Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing Major, DNP


Distance Education (DE) programs in the College of Nursing that lead to professional licensure or that require clinical placements or clinical coursework must abide by board and state regulations in the state where the student resides and/or will be completing the clinical experiences.

Students who reside outside of Tennessee who plan to complete a clinical placement in a state other than Tennessee, will need to take additional steps to comply with the requirements of that state. Before applying to and beginning a program, you should become familiar with your state’s licensing and professional requirements and that of the state in which you plan to reside as a practitioner. You may also reach out to the College of Nursing and speak to an advisor by calling (865) 974-7606. The university cannot guarantee that its DE programs in the College of Nursing will meet all the requirements for licensure in any particular state. If the student moves from the state of Tennessee after admission to the program, continuation in the program will depend on the availability of the program within the new state where the student physically resides. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the UTK College of Nursing of a change in physical residence.

Distance Education programs at the University of Tennessee cannot currently admit students from the state of California.

To find additional information about pre-licensure distance education requirements in individual states, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)https://www.ncsbn.org/671.htm.

The College of Nursing offers the Doctor of Nursing Practice program (DNP), designed for BSN or MSN graduates or those with a BSN and a master’s degree in a business or health related field, who are interested in earning a clinical doctorate in nursing. Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) - Graduates of the program are expected to:

  • Utilizes nursing science with knowledge from other disciplines to implement evidence-based advanced nursing practice.
  • Integrate core professional behaviors to provide ethical and equitable care in advanced nursing practice.
  • Lead interprofessional teams to coordinate person-centered and population-based healthcare.
  • Translate critically appraised evidence from nursing and related sciences into advanced nursing practice.
  • Utilize relevant information systems and technology to drive decision making in advanced nursing practice.
  • Evaluate improvement science initiatives designed within diverse health systems.

Post-master’s applicants: Post-master’s applicants do not choose a concentration, but instead complete the core DNP course requirements and scholarly project to earn the degree.

Concentrations (Required for the BSN to DNP applicants)

Family Nurse Practitioner

Nurse Anesthesia

Nurse Executive Practice

Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Pediatric Primary/Acute Care Dual Nurse Practitioner

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Campus Code

Distance Education

Admissions Standards/Procedures

All applicants must:

  • Hold a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education or
  • Hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing from a program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education and master’s degree in nursing or a business/health related field [e.g., MBA, MPH, MHA).
  • Submit online application and meet admission requirements of Graduate School.
  • Have a minimum cumulative graduate grade-point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for previous college work.
  • Have completed 3 credit hours of graduate-level statistics within 2 years of admission.
  • Achieve competitive score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination if undergraduate GPA is below 3.30. If undergraduate GPA is 3.30 or above, then applicants are exempt from the GRE requirement.
  • Have TOEFL scores of at least 550 on the paper test or 80 on the internet-based test if native language is not English.
  • Submit College of Nursing Graduate Rating Forms from three college level instructors and/or nurses and administrators who have supervised applicant’s professional work.
  • Submit an essay describing personal and professional aspirations.
  • Complete an interview with the College of Nursing DNP admissions committee, as specified by the program.

Academic Standards

  • Prior to enrollment in the DNP program, each student must successfully complete a criminal background check and drug screen.
  • Each student must hold personal professional liability insurance and health insurance.
  • As Registered Nurses, DNP students must be licensed to practice nursing in the state where employed and in all states where their clinical experiences will occur (if different from state of employment).
  • Each student must present evidence of meeting current health and wellness requirements, as specified by the college.
  • Each student must present evidence of current health care provider CPR certification.
  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours taken before acceptance into the DNP program may be applied toward the degree.
  • A minimum grade of B in all nursing DNP courses is required; however, the College of Nursing will allow one grade of C in any nursing DNP core course. A second grade of C or below will result in dismissal from the program. A minimum grade of B is required in NURS 630  (DNP Scholarly Project Proposal) and all concentration-specific coursework (Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration, Nurse Anesthesia Concentration, Nurse Executive Practice Concentration, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Concentration, Pediatric Primary/Acute Care Dual Nurse Practitioner Concentration, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration). A 3.00 graduate cumulative GPA is required for progression in the program.
  • The College of Nursing prohibits students from repeating coursework with two exceptions: NURS 648  (Advanced Clinical Pharmacology) and NURS 649  (Advanced Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice). Students may only repeat these courses after earning a D or F; original and repeat grades will be included in the graduate GPA.
  • Residence Requirement
    • For the doctoral degree, students must meet the residence requirement as specified by the Graduate School.

