Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
DNP graduates are healthcare leaders prepared for practice leadership roles in a variety of settings - as executives in healthcare organizations, directors of clinical programs, or faculty programs with a clinical focus, to name a few.
The DNP is offered at the post baccalaureate and post master's levels
BSN-DNP
- Family Nurse Practitioner
Please note: the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track is currently full, and we are no longer accepting applications for fall 2013 entry. The next entry term for FNP will be fall 2014. - Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Anesthesia
Post Master's DNP
The Advanced Practice DNP programs are clinical doctorates in an advanced specialty of nursing practice, comparable to clinical doctorates in other health disciplines such as pharmacy, physical therapy, and medicine.
The Executive DNP is not a clinical degree. Instead, its focus is on leadership and it is specifically designed to prepare the next generation of nurse leaders at the doctoral level. Applicants are nursing leaders with a master's degree.
Unlike a research degree, the DNP focuses on the assessment and application of existing evidence to improve practice. The program features the development of a clinical portfolio that illustrates the student's accomplishment of professional and program outcomes and competencies. Such an education - the highest level of clinical nursing preparation possible - primes nurses to care for a cohort of patients within a specialty by using a cross-population perspective to assess, manage, and evaluate healthcare concerns.
With a DNP, nurses become competent in:
- Population-level healthcare
- Organizational systems
- Leadership
- Business management
- Clinical scholarship
- Information technology
- Policy-making
A DNP education at Fairfield is in keeping with the School of Nursing's mission to help you develop critical thinking skills at the highest level of practice and accountability. To this end, the ethical, legal, and socially-just implications of patient-centered care are integrated throughout the program.
We invite you to learn more about Fairfield's DNP program and its admission requirements, courses, and faculty. Have more questions? Read our FAQs or contact us. We believe you'll find that this program challenges you intellectually and personally, and opens the door to many exciting and new professional opportunities.
Related Information
Graduate Admission | Info Sessions | Graduate Assistantships
