Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Program Contact: Carolyn Bradley, 203-582-7975

The DNP program aims to prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice who are capable of providing holistic health care for diverse individuals, families or populations in a variety of settings.

Post-Master’s Program

For students with a master’s degree in nursing or a related field, the post-master’s doctoral option offers an opportunity to advance career goals in one of two online programs:

1. Doctor of Nursing Practice Care of Populations
2. Doctor of Nursing Practice Nursing Leadership

Students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program are able to choose from two concentrations: Care of Populations and Nursing Leadership. The Care of Populations concentration focuses on public health and healthcare system analysis, which is useful for systematic chronic disease management and healthcare services design. Students in the Nursing Leadership concentration may come with or without past experiences in management. The courses prepare students for leadership responsibilities and roles across the healthcare field. 

Technical Standards for School of Nursing Students

Quinnipiac University School of Nursing provides the following technical standards to inform incoming and enrolled students of the performance abilities and characteristics that are necessary to successfully complete the requirements of the nursing curriculum and provide effective and safe healthcare. The student must meet technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations and maintain related satisfactory demonstration of these standards for progression throughout the program and graduation from the program.

An individual must be able to independently, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet the following technical standards of general abilities, and those specifically of key areas for technical standards in nursing include having abilities and skills in the areas of: (1) Observation, (2) Communication, (3) Motor, (4) Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, Quantitative, (5) Behavioral-Social, and (6) Ability to Manage Stressful Situations. 

General Abilities

The student is expected to possess functional use of the senses of vision, touch, hearing and smell so that data received by the senses may be integrated, analyzed and synthesized in a consistent and accurate manner. A student must also possess the ability to perceive pain, pressure, temperature, position, vibration and movement which are important to the student's ability to gather significant information needed to effectively evaluate patients. A student must be able to respond promptly to urgent situations that may occur during clinical training activities and must not hinder the ability of other members of the healthcare team to provide prompt treatment and care to patients.

Specific Key Areas

1. Observational Ability
   The student must have sufficient capacity to make accurate visual observations and interpret them in the context of laboratory studies, medication administration, and patient care activities. In addition, the student must be able to document these observations and maintain accurate records.
2. Communication Ability
   The student must communicate effectively to elicit information and to translate that information to others. Each student must have the ability to read, write, comprehend and communicate effectively within the English language to facilitate communication with patients, their family members and other professionals in healthcare settings. In addition, the student must be able to present information in a professional, logical manner and provide patient counseling and instruction to effectively care for patients and their families. The student must possess verbal and written communication skills that permit effective communication with instructors and students in the classroom, laboratory and clinical settings.
3. Motor Ability
   The student must be able to perform gross and fine motor movements with sufficient coordination needed to perform complete physical examinations utilizing the techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation and other diagnostic maneuvers. A student must develop the psychomotor skills reasonably needed to perform or assist with procedures, treatments, administration of medication, and management and operation of diagnostic and therapeutic medical equipment, and such maneuvers to assist with patient care activities such as lifting, wheelchair guidance and mobility. The student must have sufficient levels of neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand coordination as well as possess the physical and mental stamina to meet the demands associated with extended periods of sitting, standing, moving and physical exertion required for satisfactory and safe performance in the clinical, laboratory and classroom settings including performing CPR, if necessary. The student must possess the ability of manual dexterity that would be required for certain activities, such as drawing up solutions in a syringe.
4. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities
   The student must be able to develop and refine problem-solving skills that are crucial to practice as a nurse. Problem solving involves the abilities to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize objective and subjective data, and to make decisions, often in a time-urgent environment, that reflect consistent and thoughtful deliberation and sound clinical judgment. Each student must demonstrate mastery of these skills and possess the ability to incorporate new information from peers, teachers and the nursing and medical literature to formulate sound judgment in patient assessment, intervention, evaluation, teaching, and setting short- and long-term goals.
5. Behavioral, Social and Professional Attributes
   Compassion, integrity, motivation, effective interpersonal skills and concern for others are personal attributes required of those in the nursing programs. Personal comfort and acceptance of the role of a nurse functioning under supervision of a clinical instructor or preceptor is essential for a nursing student. The student must possess the skills required for full utilization of the student's intellectual abilities; the exercise of good judgment; the prompt completion of all responsibilities in the classroom, laboratory and clinical settings; and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and other members of the healthcare team. Each student must be able to exercise stable, sound judgment and to complete assessment and interventional activities. The ability to establish rapport and maintain sensitive, interpersonal relationships with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds is critical for practice as a nurse. The student must be able to adapt to changing environments; display flexibility; accept and integrate constructive criticism given in the classroom, laboratory and clinical settings; effectively interact in the clinical setting with other members of the healthcare team; and learn to function cooperatively and efficiently in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical practice. The student must demonstrate intent and desire to follow the ANA Standards of Care and Nursing Code of Ethics.
6. Ability to Manage Stressful Situations
   The student must be able to adjust to and respond effectively to stressful situations in both the classroom and clinical settings, including emergency situations. The student will experience multiple stressors while in the nursing program. Stressors may be (but are not limited to) personal, patient/family care, faculty/peer and/or program-related.

