Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Online Degree Programs

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Our complex healthcare environment benefits from advanced knowledge and practice expertise, which can positively affect healthcare outcomes for individuals and populations. Colorado Technical University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program is designed for licensed RNs with a Master’s in Nursing who are looking to continue on to the Doctorate level, which is the terminal degree for nursing. Demand for nurses with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree continues to grow as employers are quickly recognizing the unique contributions that expert nurses are making in the practice arena, reports the AACN.¹

¹ American Association of Colleges of Nursing, June 2024 https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/dnp-fact-sheet

This program is not a Nurse Practitioner program or a PhD and is designed for students with an active, clear, and unencumbered RN license in the US. Applicants must also have a programmatically accredited Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited institution

Program Credits

10 Weeks

Course Length

Online Colorado Springs

Location

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Program Overview

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal degree for nurses who are interested in becoming a nursing practice expert. Applicants must hold a current, active and unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States, as well as a programmatically accredited Master of Science in Nursing degree from a institutionally accredited institution.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice is designed to build on the skills, talents and educational groundwork of a Master of Science in Nursing program and helps students prepare for advanced nursing roles in systems leadership and administration, maximizing the application of evidence to improve healthcare outcomes. The program provides instruction in healthcare delivery systems, health economics and finance, health policy, research methods, translation of evidence into practice, concepts in population health, and nursing leadership.

This program does not lead to additional licensure or certification. As such, CTU has made no determination regarding prerequisites for licensure or certification in any state or jurisdiction.

College of Nursing Mission Statement:

Through an innovative curriculum and student- centered teaching, the nursing faculty teaches, supports, and inspires students to become competent, caring, and accountable professionals who serve a diverse client population within a dynamic health care environment.

Relevant Institutional/Programmatic Accreditation
CTU is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission www.hlcommission.org
The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program at Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation).

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Courses

Courses-Core		Credits
NRSG810 This course focuses on the scientific underpinnings of nursing practice to include the application of theory and interdisciplinary sciences to advance nursing practice.	Scientific Underpinnings of Nursing Practice	4
NRSG812 This course provides content and processes designed to offer the necessary skills to synthesize and apply evidence to an identified problem in order to improve health outcomes. This process emphasizes the application of original research by developing a feasible PICOT (population, intervention, comparison, outcome and time) question. Models of evidence-based practice are explored along with analysis of ethical challenges of the application of research to practice. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	Applying Evidence-Based Practice and Research to Improve Health Outcomes	4
NRSG815 The focus of this course is on the use of technology and information systems to retrieve relevant scientific evidence, guidelines and protocols to apply to a practice change project.	Information Systems and Advanced Nursing Practice	4
NRSG817 The focus of this course is to increase students’ understanding of health policy and analysis of healthcare issues within the context of advanced nursing and inter-professional practice.	Health Policy and Advancing Nursing Practice	4
NRSG825 The focus of this course is on analysis and synthesis of disease prevention for populations and aggregates to include primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive best practices. Principles and application of epidemiology are included. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	Population Health and Epidemiology	4
NRSG830 This course focuses on the application of organizational and leadership concepts to foster and promote healthcare systems by applying models of leadership designed to improve nursing practice and healthcare outcomes. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	Organization and Systems Leadership	4
NRSG831 This course focuses on designing an evidence-based practice change initiative to improve health outcomes. Students will be required to use scientifically rigorous methods in the clinical practice and/or healthcare delivery environment to implement a change in practice in order to improve outcomes based on evidence for health promotion. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	DNP Project I: Design and Planning	6
NRSG832 The focus of this course is on implementation of the evidence-based practice change in the practicum setting, providing opportunities to engage in increasingly complex organizational projects, and participate in implementation of evidence-based initiatives to improve health outcomes and system effectiveness. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	DNP Project II: Implementation of Evidence Based Practice	6
NRSG833 The focus of this course is on scientific evaluation of an evidence-based change initiative using scientifically rigorous methods in the practice and /or healthcare delivery environment to improve outcomes. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	DNP Project III: Evaluation of Change	5
	DNP Specialty Topic I	4
	DNP Specialty Topics II	4
	Total Credit Hours:	49

Students who have not completed the required 500 post-baccalaureate clinical hours must complete the DNP Transitions course/s prior to beginning their DNP Project courses.		Credits
NRSG820 The focus of this course is for students to build their portfolio of experiences to prepare for a successful practicum project. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	DNP Practice Transitions I
NRSG821 The focus of this course is for students to build their portfolio of experiences to launch into a successful practicum project.	DNP Practice Transitions II
NRSG822 The focus of this course is for students to build their portfolio of experiences to prepare for a successful practicum project. Students must earn a grade of B- (80%) or higher in all core and concentration courses to pass the course in the program.	DNP Practice Transitions III
	Total Credit Hours:	13

