Welcome
Dear Prospective DNP Student:
Loyola University Chicago’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON) is pleased to announce its new program for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students. The DNP is a practice-focused degree designed to provide additional knowledge and skills so that nurses may further enhance the health and well being of the individuals and communities with whom they work. The changing demands of the nation’s complex healthcare environment require the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure high quality patient outcomes. The DNP curriculum builds on current master’s programs and provides education in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and systems thinking. The DNP program enables nurses to become expert nurse leaders and collaborators in solving problems in health care systems.
As the terminal degree for nurses, a DNP offers an alternative to research-focused doctoral programs. The DNP program provides advanced practice nurses with the knowledge and skill for providing innovative leadership to the profession and for ensuring high quality health care across all settings through the dissemination of evidence-based practice initiatives patients, families, communities and populations. These DNP leaders will be well-positioned for advancing the practice and translating the science of nursing as nursing leaders, clinical faculty, and/or practitioners.
Loyola’s program is designed as a two-year, post-MSN cohort program. Courses are scheduled for 6 SH per semester, including summer, which makes the student eligible for traineeships for full time study. Courses are offered primarily online, with a required two-three day class incorporating course work, seminars, and presentations held once each semester at the Loyola University Health Sciences Campus in Maywood, IL.
Loyola’s DNP program centers on the “Health of the Public” and the translation of evidence-based practices to improve outcomes. The program focuses on populations at risk for disease, populations that are experiencing alterations in health, populations across the nation and globe, and systems that promote safe and efficient health care environments. The program emphasizes leadership in the implementation of transformational change in the student’s area of practice. Completion of a faculty-supervised capstone project provides opportunity for students to demonstrate this expertise.
A practice doctorate is not unique to the nursing profession. Medical doctors are the most well-known group of health care practitioners who earn practice doctorates as their terminal degree. Within the health care arena, a practice doctorate is now an entry-level requirement for pharmacists, clinical psychologists, dentists, and podiatrists. It is also available as a terminal degree for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants. The DNP is now available as a terminal practice degree for nurses.
The MNSON continues to be a leader in APN education across the nation, graduating approximately 45 to 50 APNs each year. The MNSON began offering the DNP degree in the fall semester of 2009. Admission is competitive, based on the strength of application materials and interview.
For further information regarding this exciting development in nursing education, please go to the School of Nursing website at http://www.luc.edu/nursing/index.shtml. For further information regarding AACN’s promotion of the DNP as the terminal practice degree for APNs, visit the AACN website at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/DNPProgramList.htm.
Sincerely,
Vicki A. Keough, PhD, APN/ACNP-BC
Professor and Acting Dean
Professor and Director DNP Program
