Nursing: Clinical Nurse Leader (D.N.P.)

The online Post-Baccalaureate Clinical Nurse Leader Doctor of Nursing Practice (PB CNL DNP) program prepares nurses for the highest level of specialized nursing practice. Students are prepared for innovative leadership where they will translate evidence into practice, improve systems of care and measure health outcomes in diverse settings. Students are required to plan, implement, and evaluate a quality improvement project customized to support their unique aspirations.

This Post-Baccalaureate Clinical Nurse Leader DNP program is for nurses with a baccalaureate degree in nursing who are seeking leadership development and certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader with a doctoral degree.

Graduates are uniquely qualified to collaborate with leaders in healthcare to improve the quality of care. Graduates attain eligibility for CNL certification through the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Clinical Nurse Leader certification examination.

Degree Requirements

Clinical Hours: 500*

*

Clinical hours are completed through the following required courses: NURS 926, NURS 927, NURS 928.

The Post-Baccalaureate Clinical Nurse Leader DNP student builds upon the skills of the baccalaureate prepared generalist nurse.

At the completion of the Clinical Nurse Leader component of the program, the graduate student is prepared to:

• Serve in a healthcare leadership and change agent role as part of a diverse, complex, and patient-centered health care system.
• Act as a practice scholar to design, direct and evaluate system changes to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered care.
• Use data analytic methods, information systems and technology to evaluate, integrate and apply knowledge that will improve programs of care, outcomes of care and care systems.
• Use translational science and analytic methods to develop, identify, implement, and evaluate best practices to improve health care and health care systems.
• Design and implement health promotion and clinical prevention strategies across the health/illness continuum to optimize health and disease management.
• Systematically use improvement methods to monitor and evaluate care processes and outcomes and applies data for continuous improvement and safety
• Advocate for social justice through policy, professional and political engagement.
• Applies leadership principles that support inter-professional practice.
• Act as lateral integrator to design, direct, and evaluate system changes to promote safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable, patient centered care.

Upon completion of the Doctorate of Nursing Practice component, the graduate student is expected to:

• Employ strategic leadership skills to shape practice environments to produce positive, patient centered, healthcare outcomes at individual and system levels.
• Serve in a healthcare leadership and change agent role as part of a diverse, complex, and patient-centered health care system.
• Act as a practice scholar to design, direct and evaluate system changes to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered care.
• Use data analytic methods, information systems and technology to evaluate, integrate and apply knowledge that will improve programs of care, outcomes of care and care systems.
• Use translational science and analytic methods to develop, identify, implement, and evaluate best practices to improve health care and health care systems.
• Design and implement health promotion and clinical prevention strategies across the health/illness continuum to optimize health and disease management.
• Systematically use improvement methods to monitor and evaluate care processes and outcomes and applies data for continuous improvement and safety
• Advocate for social justice through policy, professional and political engagement.
• Applies leadership principles that support inter-professional practice.
• Facilitate interprofessional collaboration to implement practice models, peer review, practice guidelines, health policy, and standards of care.

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures

This is a non-licensure degree program. No additional license is required to practice in this field.

Visit the Office of the Registrar's website for more information about university programs that lead to professional licensure or certification eligibility.