Phone: 801-581-3414

The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree will soon be the required degree for clinically practicing APRNs, CNMs, and nursing leaders in health care organizations. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has mandated that the current level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice be moved from the master's degree to the doctorate level by the year 2015.The Institute of Medicine's 2002 report on Health Professions Education recommended strategies for restructuring all clinical education in the health professions to be consistent with the principles of 21st century health systems. These recommendations stressed that health science students and all working professionals develop and maintain proficiency in 5 core areas: delivering patient-centered care, working as part of interdisciplinary teams, practicing evidence-based medicine, focusing on quality improvement, and using information technology. The DNP program has two distinct programs available.

Master's to DNP program: Masters to Doctor of Nursing Practice program is geared toward the master's prepared nurse, including practicing APRNs and those with non-nursing master’s degrees, seeking the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The program of study is based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education and is individualized based on a student’s previous education and experience and specialty interests.

• 5 semesters of full-time study

• Blended executive (video conference) and online courses

• Minimum of 36 credit hours in coursework, including a minimum of 3 elective credits

• Minimum 500 hours of practicum/advanced clinical experience

BS to DNP Program: The Bachelors to Doctor of Nursing Practice program provide bachelor's degree prepared registered nurses with advanced specialty education. The College of Nursing BS-DNP program specialty tracks include: Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, and Nurse Midwifery and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. A full-time student can complete the DNP program in three years (8-9 academic semesters). The program of study for each nurse practitioner specialty area is available at https://nursing.utah.edu/.

• 8-9 semesters of full-time study

• Estimated 75 to 90 credits

• Minimum 1000 hours of practicum and residency experiences

For more information on the Doctoral Programs visit: www.nursing.utah.edu

Dual DNP-PhD program: https://nursing.utah.edu/programs/graduate/dnp-phd/

Applicants will submit one application to be reviewed by the University of Utah Office of Graduate Admissions and the College of Nursing. Applicants must meet Graduate School and DNP Program minimum requirements. Admission to the DNP Program is limited and selective. Admission cannot be guaranteed to all individuals who meet the minimum requirements. Successful applications must be admitted by the both the Graduate School and the College of Nursing.

Applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements set by the University of Utah Graduate School.

The following are the minimum requirements needed to apply for a DNP degree program at the College of Nursing:

• Submission of a completed College of Nursing Graduate Program Application by the December 1 deadline

• Evidence of completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited university or college, and a nationally accredited nursing school from either 1) The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Accreditation (CCNE), or 2) The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

• Nursing Organizational Leadership Only: Must show evidence of completion of a master’s degree in nursing or health-related field from a regionally accredited university.

• Verification of licensure as an RN or APRN in at least one of the jurisdictions of National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

• Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

• Broad exposure to the healthcare field and have a minimum of one to two years experience in healthcare prior to admission to the program

• Neonatal DNP program: Two years full-time clinical practice as a registered nurse in the care of critically ill neonates or infants in critical care inpatient settings is required before a student begins clinical courses.

Required Prerequisite Course: Prerequisite courses require a B- grade or better and may be completed during the admission process. All prerequisite courses must be completed before beginning the program.

Upper Division Physiology

• For the BS-DNP student an upper division Patho/Physiology course must have been taken, and passed with a minimum B- grade, within five years of the anticipated start date of the graduate program.

• For the BS-DNP student who did not take an upper division level course in Patho/Physiology are required to take this course

Statistics

• For all DNP students, a statistics course must have been taken, and passed with a minimum B- grade, within five years of the anticipated start date of the graduate program.

Prerequisite courses can be completed at the U of U as a Non-Degree Seeking Student. Click here for application instructions.

Entrance Exams: Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is not required.

English Proficiency Exams (TOEFL or IELTS only): Evidence of English-language proficiency is required for applicants whose first language is not English. Applicants are required to submit results of either the Test of English Foreign Language or IELTS. Minimum score requirements for admission can be found at the University of Utah Office of Admissions.