Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a doctoral degree focused on rural clinical practice in Primary Care settings. ETSU College of Nursing's DNP program prepares advanced practice nurses and executive nurse leaders to assess and evaluate evidence from research and translate or use the findings to affect practice change to enhance and promote quality of care. 

Program Details

• Quick Facts

  • Top 100 DNP programs ranking by U. S. News and World Report
  • Blended/Online program
  • Interprofessional experiences

  
  
  
• Admissions Criteria

  Admissions Criteria

  Applicants seeking admission to the DNP program must fulfill all requirements for admission to both the ETSU Graduate School and the ETSU College of Nursing.

  Admission to the program will be based on competitive selection from the pool of applicants who meet the admission requirements. All applications will be reviewed by the College of Nursing Graduate Admissions Committee. 

  The Graduate School requires that all students submit the following materials:

  • Completed application with payment of nonrefundable application fee
  • Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework
  • A written essay - instructions will be provided within the application

  
  College of Nursing Admission Requirements:

  Refer to the Graduate Catalog for the most current specific College of Nursing admission requirements [Available by clicking here] 

   
  

• Application Details

   

  • Out of State Applications

    • Students who reside outside of the state of Tennessee are responsible to contact their State Board of Nursing to confirm whether the course or program meets online degree program requirements in their state of residence prior to application.

    • Continuation in the Graduate Nursing Program for students who relocate outside the state of Tennessee is dependent on the State Board of Nursing where the student is physically present.

    • It is the student’s responsibility to notify ETSU College of Nursing and ETSU records office with a change in physical residence.  

    • The College of Nursing has determined that its Doctor of Nursing Practice program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the the states listed on our Home page, in the drop-down for this program. (You may open the Home page by clicking here.)
  • Application Deadlines

    Application Deadlines:

    Application deadlines (dates for all materials to be received by the Graduate School) will become effective:

    Semester	Regular Deadline
    Fall	March 1 - Preferred June 1 - Final (BSN to DNP)
    Summer	March 1 (MSN to DNP)

    
    

    • BSN to DNP will admit in Fall semester only

    • MSN to DNP will admit in Summer semester only
      
      

    Click here to apply for ETSU admission

• Contact Us

  
  

  Erica Seals

  
  423-439-4066 / sealsel@etsu.edu 
  Nicks Hall Room 2-230

  Office of Student Services

  423-439-4578 / nursing@etsu.edu
  Nicks Hall Room 2-230

  ETSU Office of Admissions

  423-439-4221 / gradadmissions@etsu.edu 
  Burgin-Dossett Hall Room 309

• Format & Plans

  Format

  The program is offered in an Online/Blended format in which students complete most coursework online with required intensive sessions 1-2 times per semester.

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  Concentrations

  • Executive Leadership/Nursing and Healthcare Leadership
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

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  Practicum

  The College of Nursing has determined that its Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the the states listed on our Home page, in the drop-down for this program. (You may open the Home page by clicking here.)

  Students in all concentrations of the ETSU College of Nursing DNP programs are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of practicum in an interprofessional experience, as part of the overall practicum for their program.  The interprofessional experience can be part of a formal interprofessional clinic or can be organized by the student specifically for this practicum requirement, in collaboration with the student’s course faculty, academic advisor and partners from the proposed organization.

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  BSN to DNP Program Plans by Concentration
  .
  	Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner	ETSU - Full Time
  	Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner	ETSU - Part Time
  	Executive Leadership in Nursing/Nursing and Healthcare Leadership	ETSU - Full Time
  	Executive Leadership in Nursing/Nursing and Healthcare Leadership	ETSU - Part Time
  	Family Nurse Practitioner	ETSU - Full Time
  	Family Nurse Practitioner	ETSU - Part Time
  	Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner	ETSU - Full Time
  	Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner	ETSU - Part Time

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  MSN to DNP Program Plans
  Image	Title	Information
  	MSN to DNP - AGNP Concentration	ETSU - Full Time
  	MSN to DNP - AGNP Concentration	ETSU - Part Time
  	MSN to DNP - Executive Leadership/Nursing and Healthcare Leadership Concentration	ETSU - Full Time
  	MSN to DNP - Executive Leadership/Nursing and Healthcare Leadership Concentration	ETSU - Part Time
  	MSN to DNP - FNP Concentration	ETSU - Full Time
  	MSN to DNP - FNP Concentration	ETSU - Part Time
  	MSN to DNP - PMHNP Concentration	ETSU - Full Time
  	MSN to DNP - PMHNP Concentration	ETSU - Part Time

