VUSN Student Handbook

VUSN: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Table of Contents

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program prepares leaders in advanced nursing practice to bring evidence-based knowledge into the practice arena, improve health care outcomes and strengthen the leadership role in guiding complex care delivery and nursing education. The increased complexity in health care, the explosion of knowledge and technology, and national issues related to patient safety and quality improvement call for fundamental changes in the education of all health care professionals. Redesigning care processes is indicated, with information technology systems enhancing evidence-based decision making at both the macro- and micro-system levels.

Addressing the above challenges identified by the National Academy of Medicine (formally Institute of Medicine [IOM]) and other national organizations, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published a position paper in 2004 targeting the adoption of the DNP as the terminal degree for advanced nursing practice. Advanced nursing practice is any form of nursing intervention that influences health care outcomes for individuals or populations, including the direct care of individual patients, management of care for specific populations, administration of nursing and health care organizations, and the development and implementation of health care policy.

VUSN has a long history of educating advanced practice nurses at the master’s level in both direct and indirect patient care, e.g., Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse-Midwives, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nursing Informatics Specialists, and Healthcare Leaders. Nurses prepared in practice doctorate programs have a blend of clinical, organizational, economic, and leadership skills to enable them to critique nursing and other clinical scientific findings and design programs of care delivery that are locally acceptable, economically feasible, and have significant impact on health care outcomes.

Dr. Terri Allison is the Assistant Dean for Academics, Doctoral Nursing Practice.

DNP Program Goals

Central to the DNP curriculum is the application of evidence-based practice methods within practice settings throughout the program of study. Evidence-based practice is classically defined as the integration of best research evidence with practice expertise and patient values to facilitate health care decision making. The goals of the DNP program are to prepare nurse scholars to:

  1. Assess, analyze, evaluate, and manage complex health environments serving diverse populations to improve patient and population health outcomes;
  2. Apply clinical scholarship and available evidence to make clinical and system decisions incorporating professional values and ethical principles;
  3. Support and improve patient care and health care systems using clinical practice models, health policy, informatics, and organizational leadership skills;
  4. Advocate for clinical prevention, population health initiatives, and evidence-based health policy through interprofessional and stakeholder collaboration.

All students are expected to meet the DNP program goals regardless of entry track. Students demonstrate achievement of program goals via didactic assignments and documentation of practice hours. BSN to DNP entry in an advanced nursing practice specialty and DNP plus post-master's certificate entry students must also complete specialty-focused didactic and clinical hours requirements.

Students enter the VUSN DNP program in one of the following categories:

Post-Master's DNP Entry Options

  • Entry to the DNP Advanced Clinical Practice Track with an MSN Degree in Advanced Nursing Practice

    For students who have completed an advanced clinical practice program, this entry requires APRN certification as either a NP, CNM, CNS, or CRNA. For students who are progressing seamlessly from VUSN's MSN or post-master's certificate program, certification must be obtained prior to enrolling in NURS 8101: DNP Integrative Application of Evidence-Based Practice.

  • Entry to the DNP Advanced Systems Practice Track

    This track has three entry options:

    1. Applicants with an MSN in health care leadership, nursing administration, or nursing informatics may enter the Advanced Systems track or the Executive Leadership track (see below). National certification in the area of specialty is preferred.
    2. Applicants with a BSN and a master’s in a non-nursing, business- or health-related field to the Advanced Systems track must be certified or eligible for certification in one of the following:
    3. Applicants with an MSN or MN in Nursing Education to the Advanced Systems track may complete additional courses and practice hours as part of the DNP program, which may lengthen the program of studies. A gap analysis will be conducted to evaluate completion of graduate-level courses in Leadership, Finance, and Quality Improvement. Applicants with MSN or MN in Nursing Education to the advanced systems practice track must be certified or eligible le for certification in one of the following: 
  • Entry to DNP Executive Leadership Track

    This track has four entry options:

    1. MSN in health care leadership or in nursing administration. Applicants may be awarded up to 500 clinical hours upon enrollment dependent on portfolio review, prior MSN clinical hours, systems practice experience, and national certification relevant to advanced systems practice.
    2. MSN in other advanced nursing practice specialties.
    3. BSN with a master’s in a non-nursing, business- or health-related field (e.g., MBA, MPH, MHA, MMHC). Applicants may be awarded up to 500 clinical hours upon enrollment dependent on portfolio review, prior MSN clinical hours, systems practice experience, and national certification relevant to executive leadership practice.
    4. MSN in Nursing Education: Applicants with an MSN or MN in Nursing Education may complete additional courses and practice hours as part of the DNP program, which may lengthen the program of studies. A gap analysis will be conducted to evaluate completion of graduate level courses in Leadership, Finance, and Quality Improvement. The program length will be based on the individual gap analysis. Applicants may be awarded up to 500 clinical hours upon enrollment, dependent on portfolio review, prior MSN clinical hours, systems practice experience, and national certification relevant to executive leadership practice.

