Purpose of the DNP Program
The purpose of the DNP program is to educate nurse practitioners who not only provide quality primary care to patients, but who assume leadership roles in the health care system, and have the knowledge and skills necessary to propose solutions to improve patient care and health care outcomes. This can be achieved by nurses who have strong patient care knowledge and skills obtained at the MS level, and also knowledge and skills in evaluation research, health policy, organizational leadership and financing, evidence-based practice and health care informatics. The DNP is expected to have a positive impact on the sustainability of the health care system by having advanced education in areas necessary to improve health care delivery using an evidence-based approach.
The curriculum in the Post-Masters DNP program will be 2 academic years full-time in length, adding 41 credits of post-masters education. Part-time study is available. In addition to classroom and on-line experiences, students will complete 512 hours in health care settings as part of practicum experiences where they apply course content in practice settings. A scholarly project is completed that includes an evidence-based intervention to improve practice or patient outcomes and an evaluation of the evidence-based intervention.
Program Objective:
The objective of the DNP program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell is to prepare nurse leaders who propose, implement and evaluate positive evidence-based changes in health care. The graduate of the post-MS DNP program in Nursing will build on the foundation of nursing achieved by Master’s prepared nurse practitioners who are board certified clinicians.
Admission Criteria
Students admitted to the post-MS DNP program will hold a MS degree in nursing with preparation as a nurse practitioner. Certification as a nurse practitioner is also required.
Specific application requirements include:
Pre- requisites (MS level courses)
Priority application deadline is February 1. Admission is competitive. Applications received after that date will be reviewed on a space available basis.
Course of Study -- (41 credits)
Semester I
32.612 Operations Analysis for Quality Improvement (3 cr.)
33.770 Evidence-Based Practice (2 cr.)*
32.514 Healthcare Management (3 cr.)
33.717 Evaluation Research (3 cr.)
Semester II
32.511 Healthcare Finance (3 cr.)
32.506 Quantitative Methods in Health Management (3 cr.)
33.771 Advanced Nursing Leadership (3 cr.)*
32.607 Healthcare Information Systems (3 cr.)
Semester III
33.772 Scholarly Project and Practicum (3 cr.)
33.707 Epidemiology of Health Promotion (3 cr.)
Elective (3 cr.)
Semester IV
33.773 DNP Role Immersion Residency (6 cr.)*
32.627 Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health (3 cr.)
Elective (for Semester III)
Students may choose an elective course from the following Department of Nursing offerings:
33.553 Geropsychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
33.554 Palliative and End of Life Nursing Care
33.716 Qualitative Methods
33.702 Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion
33.706 Measurement in Health and Behavioral Research
33.713 Curriculum and Teaching in Nursing
33.602 Clinical Psychopharmacology
33.703 Research in Nursing and Health Promotion
33.709 Intervention Research in Health Promotion & Nursing
33.701 Philosophy of Science
Other courses with approval of advisor
*Courses 33.770, 33.771, 33.772, and 33.773 must be taken in sequence over 4 consecutive semesters
Contact:
Dr. Susan Houde
Director of Master's, DNP, and Certificate Programs
978-934-4426
susan_houde@uml.edu