• Outcomes

  Program Outcomes:

  The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program is designed to produce leaders in nursing and healthcare practice. Specific objectives for the program are to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and values to:

  1. Integrate specialized knowledge, theories, and research from nursing science and related disciplines for application to nursing practice;
     
     
  2. Assume leadership roles as advanced clinicians, nurse educators, and/ or administrators;
     
     
  3. Demonstrate accountability in nursing practice according to accepted standards of patient care and safety;
     
     
  4. Use information technology to translate research findings into evidence-based practice at the individual and health system levels;
     
     
  5. Affect desired change by developing and implementing policies at different levels of the health care system and with different constituencies;
     
     
  6. Provide multidisciplinary leadership through analysis of critical indicators within health care systems to provide optimal client care and safety; and
     
     
  7. Demonstrate advanced knowledge and skill in planning and delivery of health management.

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  Expected Competencies of a DNP Graduate

  The competencies expected of a DNP graduate from ETSU are adopted directly from the DNP Essentials of doctoral education for advanced practice in nursing as specified by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2006, pp. 8-17).

  1. Scientific Underpinnings for Practice
     1. Integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, the biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sciences as the basis for the highest level of nursing practice.
        
        
     2. Use science-based theories and concepts to:
        • Determine the nature and significance of health and health care delivery phenomena;
        • Describe the actions and advanced strategies to enhance, alleviate, and ameliorate health and health care delivery phenomena as appropriate, and
        • Evaluate outcomes.
     3. Develop and evaluate new practice approaches based on nursing theories and theories from other disciplines.
  2. Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement and Systems Thinking
     1. Develop and evaluate care delivery approaches that meet current and future needs of patient populations based on scientific findings in nursing and other clinical sciences, as well as organizational, political, and economic sciences.
        
        
     2. Ensure accountability for quality of health care and patient safety for populations with whom they work.
        • Use advanced communication skills/ processes to lead quality improvement and patient safety initiatives in health care systems.
        • Employ principles of business, finance, economics, and health policy to develop and implement effective plans for practice-level and/ or system-wide practice initiatives that will improve the quality of care delivery.
        • Develop and/or monitor budgets for practice initiatives.
        • Analyze the cost-effectiveness of practice initiatives accounting for risk and improvement of health care outcomes.
        • Demonstrate sensitivity to diverse organizational cultures and populations, including patients and providers.
     3. Develop and/ or evaluate effective strategies for managing the ethical dilemmas inherent in patient care, the health care organization, and research.
  3. Clinical Scholarship and Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice
     1. Use analytic methods to critically appraise existing literature and other evidence to determine and implement the best evidence for practice.
        
        
     2. Design and implement processes to evaluate outcomes of practice, practice patterns, and systems of care within a practice setting, health care organization, or community against national benchmarks to determine variances in practice outcomes and population trends.
        
        
     3. Design, direct, and evaluate quality improvement methodologies to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient-centered care.
        
        
     4. Apply relevant findings to develop practice guidelines and improve practice and the practice environment.
        
        
     5. Use information technology and research methods appropriately to:
        • Collect appropriate and accurate data to generate evidence for nursing practice
        • Inform and guide the design of databases that generate meaningful evidence for nursing practice
        • Analyze data from practice
        • Design evidence-based interventions
        • Predict and analyze outcomes
        • Examine patterns of behavior and outcomes
        • Identify gaps in evidence for practice
     6. Function as a practice specialist/ consultant in collaborative knowledge-generating research.
        
        
     7. Disseminate findings from evidence-based practice and research to improve healthcare outcomes.
  4. Information Systems/Technology and Patient Care Technology for the Improvement and Transformation of Health Care
     1. Design, select, use, and evaluate programs that evaluate and monitor outcomes of care, care systems, and quality improvement including consumer use of health care information systems.
        
        
     2. Analyze and communicate critical elements necessary to the selection, use, and evaluation of health care information systems and patient care technology.
        
        
     3. Demonstrate the conceptual ability and technical skills to develop and execute an evaluation plan involving data extraction from practice information systems and databases.
        