    Applicants to the Executive Leadership track must be certified or eligible for certification in one of the following:

  • Entry with an Master of Science in Nursing or Master of Nursing Adding Post-Master’s Certificate

    Vanderbilt offers post-master's entry for nurses who hold an MSN or MN and wish to pursue specialty advanced nursing practice education. Applicants with an MSN or MN in majors such as entry into practice/generalist nursing practice, nursing education or clinical nurse leader must complete a Post-Master’s Certificate in an advanced clinical practice specialty (Nurse-Midwifery or a Nurse Practitioner) or advanced systems practice specialty (Nursing Informatics) as part of the DNP program, which lengthens the program of studies. The program length will be based on the individual portfolio review and gap analysis. After completing the Post-Master's Certificate, the student is eligible to take the national certification exam in the selected specialty, if required by the specialty. Applicants pursuing an advanced practice nursing specialty should address their career goals for the specialty as part of the DNP statement of professional goals.

  • Entry to BSN to DNP Track

    The BSN to DNP track is available for the following specialties:

    • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) 
    • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
    • Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP)
    • Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
    • Family Nurse Practitioner/Emergency Nurse Practitioner (FNP/ENP)
    • Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
    • Nurse Anesthesia (NA)
    • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care (PNP-AC)
    • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care (PNP-PC)
    • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
    • Women's Health Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner (WHGRNP)
    • Women's Health Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner/Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (WHGRNP/AGPCNP)

    The BSN entry to the DNP integrated plan of study prepares students to provide an advanced level of evidence-based care to selected patient populations. The program emphasizes the implementation and evaluation of evidence, systems-level thinking, care quality and safety, and the development of meaningful interventions that may improve outcomes of care for the selected patient population. The program prepares students to serve as leaders in their area of practice. 

     The BSN entry to the DNP program gives registered nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree the ability to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree without first obtaining a master’s-level nursing degree. The BSN entry to DNP program requires the completion of 63-89 semester credit hours, depending on area of advanced nursing practice specialty. The program is structured so that students complete an integrated curriculum with advanced nursing practice specialty and DNP coursework. Students will be eligible to take the specialty certification exam upon completion of the DNP degree. BSN entry to DNP students will complete a minimum of 1000 clinical/practice hours. 

  • MN Seamless Entry to DNP + Post Master's Certificate

    VUSN MN graduates may seamlessly progress to the DNP plus Post-Master's Certificate program. Applicants are competitively reviewed and should address their career goals for the post-master's certificate specialty as part of the abbreviated DNP application. 

    VUSN MN graduates may seamlessly progress to the DNP plus Post-Master's Certificate program for up to two years after completion of the MN degree. 

     

DNP Program Administration

  • Terri L. Allison, DNP, ACNP-BC, FAANP

    Terri L. Allison, DNP, ACNP-BC, FAANP

    Assistant Dean for Academics, Doctoral Nursing Practice

  • Haley Bush

    Haley Bush

    DNP Senior Program Manager

Post-Master's DNP Degree Requirements

Post-Master's DNP Advanced Clinical Practice Track, Advanced Systems Practice Track, and Executive Leadership Track

The post-master’s DNP curriculum includes required coursework and can be completed over five semesters. Courses are delivered using a combination of formats with one on-site or virtual intensive experience each semester, comprised of 2-3 days each, with the remainder of the coursework completed using distance learning technologies. Requirements for the degree include successful completion of advanced coursework, including a minimum of 500 hours of practice integration and the successful completion of a project. All degree requirements must be completed within five years of enrollment. 

