Doctor of Nursing Practice

Description and Outcomes

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a practice-focused terminal nursing degree. Driving safe, quality care through interprofessional collaboration, evidence-based practice, and complex technology, the DNP-prepared nurse catalyzes progressive change within systems and organizations. Our standard DNP program is based on professional nursing standards and competencies for doctoral education in nursing.

The DNP degree:

  • Prepares nurses to be culturally competent leaders in the transformation of global health care with an emphasis on advanced clinical practice, leadership, health care policy, information systems, and health care delivery systems
  • Prepares nurses to practice at the highest level of nursing; analyze data and scientific research to improve nursing practice; provide organizational and system leadership to continuously improve quality of health care and foster interprofessional collaboration; and evaluate ethical, legal, and social factors in shaping and developing health policies

Our Program

We accept applicants with a CCNE-, ACEN-, or CNEA-accredited Master of Science in Nursing with an advanced nursing practice specialty as defined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Direct care advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialties are nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, and nurse midwife. Indirect care advanced practice specialties are roles such as nursing administration, informatics, health policy, and population health. Applicants with other Master of Science in Nursing degrees are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Purdue Global is deeply committed to supporting our students and recognizes that nurses are exceptionally busy with multiple demands. The DNP program at Purdue Global is delivered online and you complete practice experiences and a DNP project at a practice setting of your choice. 

Refer to the Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams section for important program disclosure information.

Note: the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is not available in all states. Refer to Program Availability Information for details.

Practice Experiences

The practice experience will occur at a practice site in collaboration with a Practice Mentor you select. Both your selected practice site and Practice Mentor must be submitted for approval. One thousand (1,000) postbaccalaureate practice hours are required for DNP degree completion.

Program Length

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program consists of a minimum of 50 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a doctorate degree.

Program Outcomes

Upon graduation, Purdue Global DNP-prepared nurses will be prepared to:

  1. Reconstruct concepts of translational nursing science and other science-based theories that support clinical judgment and innovation in professional nursing practice. 
  2. Evaluate health care delivery approaches through coordination of care that meet current and future health needs and ensure accountability for compassionate, person-centered care.
  3. Design strategies that consider the socioeconomic impact and delivery of population-based health services and support diversity, equity, and inclusion of individuals and populations. 
  4. Develop the scholarship of nursing through the appraisal of existing knowledge to translate evidence-based practice into health care transformation.
  5. Create a culture of safety through system effectiveness that incorporates ethics and emerging principles in quality care delivery for patients, providers, and others in the work environment.
  6. Select principles of effective team leadership to foster interprofessional collaboration and communication that reflect respect and shared values among professional partners.
  7. Synthesize levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability in the design, delivery, and evaluation of health policies that influence social determinants of health.
  8. Formulate information and communication technologies that improve outcomes of care for patients, communities, and populations in accordance with ethical, legal, professional, and regulatory standards.
  9. Combine diversity, equity, and inclusion as an ethical approach to collaborative nursing care that reflects the professional identity of nursing.
  10. Integrate leadership practices that promote a spirit of inquiry and foster self-care and personal wellbeing for members of the nursing profession.

Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the professional competencies associated with your academic program in the Professional Competencies section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements.

Requirements for Graduates of a Bachelor's Degree Program

If a bachelor's degree with an upper-level major in nursing is the highest nursing degree you have attained, you will enroll in the Master of Science in Nursing—DNP Path program and earn a master's degree before continuing on to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Refer to the Admissions Requirements for the Master of Science in Nursing—DNP Path for additional information.

Requirements for Graduates of a Master's Degree Program

If a master's degree with an upper-level major in nursing is the highest nursing degree you have attained, to apply you must:

  1. Complete an informational interview with an Admissions Advisor.
  2. Submit transcripts indicating the total number of student clinical or practicum hours completed or a letter from the prior institution verifying the total number of hours completed. A maximum of 500 supervised clinical or practicum hours may be accepted from your prior postbaccalaureate education. If you graduated from an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) program, earned certification in an advanced practice role, and are currently practicing as an APRN, you must submit proof of certification and/or advanced practice licensure.
  3. Submit the following documents at least 4 weeks prior to the desired start date:
    1. A transcript indicating completion of a master's degree with an upper-level major in nursing and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher from a program accredited by CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA. Refer to the Admissions Requirements for more information on prior degree submission. If you have not completed a graduate-level statistics course and a nursing research course with a grade of “B” or better as part of your master's degree in nursing, if admitted to the program, you may take NU504 🌐 Scientific and Analytic Approaches to Advanced Evidence-Based Practice in the first term.
    2. A current, professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that verifies you have worked a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours as a registered nurse. 
    3. Two letters of reference from professional and/or academic contacts indicating academic ability, personal character, and professional competency.
    4. A personal statement.
  4. Successfully complete an interview with a DNP program representative if requested.

Progression Requirements

  1. If you are unable to complete your DNP scholarly project within the normal course of study, you may contact a DNP faculty member to secure an extension. The purpose of the extension is to provide you with additional time to complete the DNP project. Approval of the Dean's designee is required. If granted, you will enroll in NU820A DNP Extension Course. NU820A DNP Extension Course is for the specific purpose of providing a means for the project completion. The University will not charge tuition for the extension course; however, you will be required to pay the normal resource fee.
  2. Failure to successfully complete a practice experience portion of a course will result in failure of the entire course. 
  3. You must complete your practice experiences as assigned in the curriculum and in settings that have been approved. You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation, housing, and availability to attend the practice experience.
  4. Some facilities may require additional documentation, as necessary, to comply with specific federal, state, and/or the facility’s own requirements for nursing student candidates. If your practice site needs additional documentation, such as a criminal background check or affiliation agreement, the Clinical Placement Team will assist you in obtaining this documentation. Failure to submit appropriate documentation to participate in clinical experiences by the required date will result in you being unable register for the clinical or practicum course.
  5. You are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner and maintain a safe environment. If a faculty member and/or agency consider you to be in violation of either one of these requirements, you may be removed from the practice experience setting and may receive a failing grade for the course if the course outcomes are not met. Unprofessional and/or unsafe practices will be reviewed by the administrative staff as needed.
  6. You must successfully complete IRB training, and IRB approval is required for the development of your DNP scholarly project. 
  7. You may not use credit for prior learning to fulfill any 700- or 800-level course.

Graduation Requirements

You must meet Purdue Global's general requirements. Additionally, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) requires a minimum of 1,000 postbaccalaureate supervised practice hours. The DNP faculty will review prior coursework to determine the appropriate number of hours to complete at the DNP level.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certain state certification and licensure boards have specific educational requirements for programs to lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment in a recognized occupation. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Unless otherwise specified, Purdue Global's programs are not designed to meet any specific state’s licensure or certification requirements. Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice was not designed for initial certification and licensure for advanced practice registered nurse roles. If you intend to pursue certification as an advanced practice registered nurse, you must verify the requirements for certification and licensing with your state board of nursing.

Upon completion of the program and meeting the requirements of the certifying organization, you may be eligible to sit for the Nurse Executive or the Nurse Executive, Advanced, certification examination through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the Certified in Executive Nursing Practice certification exam through the American Organization for Nursing Leadership.