Courses- DNP Specialty Topic Options		Credits
HCML870 Health policy and regulations shape the operations of healthcare, in all sectors and in all delivery models. This course is designed to explain the construct of health policy and compare and contrast the effects that regulations have on healthcare. Students will examine health policy formulation in order to assess and understand what role healthcare leaders contribute to the process	Health Policy and Regulations	4
HCML872 This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive view of healthcare as a mix of capitalism and socialism and the emerging trends for payment of services. Economics and finance of healthcare organizations affects the efficiencies and effectiveness of that organization. Students will assess how economics influence a person’s health and how the patient’s health influences finance. The impact of financial matters on service delivery, reimbursement, performance, and quality will be examined.	Economics and Financing of Healthcare Organizations	4
HCML874 Performance improvement measures are utilized in healthcare organizations to aid in strategic planning, to evaluate operational effectiveness, and to make improvements and evaluate those strategies implemented for improvements. This course will examine selection and use of measures designed to improve operations of the healthcare organization.	Continuous Improvement for Systems in Healthcare	4
HCML876 This course evaluates the advanced infrastructure of healthcare informatics including the application of healthcare information and management systems. Tools to develop, implement and evaluate informatics algorithms and technologies for improving healthcare delivery will be evaluated. Topics of discussion include current information systems being used in the healthcare industry as well as emerging health information systems and how to manage these within the healthcare environment.	Informatics in Healthcare	4
LDR870 This class is designed to help students understand themselves more fully in terms of their current leadership approach and their potential as a leader. Through self-assessment, 360° feedback, journaling, and other forms of self-discovery, students will work to develop enhanced understanding of themselves and their leadership style. They will engage in reflective learning to build their leadership capacity, and they will work to develop peer support structures and personal action plans to guide their ongoing growth and development.	Self-Insight and Personal Development as a Leader	4
MGMT824 This course is designed to develop and expand students’ ability to think strategically. This will involve various typologies and methods of exploration and an examination of heuristics and biases. Students will work to develop the capacity for concurrent action and ‘birds-eye’ perspectives of ongoing organizational activity.	Strategic Thinking and Organizational Alignment	4
ODC870 This course will explore the organizational dynamics, processes, and challenges inherent in analyzing and designing an organization to achieve business strategy. As leaders in organizational development and change, students will explore various methods and techniques of analysis and design, including methods of organizational change. This course will explore systematic management approaches for leading organizational design efforts ranging from problem identification, to design recommendations, and organization transformation.	Organizational Strategy & Design	4
ODC872 This course covers advanced topics in organizational development that help scholar-practitioners prepare for change leadership. Students will identify, assess and evaluate intentional and unintentional organizational change management processes. This course will cover topics in organizational development stakeholder involvement, change effort decision making, and current trends in organizational development leadership.	Current Topics in Organizational Development	4
ODC874 This course explores the theories associated with, and methods utilized to produce, large scale transformative change in organizations. This course delves into: conditions for and drivers of large scale transformative change, planning large scale change efforts, leading and/or facilitating large scale change processes, stakeholder participation in large scale change, the change processes catalyzing transformative change, cultural implications of large scale change, and organizational learning.	Leading and Managing Large Scale Transformation	4
ODC876 This course is a doctoral level analysis of research on models in contextualizing making connections among issues using systems thinking and decision making processes. Topics in this course will relate the concepts of decision process applied to issues in the areas of: strategy formulation and business planning, creating and sustaining a competitive advantage, ensuring organizational system alignment to strategy, options and reasoning for strategic actions, strategic planning in environments of uncertainty, and systems readiness for strategic growth. The essence of this course is designed to help leaders define systems and apply strategic approaches.	System Thinking and Decision Making	4

Total Credit Hours: 49

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Learning Outcomes

Incorporate scientific principles from nursing and other disciplines to improve practice.
Appraise, synthesize and ethically apply evidence as an advanced practice nurse to complex health issues.
Demonstrate systems leadership promoting professional collaboration to improve healthcare outcomes.
Evaluate health issues of diverse populations to improve healthcare outcomes.
Analyze, advocate and apply policy to improve practice and healthcare outcomes.
Incorporate healthcare delivery models and strategies to improve quality healthcare delivery.
Apply principles of information systems and technology to improve healthcare outcomes.

