Doctor of Nursing Practice
ATSU-CGHS’ Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) expands students’ personal and professional horizons in advanced practice nursing. Graduates will gain knowledge and skills in healthcare leadership and management that will refine and deepen evidence-based practice in nursing. The DNP requires successful completion of seven online courses and a clinical experience resulting in a scholarly final project.
As compared to the research-oriented PhD, the goal of the Doctor of Nursing Practice is to develop a specialty practice that influences healthcare outcomes for a variety of clients, ranging from individuals to a population. The benefits of earning the DNP include acquiring advanced competencies in leadership, quality improvement, collaborative practice, health policy, information systems, and population health within an ethical framework.
The DNP integrates web-based instruction, directed readings, discussion boards, and a variety of assignments with collaboration between students, faculty, and healthcare leaders. Students have the opportunity to focus on one of three concentration areas, which include organizational leadership, nurse educator, and population health.
Program Mission, Purpose, and Values
Mission
The Nursing Program curriculum, built by nursing faculty experts, equips nurses to improve health outcomes, strengthen systems, and advance equitable care through evidence-based practice, innovation, and whole-person leadership. Students develop advanced competencies across Organizational Leadership, Nursing Education, and Population Health through rigorous coursework, interprofessional engagement, and a focus on underserved communities. Aligned with CGHS’s mission and national nursing standards, the program develops graduates prepared to lead system-level improvement in diverse healthcare settings.
Purpose
The purpose of the Nursing Program is to prepare doctoral-level nurses to lead improvement across healthcare settings, systems, and policy through evidence-based practice, whole-person care, and system-level thinking. Through a fully online, learner-centered curriculum with experiential learning, students develop advanced competencies to set direction, communicate effectively, steward resources, lead change, and cultivate effective teams and future leaders. Students pursue focused preparation in Organizational Leadership, Nursing Education, or Population Health while strengthening critical thinking, quality analysis, and improvement capabilities. The program is grounded in a commitment to equity, care for underserved populations, and the application of evidence as a foundation for meaningful and sustainable change.
Values
Evidence-Based Practice: We value the use of high-quality evidence, critical inquiry, and scholarly rigor to guide clinical, educational, and organizational decision-making.
Leadership: We value the development of nurse leaders who influence outcomes, shape systems, and contribute meaningfully to the future of healthcare.
Integrity: We value ethical behavior, honesty, professionalism, and accountability in all decisions and interactions.
Whole-Person & Equitable Care: We value ethical behavior, honesty, professionalism, and accountability in all decisions and interactions.
Collaboration: We value interprofessional communication and teamwork that strengthen care delivery, education, and system performance.
Innovation: We value creativity, continuous improvement, and the willingness to explore new technologies, pedagogies, and solutions that enhance learning and care.
Lifelong Learning: We value ongoing professional development and reflective practice that support nurses in adapting to evolving healthcare needs.
Length of Program
The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree consists of 33 credit hours. This includes both online, asynchronous classroom learning and clinical hours. Clinical hours may be completed at a location near the student. Typically, the classroom coursework can be completed within a year, and the DNP Project can take potentially nine months, resulting in an earned DNP within two years.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees are billed by the semester at the per-credit-hour rate and are due the first week of class. Rates are subject to change each academic year for all enrolled students. Delinquent tuition penalties accrue at 1.5 percent per month, which is 18 percent per year.
For ATSU programs approved to certify for Title IV funding, a Cost of Attendance (COA) is available which provides estimated amounts for direct and indirect expenses for a period of enrollment.
Tuition: $924 per credit hour
Student Technology Fee: $44 per credit hour
HIPAA Training
Health Information Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) training and certification is required for all ATSU-CGHS DNP students taking DNPP 7600, Advanced Nursing Practicum and DNPP 9100, Specialization Scholarly Project A. Students may submit current HIPAA training certificates of completion from their facilities or complete the training offered online by ATSU. An IRB review and/or approval is required before the DNP Project is initiated.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates from the DNP are expected to demonstrate competence in the following learning outcomes:
- Develop a broad understanding of nursing’s unique advanced practice perspective and shared perspectives from other disciplines by applying theory and research-based knowledge from nursing, the arts, humanities, and other sciences through clinical judgment. (AACN: Essentials, Domain 1)
- Integrate advanced assessment skills and apply critical thinking to communicate effectively with individuals to engage in a caring relationship by managing actual and potential health problems and evaluating care outcomes. (AACN Essentials, Domain 2)
- Practice effective population health management through engaging partnerships, considering the socioeconomic impact of healthcare delivery, advancing equitable health policies, demonstrating advocacy strategies, and collaborating on disaster and public health emergency preparedness. (AACN Essentials, Domain 3)
- Apply best evidence to nursing practice and promote ethical scholarly activities to advance nursing scholarship. (AACN Essentials, Domain 4)
- Apply quality improvement principles in care delivery to patients and providers in the work environment, thereby contributing to a safety culture. (AACN Essentials, Domain 5)
- Facilitate interprofessional collaboration by valuing team communication, dynamics, and knowledge to address healthcare needs. (AACN Essentials, Domain 6)
- Incorporate innovation and evidence-based practice to optimize system effectiveness and cost-efficiency across the continuum of care. (AACN Essentials, Domain 7)
- Use information and communication technology tools to deliver safe nursing care, support documentation of care for diverse populations following ethical, legal, professional, and regulatory standards, and workplace policies. (AACN Essentials, Domain 8)
- Demonstrate professionalism in nursing through ethical standards, accountability, compliance with laws and regulations, and the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion. (AACN Essentials, Domain 9)
- Exhibit commitment to personal well-being by fostering flexibility and professional development while cultivating leadership capacity through inquiry. (AACN Essentials, Domain 10)
Graduation Requirements
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, students enrolled in a DNP program must have at least 1,000 hours of clinical hours past the baccalaureate degree attainment. Students may bring up to 500 hours from a master’s program in nursing to count toward the 1,000 hours. These graduate hours will need validation by the nursing program that granted the MSN degree.
This program prepares graduates for employment in the following occupation(s), as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, as reported on the institution’s Application for Approval to Participate in the Federal Student Financial Aid Programs: Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1072.00; Medical and Health Services Managers 11-9111.00.
Courses
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