Doctor of Nursing Practice
Beginning in Fall 2024, new students will complete the updated curriculum (below), aligned with the 2022 AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. If you have questions regarding the updated curriculum, please contact your Program Chair.
Students enrolled before Fall 2024 are not affected.
Program Competencies
In addition to the University’s graduate graduation competencies, students will be able to:
- Synthesize evidence-based practice and advanced clinical judgment to improve quality, safety, and clinical outcomes for professional nursing practice;
- Design innovative care models integrating social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical principles for professional nursing practice;
- Formulate health policy, fiscal, and information technology recommendations for professional nursing practice;
- Develop evidence-based interventions to address social determinants of health for professional nursing practice;
- Create effective leadership strategies with interprofessional teams to enhance systems-based professional nursing practice;
- Demonstrate effective communication, compassionate care, personal health, and professional maturity.
Program Information
Nurses in advanced nursing practice roles must have forward-thinking clinical expertise and systems leadership skills at their command to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practice changes. Accomplishing this goal requires the application of health policy, informatics, population health, and business practices to the care of individuals, families, and communities. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal degree designed to prepare nurses in advanced nursing practice roles to meet the nation's increasingly complex healthcare needs.
WilmU's DNP program delivers an innovative curriculum emphasizing evidence-based practice and interdisciplinary collaboration among clinicians, health systems, community leaders, and policymakers. Students learn to utilize both theory and evidence-based data to promote the highest level of professional nursing practice. To best serve working professionals, WilmU offers flexible schedules that enable students to balance work, personal, and educational commitments through our 100% online options,
Advanced Practice Concentration students may complete the DNP program part-time in 28 months (7 semesters), culminating with a 9-credit, evidence-based practice doctoral project. Core courses are offered one (1) at a time in 7-week blocks. The DNP project courses are offered one (1) at a time in 15-week semesters.
Leadership Concentration students (nurse leaders not licensed as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) may complete the DNP program part-time in 28 months (7 semesters), culminating with a 9-credit, evidence-based practice doctoral project. Core courses are offered one (1) at a time in 7-week blocks. Experiential engagement courses are offered one (1) at a time in 15-week semesters. DNP project courses are offered one (1) at a time in 15-week semesters.
The DNP program is offered 100% online to provide the most flexibility for students. Two optional online synchronous course meetings are offered during each course to facilitate student and faculty interaction. There are no on-campus residency requirements and students have the option to present their final doctoral project virtually or on campus.
Students must earn a B or better in all DNP courses, maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher, and complete all degree requirements within five (5) years. If less than a B is earned in a DNP course, students may re-take the course one (1) time and a maximum of two (2) courses may be repeated. Continuous enrollment is required during the DNP Project phase of the program (GRN 9001, GRN 9002, GRN 9003)
DNP Project
The DNP program exists within a framework of professional, academic rigor that requires planning, implementing, and evaluating an evidence-based practice doctoral project. The DNP Project highlights the scholarly contribution of DNP-prepared nurses to the ever-changing healthcare landscape. Students will identify a pertinent topic to address through a clinical practice change, most commonly within their workplace. The project begins in GRN 9001: DNP Project I and culminates with completion in GRN 9003: DNP Project III. The final project details the nature and scope of the project, and students are required to disseminate their findings to the healthcare community. Students are encouraged to individualize their project toward their career focus as a DNP-prepared nurse and will be assigned a DNP Project Advisor who will provide guidance throughout the three sequential semesters of project completion. The DNP Project Team will be mutually agreed upon between the student and faculty advisor.
Advanced Practice Concentration
Admission Requirements
Interested candidates must have a Master's Degree with current national board certification as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Nurse Anesthetist, Clinical Nurse Specialist).
Practice Experience Hours
The DNP program is a rigorous, focused practice-leadership-focused degree. Practice experiences allow students to synthesize and utilize theory and evidence-based data to promote the highest quality of care at an advanced level of professional nursing practice. Students currently licensed as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses will complete five hundred (500) practice hours aligned with the 2022 AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education . Doctoral faculty will provide oversight and guidance while students work closely with a doctorally-prepared experiential engagement preceptor .
Course Requirements
The DNP curriculum builds upon master's preparation for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. Students will complete core courses taught by scholar-practitioners in preparation for a year-long DNP Project designed to translate evidence to clinical practice. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are required to complete 33 credits and 500 experiential engagement hours. The program must be completed in five (5) years.
DNP Project Courses
| GRN 9001 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Project I | 3 |
| GRN 9002 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Project II | 3 |
| GRN 9003 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Project III | 3 |
DNP Core Courses
Leadership Concentration
Admission Requirements
Interested candidates must have a Master’s Degree in nursing or a related field (i.e. MBA, MHA, MPH). Exceptionally qualified candidates are employed in an area of advanced nursing practice (i.e. informatics, executive leadership, health policy, or population health). National board certification (i.e. NE-BC, NEA-BC, CNML, CPHQ) for nurse leaders is recommended, but not required. Students who have not completed the three Ps (Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Physical Assessment) will be required to take MSN 7710 Integrative Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Physical Assessment for Nurse Leaders before enrolling as required by the 2024 CCNE Accreditation standards.
Practice Engagement Hours
The DNP program is a rigorous, practice-leadership-focused degree. Practice engagement experiences opportunity allows students to synthesize and utilize theory and evidence-based data to promote the highest quality of care at an advanced level of professional nursing practice. Leadership students will complete one thousand (1,000) practice experience hours aligned with the 2022 AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and 2022 AONL Nurse Leader Competencies. Doctoral faculty will provide oversight and guidance while students work closely with a doctorally-prepared preceptor . Nurse leaders may be awarded credit for practicum/clinical hours completed during graduate coursework.
Course Requirements
The DNP curriculum builds upon master's preparation for nurses prepared in an advanced nursing practice specialty. All students take eight (8) core courses and four (4) practice experience courses taught by scholar-practitioners in preparation for a year-long DNP project designed to translate evidence to clinical practice. Nurse Leaders are required to complete 45 credits and 1,000 practice experience hours. The program must be completed in five (5) years.
DNP Project Courses
| GRN 9001 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Project I | 3 |
| GRN 9002 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Project II | 3 |
| GRN 9003 | Doctor of Nursing Practice Project III | 3 |
DNP Core Courses
Practice Experience Courses
| GRN 8121 | DNP Experiential Engagement I (125 Practice Experience Hours) | 3 |
| GRN 8122 | DNP Experiential Engagement II (125 Practice Experience Hours) | 3 |
| GRN 8123 | DNP Experiential Engagement III (125 Practice Experience Hours) | 3 |
| GRN 8124 | DNP Experiential Engagement IV (125 Practice Experience Hours) | 3 |