Accessibility and the School of Nursing Technical Standards

The Quinnipiac University School of Nursing maintains a strong institutional commitment to equal educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities who apply for admission and/or who are already enrolled. Our core values include: diversity of ideas, persons and cultures; supportive learning environments; scholarly undertakings to advance education and practice; ethical conduct in personal and professional arenas; holistic nursing across the spectrum of healthcare; interprofessional education and collaboration; innovative learning methodologies; systematic assessment and evaluation; and lifelong learning. These core values translate into our work with students, including those with disabilities. The mission of the School of Nursing is to provide leadership in nursing and healthcare through innovative undergraduate and graduate education that embraces holism, interprofessionalism and inclusivity. 

The Technical Standards are not intended to deter any candidate for whom reasonable accommodation will allow equal access to Quinnipiac University programs and services and fulfillment of the complete curriculum. A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to an instructional activity, facility, program or service that removes barriers and enables a qualified student with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in all Quinnipiac University student activities.

Decisions regarding reasonable accommodation are determined on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration each student’s disability-related needs, supporting medical documentation, history of use of accommodations and program requirements. While Quinnipiac University will make every effort to work with students with disabilities to accommodate their disability-related needs, Quinnipiac University is not required to provide accommodations that fundamentally alter the student learning outcomes or waive essential program requirements.

The Office of Student Accessibility (OSA), located in the Learning Commons on Mount Carmel and North Haven, provides students with disabilities a confidential review within the interactive accommodation process to determine whether there are any reasonable accommodations that would provide equal access to the student learning outcomes. The OSA serves prospective and current students with disabilities affecting mobility, vision, hearing and learning as well as physical or mental health challenges. The OSA can be contacted at 203-582-7600 ​​​​​​​or by emailing access@qu.edu 

Student Learning Outcomes

The objectives of the DNP program are designed to prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice who are capable of providing holistic health care for diverse individuals, families or populations in a variety of settings. Specifically, the program seeks to produce graduates who:

1. Demonstrate clinical reasoning through an understanding of science and evidence-based practice.
2. Design, implement and evaluate quality improvement initiatives across the systems in which health care is delivered.
3. Analyze and critique the available evidence for best practices in healthcare.
4. Apply technology and information fluency to conduct practice inquiry.
5. Advocate for rational health policies to improve patient care and enhance effective use of resources.
6. Demonstrate leadership through inter-professional collaboration to improve patient and population health outcomes.
7. Direct health promotion and disease prevention efforts to improve patient and population health outcomes.
8. Provide competent, culturally sensitive and ethically based care to individuals and/or populations in a defined specialty of advanced nursing practice.

Doctor of Nursing Practice programs

Post-master’s study

• Doctor of Nursing Practice Care of Populations
• Doctor of Nursing Practice Nursing Leadership

Admission Requirements

Note: For QU MSN NP graduates, no new admission application is required within a two-year period from MSN graduation. Contact the graduate program chair to continue into the Post-Master’s DNP.

An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.20 or better is required. Additionally applicants to the post-master's programs must have a master's degree in nursing or a related field. Post-master's applicants are required to provide a letter from their prior master's program detailing the total number of supervised clinical hours they completed as part of that program. Applicants should submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

1. A completed admissions application including a resume and a personal statement addressing the following:
   1. professional goals and motivations;
   2. a nursing experience that has influenced or shaped your practice;
   3. a healthcare problem that interests you for potential doctoral study.
2. Official transcripts from all schools previously attended.
3. Official recent results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or (IELTS) International English Language Testing System for international applicants.
4. Two letters of recommendation from persons with authority to evaluate your professional ability.
5. Proof of current licensure or eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse.

Candidates applying for full-time admission for the fall term must submit a completed application by July 1 for the Post-MSN programs. Candidates may be on a waitlist for the fall in the event a space becomes available. However, acceptances are not deferred to the following fall and wait-listed candidates need to reapply for the following fall. Exceptions may be made in rare circumstances by the program director.

All accepted students are required to complete a background check and urine drug screen following acceptance and before the start of classes. Acceptances are conditional until satisfactory completion of both.

Transfer Credits

Graduate course credit completed with a grade of B or better at another regionally accredited institution may be considered for transfer credit in place of a similar course. Courses must be at the same level (i.e., an undergraduate course may not be transferred in place of a master's level course) and taken within the past five years. Transfer credit is granted upon admission to the program only. The course description and/or syllabus and a copy of the transcript with a request for transfer credit must be sent/emailed to the program director of the graduate nursing programs. 

When all application materials are received, an interview with the graduate nursing program director and/or member of the faculty will be arranged for eligible candidates.

DNP Project

Upon admission, students are assigned an adviser, who meets with them for academic and scholarly advising over the course of the program. All students in the DNP program engage in scholarly inquiry through a variety of projects in core and specialty courses and in the DNP Project. The DNP Project is conducted in NUR 810/NUR 810PBL, NUR 812/NUR 812PBL and NUR 814PBL, and based on the AACN’s "Doctor of Nursing Practice: Current Issues and Clarifying Recommendations," it:

• focuses on a change that impacts healthcare outcomes either through direct or indirect care
• has a systems or population/aggregate focus
• demonstrates implementation in the appropriate arena or area of practice
• includes a plan for sustainability
• includes an evaluation of processes and/or outcomes
• provides a foundation for future practice scholarship

The DNP project is evaluated by the DNP project team, which consists of the faculty members who are teaching in the DNP project courses as well as the student's liaison at the practice site. In addition, students complete a crosswalk table which summarizes key assignments that demonstrate how each student achieved the program outcomes.