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2022-2023 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Doctor of Nursing Practice

The changing demands of the nation's complex health care environment requires the highest level of integration of scientific knowledge into practice to improve the health of society. The Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) offers programs of graduate study leading to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree. The D.N.P. program prepares nurses with advanced knowledge, skills, and competencies that are used in innovative roles to promote and achieve improved healthcare outcomes for populations. The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is the terminal degree for nursing practice. The D.N.P. program prepares nurse leaders who will contribute to the nursing profession and improve the health of society with emphases in advanced practice registered nursing (advanced practice registered nurses) roles as a family nurse practitioner; psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner; primary care of the adult/older adult nurse practitioner, child/adolescent nurse practitioner or dual certification as a nurse practitioner in primary/acute care child adolescent populations. The D.N.P. curriculum is student-centered, flexible and designed for full- and part-time options for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) to D.N.P. A post master's D.N.P. with specialization emphasis is available to allow other non-advanced practice registered nurses role options for master's to doctorate to enhance opportunities of students who wish to obtain or already have prior certificates in such areas as informatics, palliative care or leadership to obtain a post master's D.N.P. degree.

Minimum Number of Hours for Graduation

  • Completion of 75-87 credits (depending on the chosen emphasis) is required for the D.N.P. degree.
  • Completion of 38 credits is required for the Post-M.S.N. D.N.P. degree.

Nurse Executive Certification

Students completing the leadership emphasis will be qualified for and encouraged to sit for national certification as a nurse executive.

Advanced Practice Certification

Students pursuing an advanced practice primary care emphasis must complete the didactic and clinical courses in a selected population emphasis which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification (pediatrics or adult gerontology; or dual certification in primary care/acute care child/adolescent; family nurse practitioner; or psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner.)

D.N.P. Core
The following classes are required for all D.N.P. emphases, except the Post-M.S.N. to D.N.P.

Required Courses/Suggested Pattern of Coursework Nurse Practitioner D.N.P.

75-87 credits (depending on chosen emphasis)

Students are required to declare their program emphasis of choice by winter semester of their second year.

Adult/Older Adult (AOA) Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (75 credits)

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the adult/older adult population which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification:

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Adult/older adult nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 12 didactic credit hours by conclusion of Winter third year.

Child Adolescent (CA)

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Child/Adolescent population which will qualify them to sit for national primary care OR acute care specialty certification: Child/Adolescent (C/A) Nurse Practitioner - single focus (Acute or Primary Care) (75 credits),

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Child/adolescent single focus students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 12 didactic credit hours by conclusion of Winter third year.

Dual CA Primary Care/Acute Care Emphases

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Child/Adolescent population which will qualify them to sit for national primary care AND acute care specialty certifications: Child/Adolescent (C/A) Nurse Practitioner - Dual focus (Acute and Primary Care) (87 credits),

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester (dual-track C/A only)

Child/adolescent dual foci students must achieve total of 16 clinical and 18 didactic credit hours by conclusion of spring/summer third year

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Family population which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) (78 credits), First Year

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Family nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 13 clinical and 15 didactic credit hours by conclusion of winter third year.

Psychiatric/Mental Health

Students must complete the following didactic and clinical courses in the Psychiatric Mental Health population which will qualify them to sit for national primary care specialty certification: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) (75 credits),

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 10 didactic credit hours by conclusion of Winter or Spring/Summer third year.

Acute Care

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Third Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Adult/older adult nurse practitioner students must achieve total of 10 clinical and 12 didactic credit hours by conclusion of Winter third year.

Post-M.S.N. D.N.P.

Required Courses/Suggested Pattern of Coursework for Post-M.S.N. D.N.P. (38 credits)

*Students who have taken these courses in their MSN program can take graduate level elective courses that are based on their professional goals. There is one M.S.N. to D.N.P. program with varied specialty foci, for example in leadership, telehealth or palliative care.

First Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

Spring/Summer Semester

Second Year
Fall Semester

Winter Semester

M.S.N. to D.N.P. Students must achieve total of eight clinical credit hours by conclusion of winter second year.


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