Graduate Program (DNP)
NURSING PRACTICE IN POPULATION HEALTH LEADERSHIP (DNP)
This population health-focused program prepares nurses as leaders in addressing the complexity of 21st-century health care and health care outcomes. Through the lens of Xavier's Jesuit tradition, students achieve the highest level of academic preparation that incorporates scientific, philosophical, ethical and historical perspectives of nursing practice along with the complexities of present and future global and holistic health care. The DNP program has been offered 100% online since Fall 2017.
Admission
Admission Requirements:
Candidates must have obtained an MSN from a CCNE or ACEN (formerly NLNAC) accredited school, or a Master's in a field other than nursing. Candidates with a Master's in a field other than nursing are required to have a BSN from a CCNE, ACEN or regionally accredited institution. Candidates are required to have completed a basic statistics course.
One year of professional nursing work experience is required.
International students must be licensed registered nurses in the United States and must meet all additional requirements for admission to the university.
Application Requirements and How to Apply:
- Verification of current RN licensure (School of Nursing will obtain)
- Official transcripts from all previous coursework including diploma program
- A 1-3 page, single spaced, personal statement describing the reasons for seeking doctoral study, short and long term professional goals, narrative of professional experience & discussion of a possible DNP project
- Published work or paper from previous coursework
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- 3 professional references from faculty or other health professionals with advanced preparation who can evaluate your effectiveness in Graduate Nursing Program (a standard form is incorporated in the application)
- Admission is available for the fall semester of each academic year. Applicants will be reviewed and notified of their status by June 30.
Curriculum
Year One - Fall
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 6 |
| NURS 900 - DNP Foundations | 3 |
| NURS 904 - Applications of Advanced Research | 3 |
Spring
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 7 |
| NURS 902 - Advanced Evidence Based Practice | 3 |
| NURS 903 - Nursing Leadership in Complex Population-based Healthcare Systems | 4 |
Summer
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 6 |
| NURS 906 - Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice in Complex Health Systems | 3 |
| NURS 864 - Epidemiologic Methods | 3 |
Year Two - Fall
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 7 |
| NURS 905 - Healthcare Finance and Economics for Nurse Leaders | 4 |
| NURS 908 - Health Care Policy | 3 |
Spring
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 7 |
| NURS 910 - Scholarship of Advanced Application and Innovation | 3 |
| NURS 907 - Evaluation and Analytics of Outcomes in Health Care | 4 |
Summer
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 4 |
| NURS 911 - Advanced Practice Application | 4 |
Year Three - Fall
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 3 |
| NURS 915 - Immersion and DNP Project I | 3 |
Spring
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | 3 |
| NURS 917 - Immersion and DNP Project II | 3 |
Sample Courses
NURS 900 DNP Foundations - This course is foundational to the DNP curriculum and facilitates the dynamic interplay occurring throughout the curriculum between faculty and students as they progress on their journey of discovery. The goal of this course is to build a comprehensive perspective for students regarding the DNP role and its function within the complexities of present and future healthcare and the wider global community. The scientific and philosophical underpinnings of the discipline are examined along with traditional and contemporary conceptual models. Students explore components ethical and artistic nursing practice while considering an Ignatian and holistic worldview.
NURS 903 Nursing Leadership in Complex Population-Based Healthcare Systems - This course is designed to enhance leadership skills to strengthen practice and health care delivery to individuals and populations. Care delivery models in complex healthcare systems are explored from a framework of contemporary nursing science that is consistent with ethical, holistic nursing and healthcare goals to eliminate health disparities and lead changes that promote safety and quality outcomes. The course encompasses in-depth analysis of select concepts or topics using an analytic framework, including advanced communication and collaboration skills, innovation and quality.
NURS 906 Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice in Complex Health Systems - This course builds upon knowledge of healthcare technologies and the management of individual and aggregate level data. Leadership, knowledge and technical skills are applied within the interprofessional healthcare environment to select, use and evaluate population based healthcare information systems. Programs that evaluate and monitor outcomes of care, quality improvement, consumer use of healthcare information systems, and patient care technology are analyzed. Legal, ethical, global, holistic and interprofessional considerations are emphasized.
