Skip nav
PeoriaQuad CitiesRockfordUrbana Advancing Nursing Leadership College DirectoryContact UsCollege of Nursing Home
UIC - University of Illinois at ChicagoCollege of Nursing
 
   
   
 

DNP: About the Program

Stay up-to-date with the progress of the DNP program. Join our listserv!

To subscribe:

  1. Email listserv@uic.edu
  2. In the body of the message, put: SUBSCRIBE DNP

To unsubscribe:

  1. Email listserv@uic.edu
  2. In the body of the message, put: SIGNOFF DNP

Program Description

The DNP is designed to prepare nursing leaders for the highest level of professional nursing practice beyond the initial preparation in the discipline. Doctoral nursing practice encompasses advanced clinical practice that influences health care outcomes for individuals, families, and populations; including the direct care of individual patients, management of care for individuals and populations, administration of nursing and health care organizations, and the development and implementation of health policy. Graduates of DNP programs are prepared for direct care roles (e.g. nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives) and indirect care or systems-focused roles (e.g. administrative, public health, and policy roles) or a blend of these roles. The DNP curriculum consists of three domains of competencies for advanced practice in direct clinical care or systems: a) core practice competencies, b) specialty-specific practice competencies, and c) role competencies. Role competencies for the DNP are addressed in the DNP document.

Program Mission

Develop advanced practitioners of nursing into evidenced-based, intradisciplinary providers who meet the needs of a rapidly expanding healthcare field.

Program Objectives

The DNP program prepares nurse leaders to practice in complex health care systems, manage diverse populations, and reduce disparities in health care outcomes. The specific objectives of the program are to:

  • Graduate ‘leader-scholars’ in advanced nursing practice who will be prepared with a blend of clinical, translational research, organizational, economic, and leadership skills to enable them to design, evaluate, and continuously improve the context within which care is delivered.
  • Provide a route of entrée to academic leadership as non-research faculty members to meet a growing shortage of doctorally prepared faculty in nursing.
  • Meet the needs of Illinois employers for clinicians who can function in leadership and advanced nursing practice roles, i.e. clinicians who can critique nursing and other scientific findings and design programs of care delivery that are locally acceptable, economically feasible, and which significantly impact health care outcomes.
  • Increase the number of nurses in Illinois who are able to influence health care policy and reduce disparities in health care outcomes between resident majorities and those who are ethnically and geographically disadvantaged.

For further information on the DNP degree please visit The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Routes of Entry in the DNP program

There are two routes of entry for the DNP Program: MS to DNP and BSN to DNP

The MS to DNP curriculum builds on direct care or systems-focused competencies that were previously acquired through formal coursework leading to a Master of Science Degree in Nursing. Students who would like to acquire a new role (such as an administrator enrolling in the Family Nurse Practitioner option) will need to complete additional courses in the selected area of role specialization. Up to 45 semester hours from the master’s degree may be approved for application to the DNP credit requirements. The appropriateness of any graduate work completed by an applicant will be evaluated and transfer credit may be limited. The curriculum also incorporates a synthesis project and clinical practice residency.

The BSN to DNP curriculum gives the student with a bachelor’s degree the option of bypassing the master’s degree and moving directly through the program to obtain the DNP degree. This option requires all of the current master’s core and specialty courses as well as the DNP courses (see tables under degree requirements). However, instead of completing a master’s project, students who pursue this option will complete only the DNP synthesis project.

The DNP course work will be available to students in all 5 regional sites through distance learning (could consist of online, video-conferencing, or other).