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Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Admission Information:

  • DNP at TWU
  • DNP Goals
  • Admissions
  • Deadlines
  • Sample Programs
  • FAQs
  • FAQ2
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The TWU College of Nursing's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on July 19, 2007. The first cohort of DNP students began the program in June 2008. The DNP program builds on the legacy of the TWU Ph.D. in Nursing Science, one of the oldest nursing doctoral programs in the United States.

The TWU Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is designed to prepare Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives to function as expert clinicians who integrate and evaluate evidenced-based practices in acute and primary care settings. The DNP curriculum broadens and expands on the skills of the master's prepared Advanced Practice Nurse to include enhanced clinical expertise, implementation of healthcare informatics technologies, and increased depth in the application of scientific advances and health care organizational concepts to nursing practice.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program will be based at the TWU Dallas Institute of Health Sciences, with support courses offered from the TWU Denton campus. The Doctor of Nursing Practice requires 46 credit hours, and many courses are completely or partially on-line.

Please contact Peggy Mancuso, Ph.D., CNM, at pmancuso@twu.edu (214-689-6564 or 214-689-6552) for further information about the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at TWU.

 

Goals of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
  • Apply evidence from nursing and the biophysical, psychosocial, behavioral, and clinical sciences to complex health issues.
  • Implement health care delivery models and strategies designed for quality improvement in patient care.
  • Analyze existing research and design and conduct evaluations of clinical interventions to implement evidence-based practice.
  • Employ an evidence-based framework when conducting research on clinical interventions.
  • Develop and advocate for health care policy.
  • Collaborate with other health professionals to provide high quality, ethical patient-centered care that meets current standards of best practice.
  • Synthesize concepts of health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention in managing complex health problems.
  • Apply expert clinical judgment in providing comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and management of health and illness in diverse populations.
  • Provide visionary nursing leadership through contributions to the management and guidance of health care systems.
Admission Requirements

All applicants must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School at Texas Woman's University. In addition to these general requirements, the College of Nursing requires the following for admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program:

  1. A graduate-level course in statistics
  2. A graduate-level course in nursing research
  3. A master's degree with a major in nursing from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body (preferred)
  4. Scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test
  5. Two letters of recommendation
  6. Letter discussing professional goals
  7. A curriculum vita or resume
  8. Current, unencumbered, license to practice professional nursing in the United States
  9. Certification as an APN (NP or CNM) by a nationally recognized certification organization
  10. Eligibility to be recognized as an APN (NP or CNM) in Texas
  11. All applicants being considered for admission will be interviewed
  12. The applicant must submit the ApplyTexas Application (Texas Common Application Form) to apply for admission at TWU
  13. Submit the above information and application fee to:
    Student Records Processing; Texas Woman's University;
    PO Box 425649; Denton, TX 76204-5649

Admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program may be awarded on an unconditional or provisional basis. Criteria for unconditional admission at Texas Woman's University are listed as follows:

  1. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 on prior graduate level course work
    or
  2. A preferred score of 460 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Verbal and 500 on the GRE Quantitative
    or
  3. A preferred score of 50 on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

Applicants who do not meet the unconditional criteria, but who have a GPA of 3.0 to < 3.5 on prior graduate level course work, may be considered for provisional admission on an individual basis. Factors that will be considered in the admission decision follow:

  1. GPA on graduate level work
  2. GRE Verbal and Quantitative scores or MAT score
  3. Scholarly activities
  4. Professional leadership
  5. Work history.

Click on FAQ Tab above for additional Clarification & Information.

Admission Deadlines
Admissions forms and requirements for the Doctor of Nursing Practice are being developed. TWU Graduate School application includes submission of the required application form, all transcripts, and scores from the Graduate Record Exam or the Miller's Analogies Test. The entire admission packet must be completed by February 1 for consideration for acceptance into the class of Full Tme DNP students beginning the Summer of that year. Part Time DNP Students must complete the admission packet two months before the entrance semester.