The College of Nursing will observe the following grading scale:

A    =  92 – 100 4 quality points
B+  =  88 – 91 3.3 quality points
B    =  83 – 87 3 quality points
C+ =  78 – 82 2.3 quality points
C   =  75 – 77 2 quality points
D   =  67 – 74 1 quality point
F    =  66 or below 0 quality points

Requirements for MS-DNP students

Credit Hours Required

Minimum 38 graduate credit hours

 Required Courses

Doctor of Nursing Practice Core Courses:

 

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Credit Hours Required

Minimum 67 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Additional Course Requirements

  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours taken before acceptance into the DNP program may be applied toward the degree.

Non-Course Requirements

  • Students will be admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project Proposal and oral defense for all DNP students.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project produces a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project committee is composed of a minimum of one doctorally-prepared (DNP or PhD) faculty and a second committee member who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The second member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.
  • When appropriate, a third committee member may be selected, who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The third member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.

Nurse Anesthesia Concentration

Credit Hours

Minimum 117 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Additional Course Requirements

  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours taken before acceptance into the DNP program may be applied toward the degree.

Non-Course Requirements

  • Students will be admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project Proposal and oral defense for all DNP students.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project produces a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project committee is composed of a minimum of one doctorally-prepared (DNP or PhD) faculty and a second committee member who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The second member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.
  • When appropriate, a third committee member may be selected, who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The third member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.

Nurse Executive Practice Concentration

Credit Hours Required

Minimum 55 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Additional Course Requirements

  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours taken before acceptance into the DNP program may be applied toward the degree.

Non-Course Requirements

  • Students will be admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project Proposal and oral defense for all DNP students.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project produces a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project committee is composed of a minimum of one doctorally-prepared (DNP or PhD) faculty and a second committee member who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The second member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.
  • When appropriate, a third committee member may be selected, who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The third member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.

Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Credit Hours Required

Minimum 68 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Additional Course Requirements

  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours taken before acceptance in the DNP program may be applied toward the degree.

Non-Course Requirements

  • Students will be admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project Proposal and oral defense for all DNP students.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project produces a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project committee is composed of a minimum of one doctorally-prepared (DNP or PhD) faculty and a second committee member who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The second member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.
  • When appropriate, a third committee member may be selected, who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The third member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.

Pediatric Primary/Acute Care Dual Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Credit Hours Required

Minimum 80 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Additional Course Requirements

  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours taken before acceptance into the DNP program may be applied toward the degree.

Non-Course Requirements

  • Students will be admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project Proposal and oral defense for all DNP students.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project produces a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project committee is composed of a minimum of one doctorally-prepared (DNP or PhD) faculty and a second committee member who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The second member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.
  • When appropriate, a third committee member may be selected, who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The third member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Credit Hours Required

Minimum 69 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Additional Course Requirements

  • A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours taken before acceptance into the DNP program may be applied toward the degree.

Non-Course Requirements

  • Students will be admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project Proposal and oral defense for all DNP students.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project produces a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee.
  • The DNP Scholarly Project committee is composed of a minimum of one doctorally-prepared (DNP or PhD) faculty and a second committee member who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The second member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.
  • When appropriate, a third committee member may be selected, who holds special expertise relative to the specific project. The third member may be a faculty member from another academic unit, or external to the university.