BSN to DNP, DNP + Post-Master's Certificate Degree Requirements

Course Load: The unit of measure of the student's workload is the semester hour. All references to credit hours are semester hours. The normal full-time schedule is 6 hours per semester. The student's status is defined as follows:

  • Full time: Enrolled in 6 or more credit hours.
  • Three-quarter time: Enrolled in 4 to 5 credit hours.
  • Half time: Enrolled in 3 credit hours.
  • Less than half-time: Enrolled in at least 1 hour.

Practice Hours

VUSN DNP graduates are scholars expected to collaborate in complex health environments with diverse populations, translate and apply evidence to clinical decision making, lead the development, testing, and dissemination of care standards, and advocate for policy and initiatives with practice partners to improve health outcomes. Informed by The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021), practice experiences are designed to provide opportunities to expand on proficiency and mastery of APN or systems competencies.

All VUSN DNP students are required during their course of study to complete a minimum of 500 DNP practice hours within their professional practice setting or in practice sites created through collaborative partnerships with students, faculty and agencies.

  1. Students entering the program with an MSN in an advanced nursing practice specialty (APRN, leadership/administration, informatics) are required to complete 500 practice hours, for a total minimum of 1000 post-baccalaureate hours.
  2. Students entering the program with a BSN and a Master's in a non-nursing, business- or health-related field or with a MSN or MN in Nursing Education to the Advanced Systems or Executive Leadership track may be awarded up to 500 practice hours prior to enrollment in DNP courses if certified by the American Association of Nursing Leadership (AONL), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), or the American College of Healthcare Executive (ACHE); and are required to complete 500 practice hours for a total minimum of 1000 post-baccalaureate hours. 
  3. Students entering the program with an MSN and adding a post-master's certificate in a nurse practitioner, nurse midwifery, or nursing informatics specialty are required to complete a minimum of 500 NP or NMW direct patient care clinical hours, or 280 Nursing Informatics practicum hours and 500 DNP practice hours. 
  4. Students entering BSN to DNP, MN to DNP + PMC, MSN to DNP + PMC tracks in a specialty area are required to complete a minimum of 500 advanced practice specialty clinical or practica hours and 500 DNP practice hours for a total minimum of 1000 post-baccalaureate hours. 

DNP practice hours are designed to demonstrate synthesis of expanded knowledge acquired within the DNP curriculum. The practice portion of the curriculum demonstrates the student's capability to meet the core competencies of the DNP degree, and the advanced nursing practice specialty, as appropriate. The practice hours are documented in the specialty-related clinical hours (BSN to DNP, PMC) and the DNP Practice Hours Log. 

Practical learning experiences are structured in a 4-credit Integrative Application course series completed over 3 semesters that includes course objectives for meeting overall program outcomes. This course is taken over three semesters. Credit is awarded each term and a grade of Satisfactory is earned, for a maximum of four credits. The course provides the student the opportunity to develop, propose, implement, and present the project, the hallmark of the VUSN practice doctorate. Completion of the project demonstrates synthesis of the student’s knowledge from curriculum courses and unique practice experiences, achievement of competencies, and unique expertise in the student’s specified area of practice.

The hours can be demonstrated through a variety of methods including:

  • In-depth work/mentorship/collaboration with experts from nursing, as well as other disciplines
  • Student engagement within practice environments
  • An opportunity to build and assimilate knowledge for advanced specialty practice at a high level of complexity
  • An opportunity for further synthesis and expansion of learning
  • Experience in the context within which the final DNP project is completed
  • An opportunity to integrate and synthesize The Essentials and specialty requirements necessary to demonstrate competency in an area of specialized advanced nursing practice.

Practice hours are self-reported and documented in the student’s DNP Practice Hours Log and the specialty-related clinical/practicum hours log, as appropriate. 

Intensive Sessions

All students are required to attend a synchronous intensive session at the beginning of each semester. Intensives may be on-campus or virtual. BSN to DNP students and DNP plus post master's certificate students are required to attend on campus specialty blocks in addition to DNP intensives according to their individual plan of study. Time on campus may vary depending on individual programs of study. Detailed intensive schedules are distributed to students and made available on the VUSN Web site at least 4 weeks prior to each intensive session. Attendance is required for successful completion of the DNP program.

2025-26 Intensive Dates

  • Fall: August 25-27, 2025 (Monday-Wednesday)
  • Spring: January 5-7, 2026 (Monday-Wednesday)
  • Summer: May 11-13, 2026 (Monday-Wednesday)

Curriculum Plans