Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program, advanced systems practice track prepares the master’s-prepared nurse in systems practice to become a leader bringing evidence-based knowledge to the practice arena, guide complex health care delivery and improve health care outcomes.  

Are you ready to become a key player in today's complex health care environment? Does a scholarly role that translates evidence-based knowledge into health care leadership and delivery interest you? Vanderbilt's Doctor of Nursing Practice program is built upon our internationally recognized advanced nursing practice programs. With a Vanderbilt DNP degree, you will use nursing and other scientific findings to design sustainable programs of care delivery that are innovative, economically feasible and have significant impact on health care outcomes. 

The Advanced Systems Practice track has three entry options:

• Applicant with an MSN in health care leadership, nursing administration, or nursing informatics. National certification in the area of specialty is preferred.
• Applicant with a BSN and a master’s in a non-nursing, business- or health-related field (e.g. MBA, MPH, MHA, MMHC) and certified or eligible for certification in one of the following:
  • American Organization for Nursing Leadership (A.O.N.L.) Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (C.E.N.P.). 
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (A.N.C.C.) Nurse Executive (NE-BC).
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC). 
  • Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Certified Professional in Health Information & Management Systems (CPHIMS). 
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (A.N.C.C.) Informatics Nursing Certification (R.N.-BC) and have three years of informatics experience, with two of those years in a health care setting. 
• Applicant with an MSN in Nursing Education must complete additional MSN level courses in Nursing andHealth Care Leadership as part of the DNP program and prior to enrollment in DNP courses, which lengthens the program of studies. A gap analysis is conducted to evaluate completion of graduate level courses in Leadership, Finance and Quality Improvement. Program length is based on the individual gap analysis. After completion of MSN level courses, the student continues in DNP courses. 

Applicants who enter the DNP Advanced Systems Practice track with a non-nursing master’s or MSN in nursing education may be awarded up to 500 clinical hours upon enrollment depending on portfolio review, prior MSN clinical hours (as applicable), systems practice experience, and national certification relevant to advanced systems practice.