Semester

Courses

Credit

I (Summer)

NURS 6023 Philosophy of Nursing  
HSM 5003  Management of Health Services
Total Hours

3
3
6

II
(Fall)

NURS 6033 Ethical Dimensions of Nursing
LS 5363 Health Sciences Information Services
BIOL 5533 Health Care Genetics
Total Hours

3
3
3
9

III (Spring)

NURS 6043 Policy, Power, and Politics
NURS 6313 Epidemiology, Health Promotion, and Research in Advanced Nursing Practice
NURS 6323 Informatics and Research in Nursing and Health Care
Total Hours

3
3
3

9

IV (Summer)

NURS 6163 Health Outcomes: Measurement, Management, & Analysis
Elective
Total Hours

3
3
6

V
(Fall)

NURS 6035 DNP Practicum
Elective
Total Hours

5
3
8

VI (Spring)

NURS 6045 DNP Practicum II
NURS 6303 Professional Capstone Project
Total Hours

5
3
8

Part-Time Program (Suggested): Part Time DNP Students may enter at Summer, Fall or Spring semester and take courses as approved by Faculty Advisor.

Semester

Courses

Credit

I (Summer)

HSM 5003  Management of Health Services
Total Hours

3
3

II
(Fall)

LS 5363 Health Sciences Information Services
NURS 6033 Ethical Dimensions of Nursing
Total Hours

3
3
6

III (Spring)

NURS 6043 Policy, Power, and Politics
NURS 6323 Informatics and Research in Nursing and Health Care
Total Hours

3
3
6

IV (Summer)

NURS 6023 Philosophy of Nursing
Total Hours

3
3

V
(Fall)

BIOL 5533 Health Care Genetics
Elective
Total Hours

3
3
6

VI
(Spring)

NURS 6313 Epidemiology, Health Promotion, and Research in Advanced Nursing Practice
Elective
Total Hours

 

3
3
6

VII
(Summer)

NURS 6163 Health Outcomes: Measurement, Management, & Analysis
Total Hours

3
3

VIII
(Fall)

NURS 6035 DNP Practicum I
Total Hours

5
5

IX
(Spring)

NURS 6045 DNP Practicum II
Total Hours

5
5

X
(Summer)

NURS 6303 Professional Capstone Project
Total Hours

3
3

Clarifications

1. GREs or MATs:
- You must submit the scores of one of these examinations.
- If you have taken any of these examinations in the past, you do not have to take the exam again; you may submit those past scores.
- If your Master's degree GPA is 3.5 or higher, you may be unconditionally admitted to the program (providing you also meet the other requirements) without these scores being considered.
- If your Master's degree GPA is 3.0 to < 3.5 these scores may be considered along with the other requirements for admission.

2. Classroom Attendance (Didactic):
- Many classes are partially or mostly online. We now plan to cluster the classes on a one weekend a month basis.
- Where possible, we expect to provide online, on-demand, streaming video classroom lectures as a reference resource and on-line Webinars allowing faculty and students to participate in real time. This will further enable remote or distance attendance for students.
-Where possible, DVDs of classroom lectures will be made available to all DNP Program students.
- We are also exploring and planning inclusion of virtual classrooms as another resource to further enable remote or distance attendance.
- Cilinical practicums, of course, will require the DNP student's physical presence at the clinical site. DNP students may be able to use clinical sites close to their homes, depending upon available facilities.

3. DNP Survey:
- If you have not yet participated in the Anonymous Doctor of Nursing Practice Survey, we will be very appreciative of your doing so.  Your answers to these questions will be combined with other Advanced Practice Nurses’ responses to help TWU plan courses for the DNP and to apply for grant funding. The URL Below will provide you with access to this online survey:
http://essentiavitae1.com/twu_dnp/index.php?sid=21

4. Statistics Courses:
The following on-line graduate statistic course a.) will be offered in Spring 2009, at TWU:
a.)Nurs 6613, Nursing Inquiry, graduate statistics online course from Dallas. Tentative Instructor "Peggy Mancuso", pmancuso@twu.edu. Course uses SPSS.
b.)A course in statistics at the graduate level is required.  This course may be taken at any university, as long as it is a graduate level statistics course. If the graduate statistics course you have taken or are considering is not a pure statistics course, please submit the course syllabus to Dr. Peggy Mancuso for review and recommendation.
c.)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will a Part Time Student track be available in the TWU DNP Program.