Faculty

Dr. Rose Nieves

University Dean

Dr. Rose Nieves is the Dean of the College of Nursing for Colorado Technical University. In this role, she leverages her vast experience as a nursing leader, educator and healthcare provider to help assess, mold, develop and direct the College of Nursing.

Dr. Kelly White

Executive Program Director

Dr. Kelly White is the Executive Program Director of Nursing and Health Studies at Colorado Technical University. With more than 25 years of experience in nursing education and leadership, she has actively participated in the changing needs of nursing students, faculty and in the transforming healthcare arena.

For more faculty profiles please visit our Leadership and Faculty page.
For more information visit the College of Nursing.

Admission Requirements

Program Requirements

Admission to this program requires an active, clear, and unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States. All students must maintain this licensure throughout the program of study.

Students must have graduated with a programmatically accredited Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from an institutionally accredited institution. A minimum grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for acceptance into the program.

Prior to starting the nursing program all applicants must submit an unofficial or official copy of their college transcript from their MSN degree for review. Applicants to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program who meet all general admission requirements, but did not successfully complete a graduate level statistics course, may be granted provisional admission, until the completion of a graduate level statistics course with a B- or higher. Provisionally accepted students who do not complete a graduate level statistics course prior to NRSG812 Applying Evidence-Based Practice and Research to Improve Health Outcomes will be administratively withdrawn. CTU offers HCM671 Healthcare Statistics that fulfills this program requirement. Students who do not have prior graduate level statistics should consult with their Student Success Coach about options to satisfy this requirement.

The DNP requires a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate clinical hours. CTU may recognize up to 500 hours of supervised, documented clinical hours from your post-baccalaureate (MSN or Post Graduate Certificate) experience toward this clinical requirement.

Potential DNP students must have completed a minimum of 120 documented clinical hours at the post-baccalaureate level prior to admission to the DNP program. Students with 120 clinical hours or greater, but less than 500 clinical hours, will be scheduled for the DNP transitions course(s). This course can be taken at varying credit hours depending on clinical hours transferred into the DNP program. Verification of post-baccalaureate clinical hours completed in the MSN or Post Graduate Certificate program must be submitted on the Colorado Technical University Attestation of Supervised Clinical/Practice/Practicum form.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students are required to attend a symposium event two times during their enrollment in the program. Additional information about CTU's doctoral symposium can be located in the Doctoral Symposium section of this catalog.

At this time, Colorado Technical University cannot accept inquiries for the DNP program from residents of the states of Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia.

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FAQs

What can I expect as a nursing student?

CTU’s nursing students use intellipath^® adaptive learning technology, comparable to the computerized adaptive testing nurses use to enter the profession, focus on new knowledge development, and skip the content they already know. We infuse our faculty-led nursing courses with intellipath^® assignments, writing assignments, discussion boards, virtual simulations, clinical experiences and journaling, among others.

Our students also experience interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical courses without worrying about participating in group project assignments. They also complete clinical experiences and a mix of traditional assignments.

Is this an advanced practice nursing program?

No—The Doctor of Nursing Practice is not an advanced practice nursing program. The DNP program leads to a terminal degree that provides advanced nursing education in systems leadership and application of evidence-based practice to improve healthcare outcomes. It does not lead to a change in the scope of practice.

Can I continue to work while completing this program?

The DNP program is designed to allow the working nurse to advance in his or her DNP degree while continuing to work within the community. With an asynchronous (any time of day) classroom format, this allows students to formulate a study schedule that can be incorporated into their professional life. Instructors also provide synchronous chats to support varied adult learning needs.

Do I need to find my own preceptor?

The Clinical Coordinator will work with each student to identify a preceptor for the DNP practicum. Students may identify and submit a preceptor for review and approval if appropriate and in alignment with the structured doctoral project. Student engagement in the process is vital to securing a practicum placement that meets programmatic requirements and is fulfilling for the student.

Can I complete my clinical/practicum hours at work?

Students must disclose if they are requesting to do their practicum within their current place of employment or health system. Students may not complete practicum hours in their current departments or with in-line supervisors. Students are required to complete a minimum of 500 clinical hours at CTU. The number of hours will vary depending on how many clinical hours the student completed in their MSN program. In addition to successful completion of all courses, all DNP graduates must have completed a total of 1000 post-baccalaureate hours to graduate from the DNP program.

Where can I find information about the DNP Project requirements and process?

Information about the DNP Project can be found in the DNP Handbook which is in the Nursing Learning Center. Course faculty, the DNP Project Team, and the Clinical Coordinator are available for support.