Program Objectives
The Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist DNP program prepares graduates to be highly developed clinicians and leaders.
You are prepared to practice in a variety of complex clinical, organizational and educational systems with diverse populations.
Our program gives you the tools to affect changes in health care outcomes through evidence-based decision-making and system redesign.
Graduates meet the following standards:
- Integrate science-based theories and data-based concepts to develop, critically appraise and implement practice approaches that improve health care and health care systems
- Apply organizational theories and systems thinking to improve the quality, cost-effectiveness and safety outcomes of practice decisions and initiatives
- Apply effective strategies for managing the ethical dilemmas inherent in patient care, the health care organization and research
- Apply knowledge of informatics to monitor and improve outcomes, programs and systems of care
- Provide leadership in influencing policies on the financing, regulation and delivery of health care
- Lead interprofessional teams to improve patient and population health outcomes
- Function independently in an advanced nursing role to improve health outcomes in a specialty area of practice
Graduation Requirements
Students entering the program with a bachelor’s degree need to complete a minimum of 77 term hours. Students who have a master’s degree require a minimum of 65 term hours.
A gap analysis will be performed, and an individualized program of study will be developed based on previous graduate education.
All students must complete the degree requirements within five years.
Clinical experience
Your clinical training consists of rotations through a variety of sites, neonates experiencing different levels of acuity. These sites include the following:
- Academic setting
- Inpatient neonatal intensive care
- Neonatal organizations
- Neonatal clinics
- Public health clinics
- Home health
You will complete a total of 750 clock hours of clinical practica. These hours will be divided over three terms, with the third term consisting of a residency.
There are also 250 DNP practica project hours. As a result, your clinical hours in the program will be 1,008 clock hours.