Doctor of Nursing Practice, Organizational and Systems Leadership (BSN to DNP)

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Graduate Study at USI >> College of Nursing and Health Professions

78 hours; B or better required in all courses

The DNP program requires a total of 78 semester hours in graduate nursing. USI’s DNP curriculum is built upon nursing content as determined by the AACN Essentials document.

Practice Hours: Students are required to compete 1,000 practice hours to successfully earn a DNP degree. Integrated practice hours within the curriculum will provide DNP students with learning opportunities to gain expertise in their area of specialization. Students will document their completed practice hours on the Doctor of Nursing Practice Hour Tracking form.

To earn the DNP degree, students must complete all courses with a grade of B or better.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN to DNP)

To be eligible for the BSN to DNP option of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited school of nursing. Students in the BSN to DNP option will proceed directly from the BSN degree to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree without being awarded an MSN degree.

Students with a master’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program who wish to complete the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree can pursue one of two Post MSN options of the DNP program: Doctor of Nursing Practice, Advanced Nursing Practice (DNP) or Doctor of Nursing Practice, Organizational and Systems Leadership (DNP) .

Program Objectives

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) prepares experts in advanced nursing with emphasis placed on innovative, evidence-based practice that reflects the application of credible research findings. The expanded knowledge base in nursing will broaden the DNP graduate’s ability to translate that knowledge quickly and effectively to benefit patients, to improve outcomes, and to contribute to the profession.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Southern Indiana is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the BSN to DNP option of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program are as follows:

A baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) from a nationally accredited school earned prior to applying to the BSN to DNP program.
ALL APPLICANTS MUST HAVE a minimum cumulative baccalaureate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. GPAs are reviewed based upon the total BSN GPA. This includes transfer courses in RN Completion programs.
Satisfactory completion of a course in undergraduate statistics (grade C or better) at the time of application.
An unencumbered U.S. RN license in all states of practice.
Recommended but not required: one year full-time or two thousand hours of clinical practice as an RN within the last five years.

BSN to DNP Nursing Courses (45 credits)

NURS 601 - Roles for Advanced Nursing Practice Credits: 1
NURS 602 - Evidence-based Practice for Advanced Nursing Credits: 4
NURS 603 - Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing Credits: 3
NURS 713 - Theory and Practice Credits: 3
NURS 715 - Analytical Methods for Population-Based Care Credits: 4
NURS 717 - Cultural Diversity Credits: 2
NURS 721 - Systems Leadership and Interprofessional Collaboration Credits: 5
NURS 724 - Healthcare Policy and Strategic Planning Credits: 3
NURS 725 - Resource Utilization in Healthcare Credits: 4
NURS 727 - Healthcare Technology and Informatics Credits: 3
NURS 732 - Wellness Promotion Credits: 2
NURS 734 - Patient Management Clinical Application Seminar Credits: 1
NURS 772 - Clinical Education Credits: 4
NURS 854 - Critical Appraisal of Practice Credits: 3
NURS 855 - Synthesis of Nursing Practice Credits: 3

BSN to DNP Project Courses (6 credits)

NURS 866 - DNP Project Proposal Credits: 1
NURS 874 - DNP Project I Credits: 3
NURS 875 - DNP Project II Credits: 2

Clinical Core Courses (6 credits)

MHA 643 - Healthcare Finance Credits: 3
NURS 748 - Advanced Nursing Core Credits: 3

Specialty Courses (21 credits)

MHA 624 - Applied Economic Analysis in Healthcare Credits: 3
MHA 633 - Human Resources and Labor Relations Management in Healthcare Credits: 3
MHA 637 - Healthcare Leadership Credits: 3
NURS 825 - Marketing and Competitive Strategies in Nursing and Healthcare Credits: 3
NURS 832 - Administration of Nursing and Healthcare Organizations Credits: 3
NURS 835 - Business of Nursing Credits: 3
NURS 838 - Nursing Leadership and Management Culminating Practicum Credits: 3