BSN to DNP Nurse Practitioner

BSN to DNP Program 

The DNP is a practice doctorate that prepares clinical scholars recognized for outstanding leadership and innovative evidence-based patient/population centered care in nursing and healthcare delivery that improves systems of care and influences patient outcomes. The program focuses on interprofessional collaboration and developing competencies in quality improvement and safety that lead to enhanced outcomes important to patients, families, providers, and organizations.

BSN-DNP Program Outcome

Upon completion of the DNP program graduates will be prepared to:

  • Program Outcome 1. Knowledge and Scholarship. Uses evidence-based practice in the delivery of nursing care through translation of theories, models, and nursing scholarship to improve health and transform health care.
  • Program Outcome 2. Health Care Delivery. Translate person-centered nursing care at the highest level of nursing practice to meet healthcare needs for individuals, families, populations, and communities in diverse settings with coordination of resources across the healthcare delivery continuum.
  • Program Outcome 3. Quality, Safety, and Technology. Translate quality and safety science and healthcare technology to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services.
  • Program Outcome 4. Interprofessional Practice. Demonstrate team communication and multidisciplinary collaboration skills to promote, improve, or maintain optimum health for patients, families, communications, populations, and health systems.
  • Program Outcome 5. Professionalism and Leadership. Demonstrate professional and leadership values and skills to support ongoing personal and professional development.

BSN-DNP Nurse Practitioner Program Advisement

All BSN-DNP Nurse Practitioner (NP) students will be advised by a PhD or DNP faculty member throughout the doctoral program. The DNP Director assigns a faculty advisor to each student upon admission into the program. The faculty advisor provides advisement for academic, clinical, and DNP Portfolio processes. Advisement includes advice about the program, didactic courses, clinical component courses, and degree plan guidance. Advisement includes assisting the student in the selection, development, and completion of a DNP Project based on a healthcare problem of interest to the student. The faculty advisor is responsible for evaluating the written report of a completed project. The advisor’s written approval is required prior to inclusion of the written DNP Project report into the DNP Portfolio. This written approval also is required prior to the completed DNP Portfolio being submitted for the Graduate Council’s approval before graduation. The student is expected to maintain timely and ongoing communications with the assigned faculty advisor and be responsive to established timelines. If either the student or faculty advisor wishes to change the relationship, the request is addressed to the Co-Directors who has the authority to officially make an advisee-faculty advisor change. The Co-Directors will report the change to the Student Affairs Office.

  Note: DNP Portfolio requirements apply to students who enrolled in 2025 or prior

Graduation Policy

To be eligible for graduation a BSN-DNP student must:

  1. Complete the required credit hours as listed on the student’s degree plan.
  2. Earn a grade of “B” in all required courses.
  3. Submit an acceptable DNP Portfolio (for students who enrolled in 2025 or prior).
  4. File an “Application for Degree” prior to the deadline established each term.
  5. Be enrolled during the term of graduation.
  6. Pay required graduation fee of $150.
  7. Clear through all designated services on the clearance form provided by Student Services.
  8. Complete the BSN-DNP NP curriculum within 5 years from admission or have been granted an extension.
  9. Documentation of a minimum of 1,080 supervised practice hours from the BSN-DNP program.

Time Limitations

Students are required to complete all the requirements for the BSN-DNP Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree within five (5) calendar years from the time of registration as a DNP student in The Cizik School of Nursing. If a student does not complete all requirements for graduation within the five (5) calendar year period, the student must petition the Graduate Council to request a one-time extension of up to one calendar year. The Graduate Council may grant the request if there have been extenuating circumstances preventing the student from completing the program. A student must also enroll in the semester in which the student completes the degree requirements.