NURS 908 Health Care Policy - This course is designed to provide a framework with which to examine health policy issues and better comprehend the policy-making process at all levels, including institutional, local, state, regional, federal and international levels. Health policy issues related to ethics, social determinants as well as healthcare delivery regulation and financing are addressed. The leadership role as an advocate influencing health policy formation is explored. Emphasized are skills for analyzing policy processes and engaging in politically competent actions for the transformation of a holistic and ethical healthcare system which meets the needs of the public and the nursing profession.
Tuition & Fees
| Tuition, per credit hour | Cost |
|---|---|
| CPS - Doctoral Programs | $830 |
| Student Fee, per semester | |
|---|---|
| Graduate Student Association Fee, degree seeking full-time | $8 |
| Graduate Student Association Fee, degree seeking part-time | $4 |
The amounts listed are for the 2019-20 school year, and include classes from Summer 2019 though Spring 2020. These amounts are updated to the most recent amounts available. For the full listing, please visit xavier.edu/costs.
Top 100 Xavier is ranked among the best nursing schools by U.S. New & World Report for 2015.
Top 100
Xavier is ranked among the best nursing schools by U.S. New & World Report for 2015.
POPULATION HEALTH
KEEPING PEOPLE HEALTHY
Students in the doctoral program are steeped in the emerging health care concept of Population Health, a wellness-based approach that reimburses providers and hospitals for keeping people—and populations—healthy in order to improve the country's health outcomes at a lower overall cost. Students focus on the population of their choice as they develop their DNP project.
IMMERSION EXPERIENCE
Students participate in intense immersion experiences in a variety of environments where they can be innovative and involved in macrosystems to influence health care outcomes for individuals and populations.
JESUIT ETHICS
Because nurses are at the center of many decisions involving health care providers with their patients and their families, Xavier emphasizes a Jesuit-based philosophical and theological foundation that guides nursing graduates in their decision-making so they are confident in the ethical framework within which they work. Our graduates value the whole person and have a special respect for life and death.
Nursing Entry Points
We offer several entry points to help you find the right program:
Undergraduate Program
First, the prognosis: the demand for skilled, well-trained nurses is expected to increase at a nearly 20% level through 2022. Plus nurses continue to be the largest single component of hospital staff as the primary providers of patient care. But beyond the numbers, our unique Jesuit philosophy of caring for the whole person not only develops your intellect but also your sense of empathy—a quality that goes beyond a resumé.
» Go to the Undergraduate Program
MSN Entry Points for RN's
Non-nurses with a Bachelor's Degree
MSN: Direct Entry as Second Degree - MIDAS Program - This is a 20-month full-time pre-licensure MSN program offered onsite at the main campus.
Accelerated BSN - Connect with your true calling in as little as 16 months.
Doctor of Nursing Practice in Population Health Leadership
Graduates are prepared to be leaders in addressing the complexity of 21st-century health care and health care outcomes.
Post-master's Certificate Options for RN's with MSN
Offered at main campus and video-conferencing at partner sites for:
DNP Program Objectives
- Integrate the scientific, philosophical, ethical, and historical underpinnings of professional nursing practice from a global and holistic perspective.
- Provide organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking.
- Provide leadership in clinical scholarship and analytical methods for the translation of research in evidence-based care.
- Utilize information systems/technology and patient care technology for the holistic improvement and transformation of health care.
- Influence health care policy by possessing essential skills in policy and advocacy.
- Establish interprofessional collaboration for holistically improving patient and population health outcomes.
- Design, implement, and evaluate health care delivery methods for illness prevention and population health for improving the nation's health.
- Utilize conceptual and analytical skills to distinguish relationships among practice, organizations, diverse populations, fiscal resources and policy concerns, and to advance nursing practice.
Xavier by the numbers
$110,930
MEAN ANNUAL WAGE FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES (BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 2017)
2.5 - 3
YEARS IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THE 40-43 CREDIT HOUR PROGRAM.
500
CLINICAL IMMERSION HOURS THAT MAY BE CREDITED TOWARD REQUIRED 1,000 HOURS.
REMI ORIOWO: PURSUING NURSING'S ULTIMATE CALLING
As a nurse educator from Nigeria, Remi Oriowo brought a unique perspective on health care to the United States. The launch of Xavier's Doctor in Nursing Practice was perfect timing for her and her desire to improve health outcomes for patients here and back home.