The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program prepares nurses at the highest level of practice for the current health care environment based on a strong scientific foundation for practice; flexibility and emphasis on evidence-based practice, leadership, and organizational analysis; and completion of a DNP Project.
Program Objectives
The objectives of the DNP program are to prepare graduates to:
- Critically analyze complex clinical situations and practice systems and disseminate findings.
- Assume leadership roles in the development of clinical practice models, health policy and standards of care.
- Develop practice models that support diagnostic reasoning skills and clinical judgment through the use of the evidence-based practice.
- Analyze the social, economic, political, epidemiological and other scientific data to improve individual, aggregate and population health.
- Demonstrate information fluency and advanced communication skills to lead quality improvement initiatives to improve patient care and healthcare systems.
- Design, implement, and evaluate comprehensive care models for populations and/or systems and disseminate findings.
For the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, total graduate credit must equal or exceed 72 credit hours. Advanced Practice Track students take a total of 42 credit hours, which include 27 credit hours of core courses, 9 credit hours of electives, and 6 credit hours of a DNP Project. The total clinical hours (including those hours accrued in the MSN degree) will be 1000. The core courses have been carefully constructed to incorporate the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) Essentials Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021). Details about this program are located in the Nursing DNP Handbook.
Total Credit Hours Required: 72 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree
Students will take course work that incorporates AACN’s Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006) and Advanced- level Nursing Sub-competencies described in the AACN’s The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021). The Doctoral Essentials address the following:
- Scientific underpinning for practice
- Organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking
- Clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice
- Information systems/technology and patient care technology for the improvement and transformation of health care
- Health care policy for advocacy in health care
- Inter-professional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes
- Clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation's health
- Advanced nursing practice
Please note: Nursing (DNP) - Advanced Practice may be completed fully online, although not all elective options or program prerequisites may be offered online. Newly admitted students choosing to complete this program exclusively via UCF online classes may enroll with a reduction in campus-based fees.
Track Prerequisites
- MSN degree in an APRN specialty role or a post-MSN certificate (NP, CNS, CRNA, CNM) from an accredited institution.
- Certification as an APRN or proof of APRN certification by enrollment is required. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
- Licensure in the state in which you practice.
Degree Requirements
DNP Core Courses
27 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- The DNP core courses serve to enhance the skill and science base of the graduate and strengthen the focus on evidence-based practice. Safety and efficiency in health care systems is addressed and organizational and policy implications are emphasized within the context of care delivery. An emphasis is placed on evidence-based practice, state-of-the-art interventions and information fluency.
- Complete the following:
- NGR6874 - Nursing Environment Management (3)
- NGR7892 - Healthcare Systems and Policy (3)
- NGR7673 - Epidemiology Principles in Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NGR7065 - Advanced Clinical Management for Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NGR7855C - Evidence-Based Practice Development for DNP (3)
- NGR7827 - Concepts, Measurement, and Data Management (3)
- NGR7793 - Leadership and Economics in Advanced Practice Nursing (3)
- NGR7820 - Innovative Technologies in Healthcare (3)
- NGR7779C - Program Development and Management for DNP (3)
Electives
9 Total Credits
- Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: Post-Graduate Nursing Certificate Program Courses or other Graduate Nursing Courses at 5000-level or higher.
DNP Project
6 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- NGR7911C - Doctoral Project I (3)
- NGR7912C - Doctoral Project 2 (3)
- The DNP Project is the product of the culminating or comprehensive experience of an independent project that demonstrates application of advanced clinical and evidence-based practice. The DNP Project is guided and evaluated by an academic committee and is derived from the practice immersion experience. It will serve as a foundation for future scholarly practice. The DNP Project is related to advanced nursing practice and benefits a group, population, or community rather than an individual patient. It addresses identified needs and builds on an evidence base. DNP projects may include but are not limited to: Translation of research into practice and evaluation of outcomes Program review Quality improvement (care processes, continuity of care, patient outcomes) Implementation and evaluation of evidence-based practice guidelines in a specific practice setting Policy analysis: development, implementation, evaluation, or revision of policy Design and usage of databases to retrieve information for decision making, planning, evaluation Conduct of financial analyses to compare care models and potential cost savings, etc. Design and evaluation of new models of care Design and evaluation of health promotion and disease prevention programs Assessment of integration of technology in care The theme that links these forms of scholarly experiences is the use of evidence to improve either practice or patient outcomes. Additional examples of DNP projects can be found on the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF) website under Practice Doctorate Resource Center.
Grand Total Credits: 42
Application Requirements
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
Progress to Degree
Students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Grades below B are not acceptable in the doctoral program in the College of Nursing. Students who receive a grade of below B in any course are subject to dismissal from the DNP program and will be reviewed by the program director. If the student’s request for continuation is denied, the student can appeal the MSN/DNP Admissions, Progression and Graduation Committee for continuation in the program. Students who do not maintain a 3.0 GPA will be put on probation or dismissed from the program.
Graduation Requirements
- All course work completed with a minimum grade of "B"
- A satisfactory DNP Project
- Clinical performance evaluated at a satisfactory level
- A satisfactory public presentation of the DNP Project
Equipment Fee
Full-time students in the Nursing Practice DNP program pay a $90 equipment fee each semester that they are enrolled. Part-time students pay $45 each semester.
Independent Learning
A DNP Project will be completed by all students in the DNP program. A scholarly project, derived from clinical practice, will be developed in depth with faculty supervision.
