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Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNP, (Post-Bachelor's) - Hybrid
Play a pivotal role in your patients’ lives as an advanced practice nurse
Take the first step toward a career as an advanced practice nurse, ranked a top 10 career by U.S. News & World Report.
USJ’s Nursing, DNP graduates are passionate providers prepared to be at the forefront of innovation. Join a knowledgeable and value-driven community dedicated to improving health care locally and globally.
Our practice-focused doctoral program prepares graduates to:
- Assess, diagnose and treat individuals and families with complex, chronic, and/or co-morbid conditions
- Apply fiscal principles and logical methodologies to health care system problems
- Analyze epidemiological and statistical data for their implications related to individual and population health and the effects of health policies on patient care, populations, and the health care system
- Lead nursing practices in a range of clinical settings using health promotion and population health approaches, inter-professional collaborative skills, clinical scholarship, evidence-based practice, cultural competencies, and ethical sensitivity to manage patient care
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Program Facts
- 10 semesters, 65 credits
- On-campus coursework, with a hybrid class format
- Evening classes from 4-6:30 p.m.
- On-site clinical placements in Connecticut
- Students select a track of study: Family Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- The program focus on clinical leadership for population & global health
USJ Alumni Excellence Program
The University of Saint Joseph is proud to offer a 20% discount on select graduate programs, to our valued alumni, beginning in Summer 2025. This offer is available to all USJ alumni who enroll in a graduate program* at USJ for the first time in the Summer 2025 semester or later.
Click here to learn more about the program.
The Nursing, DNP program is comprised of two tracks, students select a track upon admission:
DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Do you want to become a specialized health care leader integrated in a cohort of patients while using a community health perspective to improve the quality of care and outcomes? You’ll use the knowledge gained from this program to support your organization’s patients with evidence-based best practices to assess common health problems, information technology, and practicums in the care of families.
After successfully graduating from our online FNP program, you may sit for national certification from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners or the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
DNP – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
Do you want to develop your knowledge and skills in the behavioral and biological disciplines and then apply your learning to the treatment of psychiatric disorders within individuals, families, and groups? With this program, you will be prepared to work in a variety of clinical settings with a full range of therapies to improve the quality of care for your patients throughout their life. Students will have access to practicums with psychiatric mental health providers in the community supervised by faculty.
After successfully graduating from our PMHNP program, you may sit for national certification as a lifespan PMHNP by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Program Outcomes
This degree program will provide you with a broad perspective that includes holistic health care for your patients including understanding how social and economic factors influence health outcomes.
- Demonstrate application of nursing and related sciences to inform clinical judgment in assessing, diagnosing, and managing high-quality healthcare.
- Translate advanced-level nursing knowledge to provide holistic individualized care that advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Apply advanced-level nursing knowledge to health promotion and disease prevention through understanding cost-effectiveness and healthcare delivery systems.
- Engage in the scholarship of nursing by critically appraising evidence through an understanding of the principles of research, informatics, and technology.
- Apply principles of safety and quality-driven care across healthcare settings and systems.
- Demonstrate understanding of the role of interprofessional partnerships in advanced-level nursing practice.
- Appraise systems-based practice and health policy as it influences healthcare outcomes through strategic planning, cost-effective care, and evidence-based practice.
- Demonstrate adherence to professional standards for advanced-level nursing practice.
- Demonstrate commitment to excellence through personal, professional, and leadership development.
- Apply nursing philosophical and theoretical concepts in identifying, initiating, and managing advanced practice nursing identity, professional roles, and clinical activities.
- Provide individual and population-centered care that is centered on an appreciation of human diversity and advocacy for social justice, equity, and inclusion for all.
Hellen M. Kato DNP’24, FNP-BC
My DNP experience at the USJ truly transformed me as both a clinician and a leader. Through my project at Charter Oak Health Center, I focused on increasing comprehensive foot exams for patients with diabetes in underserved communities to help prevent avoidable amputations. Seeing this initiative successfully implemented and sustained in practice has been incredibly meaningful.
The DNP program gave me the confidence, leadership skills, and evidence-based foundation to create real change and advocate for the patients who need it most.
Application Information
Submit an application, available at usj.edu/apply include:
- $50 non-refundable application fee
- Official sealed Bachelor of Science, Nursing transcript from a regionally and nationally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Two letters of recommendation: current employer and recent faculty are suggested
- Essay: Identify a health-related issue that has impacted your community or your patients. Share how you have engaged with this issue and describe one way you imagine a nurse practitioner could make a difference. What steps would you take to prepare yourself to address this issue as part of your NP education?
- Immunization records
- Nursing supplemental health form
- Certified background check
- Copy of valid RN license
- Resume or CV
- After the application review, candidates are interviewed by the respective program director
Questions?
Contact:
Yvonne Joy, DNP, APRN
Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of DNP and FNP programs
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 860.231.5258
