The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is accredited by the:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
202-463-6930
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a practice-focused doctoral program. The mission of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is to prepare expert nurse clinicians, administrators, and executive leaders to improve health and health care outcomes. The focus is on practice that is innovative and evidence-based, reflecting the application of credible research findings. Across the program, the student develops advanced knowledge and skills reflective of the terminal practice doctorate through evidence-based practice in diverse clinical, health care, and academic settings. The goal for this program is to provide educational, clinical, and practicum experiences in a transdisciplinary, collaborative learning environment. Students complete a project that demonstrates clinical scholarship. This DNP Project emphasizes evidence-based approaches for quality and safety improvement in various roles and practice settings.
DNP Advanced Practice Tracks
The DNP Advanced Practice Track option is a post-baccalaureate to DNP program that prepares students for the Nurse Practitioner role with a focus on a specific population (adult-gerontological primary, adult-gerontological acute, pediatric primary, pediatric primary/acute, family primary, or psychiatric mental health), the Clinical Nurse Specialist role focused on a specific population (adult health, adult critical care, or pediatric critical care), or the Nurse Anesthetist role. The length of the program, number of credits, and clinical hours vary according to the role and specialty, ranging from 78 to 88 credits and 784 clinical hours for the Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist tracks; 88 credits and 2,128 clinical hours for the Nurse Anesthesia track. The balance of the minimum of 1000 practice hours required for the DNP is obtained while conducting the DNP Project.
The DNP Advanced Practice program (Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist tracks) is online with required on-site course immersions. The Nurse Anesthesia track is a hybrid program. The first year of the program is online and can be completed at a distance* (with 1-2 on-site immersion experiences in Advanced Health Assessment). All Nurse Anesthesia track students are required to be on campus beginning Summer Year 2 of the Plan of Study.
Students matriculated in the JHU School of Nursing are required to satisfy all academic requirements and adhere to all policies of the School. Students are expected to complete degree requirements within six years of enrollment.
Core courses that lay the foundation for advanced practice nursing are listed below. Additional core courses taken by students in the FNP, PNP, and CNS Pediatric Critical Care are so noted in the track descriptions that follow the DNP Advanced Practice Core Curriculum.
DNP Advanced Practice Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NR.210.600 | Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology (*) | 4 |
| NR.210.601 | Advanced Health Assessment and Measurement (*) | 3 |
| NR.210.602 | Clinical Pharmacology (*) | 4 |
| NR.210.605 | Diagnostic Skills and Procedures for Advanced Practice Nursing | 2 |
| NR.210.606 | Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice (*) | 3 |
| NR.210.607 | Context of Health Care for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NR.210.608 | The Research Process and Its Application to Evidence-Based Practice (*) | 3 |
| NR.210.609 | Philosophical, Theoretical & Ethical Basis of Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NR.210.610 | Health Promotion and Risk Reduction Across the Lifespan (*) | 2 |
Core Totals 27cr (AGPNP, ACNP, CNS ACC, CNS AH); *19cr (Nurse Anesthesia track only)
Additional DNP Advanced Practice Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NR.210.603 | Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence | 1 |
| NR.210.604 | Health Supervision: Birth through Adolescence | 2 |
Core Totals: 30cr (FNP, PNP] 29cr (CNS PCC)
Program Totals 27-30cr/224-336PH
The following DNP core courses are required for all Advanced Practice DNP students. There is variation by specialty track in the minimum number of DNP Practicum credits and associated practicum hours.
DNP Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NR.210.802 | Advanced Nursing Health Policy | 2 |
| NR.210.803 | Nursing Inquiry for Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| NR.210.804 | Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Care | 2 |
| NR.210.805 | Translating Evidence into Practice | 3 |
| NR.210.806 | Health Finance | 2 |
| NR.210.817 | Analysis and Evaluation of Individual and Population Health Data | 3 |
| NR.210.818 | Clinical Data Management and Analyses | 2 |
| NR.210.822 | Health Information Systems and Patient Care Technologies | 2 |
| NR.210.886 | Problem Discovery | 1 - 3 |
| NR.210.887 | Project Advancement | 1 - 3 |
| NR.210.888 | Project Application | 1 - 3 |
| NR.210.889 | Project Evaluation and Dissemination | 1 - 3 |
Doctor of Nursing Practice Advanced Practice Track DNP Project Progression
DNP students are required to successfully complete a DNP Project Proposal and Final Project.
Learning Outcomes
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program outcomes are based upon:
- The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (AACN, 2011)
- The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006)
A graduate of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program:
- Integrates the art and science of nursing, with ethics and the biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, organizational, and public health sciences to improve patient and population health outcomes
- Demonstrates organizational and systems leadership for quality and safety in health care systems
- Critically appraises clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice
- Applies information systems and technology for the provision and/or transformation of health care
- Leverages interprofessional collaboration for the improvement of individual and population health outcomes
- Utilizes population health strategies of risk reduction/illness prevention, health promotion, and health maintenance to reduce healthcare disparities and improve outcomes for diverse individuals and populations
- Develops leadership for health care policy and advocacy that shapes health care financing, regulation, access, and delivery
- Demonstrates mastery of the advanced nursing practice/advanced practice nursing role and population competencies