  • Part Time DNP Students will be admitted to the TWU DNP Program starting Fall I semester 2008.

Who is eligible to apply for admission to the DNP program?

  • Certified Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives with masters degrees in nursing who qualify for licensure as Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) in Texas

What about BS or BSN to DNP programs?

  • The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has indicated that for state universities in Texas, the preferred entry for DNP education should be certified, master’s prepared APNs.

What about Clinical Nurse Specialists or nurses with master’s preparation in administration or education?

  • At this time, the TWU DNP will only admit APNs who are certified NPs or CNMs.

What about new NP graduates?

  • With June entry into the program, May NP graduates would not be able to attain certification in enough time to immediately enter into the Summer I semester.

How is this different from master’s APN preparation?

  • The DNP curriculum broadens and expands on the skills of the master's prepared Advanced Practice Nurse to include:
    • Enhanced clinical expertise that includes both inpatient and ambulatory settings, health promotion, and management of acute and chronic disorders
    • Implementation of healthcare informatics technologies
    • Increased depth in the application of scientific advances (e.g. genetics) and health care organizational concepts to nursing practice
    • Expertise in evaluating outcomes of care

What is the deadline for the admission packet to be completed?

  • February 1 of the admission year for Full Time DNP Students entering the Summer I semester. Two months before start of entrance semester for Part Time DNP Students.

When will the program start?

  • Summer I semester, June 2008.

How long is the program?

  • 46 hours over 24 months for Full Time Students. Part time Students ~ 36 months.

What are admission requirements?

  • All applicants must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School.  This includes completion of the ApplyTexas online application, selecting the DNP as the major.
  • In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the College of Nursing requires the following for DNP admission.

    • A course in statistics at the graduate level
    • A course in research at the graduate level
    • A master's degree with a major in nursing from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body
    • Submission of scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test
  • The following are prerequisites for unconditional admission to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Provisional admission is described on the TWU CON web page.
      • Academic Requirements:
        • Minimum grade point average of 3.5 on prior graduate level course work
        • Students who have a grade point average of 3.0 to < 3.5 on graduate level course work may be admitted unconditionally if they have a preferred score of 460 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Verbal and 500 on the GRE Quantitative or a preferred score of 50 on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
      • Professional Requirements:
  • Current unencumbered license to practice professional nursing in the United States
  • Certification as an NP or CNM by a nationally recognized accrediting body
  • Eligibility to be recognized as an APN in Texas
    • Other Requirements:
  • Completion of CON DNP application
  • Curriculum vita or resume
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Letter discussing professional goals
  • All applicants being considered for admission will be interviewed

What about the GRE or MAT?

    • You must submit the scores of one of these examinations. 
    • You do not have to retake the test if you have taken it in the past.  You may submit past scores.
    • If your master’s GPA is 3.0 to < 3.5, these scores will be considered along with other requirements for admission.

What about the graduate statistics requirement?

    • A course in statistics at the graduate level is required.  This course may be taken at any university, as long as it is a graduate level statistics course.
    • Statistics is a prerequisite for the DNP courses that have a research component. These courses are currently planned for the Spring Semester.  Provisional DNP admission is possible, without completion of graduate statistics, before these courses commence. However, the graduate statistics course must be taken prior to taking the first research course in the curriculum.
    • If the graduate statistics course you have taken or are considering is not a pure statistics course, please submit the course syllabus to Dr. Peggy Mancuso for review and recommendation.

Will the courses be on line and how will the courses be scheduled?

  • Many of the support courses or current PhD courses are completely on line or have substantial on line components.
  • When it is possible, we expect to “cluster” Face to Face classes so they will meet once a month.

What about clinical practicums?

    • DNP students may be able to use clinical sites close to their homes, depending upon available facilities.

What about interviews?

  • All candidates who are being considered for admission will be interviewed following submission of application.

 

 

 

 



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