Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)

[This program is not currently accepting new students.]

The doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.) degree program prepares nurses to provide health services at the highest level of clinical nursing practice. The curriculum is designed to develop leaders able to expand their impact on the health of society by improving quality of care, patient outcomes, and health policy. The program features curricular threads including leadership, inquiry, social justice and ethics, and integrative health. Graduates are prepared as holistic practitioners who understand many different healing methodologies and who practice collaboratively with those who seek care. There is also an emphasis on caring for disadvantaged populations and using evidence-based interventions in care to advance health equality.

In the preparation of the curriculum and evaluation of outcomes, the D.N.P. program incorporates professional standards and guidelines from the Oregon State Board of Nursing, The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006), the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (NTF, 2016), the Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (NONPF, 2017), the Graduate Competencies and Recommendations for Educating Nursing Students (AACN, 2022), the National Center for Integrative Primary Health Care Competencies, the Population-Focused Nurse Practitioner Family Competencies: Family/Across the Lifespan (NONPF, 2013). The program is in the process of transitioning to and integrating the following updated standards sets: The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021), Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (NTF, 2022), and Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (NONPF, 2022).

All students complete a D.N.P. scholarly project related to advanced nursing practice in NRS 665 D.N.P. Scholarly Project and NRS 675 Directed D.N.P. Clinical. The directed clinical course is designed for students to demonstrate synthesis of knowledge and use evidence to improve practice or patient outcomes for specific program competencies.

Graduates are eligible for F.N.P. national certification through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPBC) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Graduates who complete NRS 682: Primary & Specialty Palliative Care and the required clinical experiences during their program may also take the ACHPN certification exam.

D.N.P. Program Outcomes

The D.N.P. program prepares competent, entry-level primary care nurse practitioners and experienced nurse practitioners who:

1. Practice independently in a variety of primary care health environments, translate best evidence into practice, employ a population focus, incorporate an integrative and/or palliative health care perspective, and collaborate with multiple disciplines with the goal of providing effective, comprehensive health care;
2. Demonstrate leadership in macro and micro health care system change and personal practice improvement; and
3. Proactively strive for social justice, actively address health disparities and function as culturally competent practitioners who relate effectively with diverse and under-served individuals, families, and populations.

Admission Requirements

1. D.N.P. writing sample.
2. Current resume.
3. Three letters of recommendation. Applicants provide email addresses for three references in the online application. A request will be sent directly to the references who will be able to upload a letter in Word or as a PDF. References may also return recommendation letters as signed attachments by email to the Graduate School at gradschl@up.edu or by mail to the University of Portland, ATTN: Graduate School, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97203.
4. Official transcripts from all previously attended academic institutions must be submitted directly from the institution either by email to gradschl@up.edu or by mail to the University of Portland, ATTN: Graduate School, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, Oregon, 97203.
5. A bachelor's or master's degree in nursing from a school of nursing accredited by an appropriate national nursing accrediting body.
6. Cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) in the most recently completed nursing program.
7. Current unencumbered registered nurse (R.N). license to practice nursing in state of residence. R.N. licensure in Oregon is recommended. R.N. licensure in the state in which a student completes clinical hours is required. Additional costs may be incurred for clinical placements outside of Oregon.
8. Preference is given to Oregon and Washington applicants with at least two years of experience as an R.N.
9. International Applicants: An official score from the TOEFL (minimum score of 100), IELTS (minimum score of 7.5), or Duolingo (minimum score of 120) exam is required.
10. International Applicants: Proof of financial support will be required to attend the University of Portland but is not required for application review.
11. An admission interview upon request of the School of Nursing & Health Innovations.

D.N.P. Program Progression Requirements

To progress in the D.N.P. program, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Successfully complete all prerequisites for a course prior to enrolling in a course.
2. Earn a grade of C or better in all required non-clinical courses and a grade of Pass in all required clinical courses and NRS 665.
3. Earn a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 each semester.
4. Maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0.
5. Maintain current, unencumbered R.N. licensure in state of residence and any state in which clinical hours are completed.
6. N.P. to D.N.P. students must maintain current national N.P. certification and current, unencumbered N.P. licensure in their state of residence and any state in which clinical hours are completed.

Courses (non-clinical and clinical) in the D.N.P program are offered once yearly and intentionally sequenced for achieving clinical practice competencies and successful progression in the program. It is therefore imperative that clinical courses be taken sequentially without breaks. Students who are granted a leave of absence from the D.N.P. program, for any reason, while enrolled in a clinical course will be required to complete a directed study clinical course prior to re-sequencing in the D.N.P. clinical courses. The directed study clinical course will range from one to two credits based on student needs and program requirements.

Dismissal
A D.N.P. student may be dismissed from the program by the School of Nursing & Health Innovations dean or their designee for any of the following reasons:

1. Cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) falls below a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) two or more times during the program.
2. Semester G.P.A. falls below a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) two or more times during the program.
3. Receiving a grade of C- or below in a required non-clinical course, a No Pass in a required clinical course or NRS 665, or withdrawing from a second attempt (repeat) of a required course.
4. R.N. license in state of residence expires or becomes encumbered.
5. For N.P. to D.N.P. students: National N.P. certification expires and/or N.P. license expires or becomes encumbered.
6. Breach of academic integrity.
7. Unsafe clinical performance.