        
     4. Provide leadership in the evaluation and resolution of ethical and legal issues within healthcare systems relating to the use of information, information technology, communication networks, and patient care technology.
        
        
     5. Evaluate consumer health information sources for accuracy, timeliness, and appropriateness.
  5. Health Care Policy for Advocacy in Health Care
     1. Critically analyze health policy proposals, health policies, and related issues from the perspective of consumers, nursing, other health professions, and other stakeholders in policy and public forums.
        
        
     2. Demonstrate leadership in the development and implementation of institutional, local, state, federal, and/or international health policy.
        
        
     3. Influence policy makers through active participation on committees, boards, or task forces at the institutional, local, state, regional, national, and/or international levels to improve health care delivery and outcomes.
        
        
     4. Educate others, including policy makers at all levels, regarding nursing, health policy, and patient care outcomes.
        
        
     5. Develop, evaluate, and provide leadership for health care policy that shapes health care financing, regulation, and delivery.
        
        
     6. Advocate for social justice, equity, and ethical policies within all healthcare arenas.
  6. Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes
     1. Employ effective communication and collaborative skills in the development and implementation of practice models, peer review, practice guidelines, health policy, standards of care, and/or other scholarly products.
        
        
     2. Lead interprofessional teams in the analysis of complex practice and organizational issues.
        
        
     3. Employ consultative and leadership skills with intraprofessional and interprofessional teams to create change in health care and complex healthcare delivery systems.
  7. Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving the Nation's Health
     1. Analyze epidemiological, biostatistical, environmental, and other appropriate scientific data related to individual, aggregate, and population health.
        
        
     2. Synthesize concepts, including psychosocial dimensions and cultural diversity, related to clinical prevention and population health in developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to address health promotion/ disease prevention efforts, improve health status/ access patterns, and/ or address gaps in care of individuals, aggregates, or populations.
        
        
     3. Evaluate care delivery models and/ or strategies using concepts related to community, environmental and occupational health, and cultural and socioeconomic dimensions of health.
  8. Advanced Nursing Practice
     1. Conduct a comprehensive and systematic assessment of health and illness parameters in complex situations, incorporating diverse and culturally sensitive approaches.
        
        
     2. Design, implement, and evaluate therapeutic interventions based on nursing science and other sciences.
        
        
     3. Develop and sustain therapeutic relationships and partnerships with patients (individual, family or group) and other professionals to facilitate optimal care and patient outcomes.
        
        
     4. Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability in designing, delivering, and evaluating evidence-based care to improve patient outcomes. e. Guide, mentor, and support other nurses to achieve excellence in nursing practice.
        
        
     5. Educate and guide individuals and groups through complex health and situational transitions.
        
        
     6. Use conceptual and analytical skills in evaluating the links among practice, organizational, population, fiscal, and policy issues.

Apply Now

• Before Applying for a DNP Program
• DNP and PhD Role Comparison

  	DNP	PhD
  Focus	- Clinical Practice - Scholarship	- Nursing Research - Scholarship
  Goal	Create leaders in nursing and health care practice who use evidence-based research to improve  patient  outcomes	Create nurse research scientists who conduct research projects aimed to enhance nursing knowledge or practice
  Objective	Translate evidence-based research findings to improve patient outcomes for healthcare systems, populations,  and communities	Design, conduct and disseminate research findings that will advance nursing practice and health care system
  Course Focus	Advanced knowledge of science and related disciplines to practice, leadership, patient care and safety, health care delivery systems, health policy, applied research methods, advance practice nursing	Nursing science, theoretical and conceptual foundations, research methods, data analysis, individualized courses that support research interests
  Program Entry BSN	-- BSN from accredited school of nursing with 2 years of RN experience -- Current unencumbered RN license -- GPA of at least 3.0	Not available at this time
  Program Entry MSN	-- Master’s Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program  -- GPA of at least 3.0	-- Master’s Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program -- At least two years of full-time nursing experience -- GPA of at least 3.0
  Program Entry MSN w/ NP certification	-- Master’s Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program  -- GPA of at least 3.0 -- National certification in selected nursing specialty -- Minimum 500 clinical hour completion verification from Master’s program	-- Master’s Degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program -- At least two years of full-time nursing experience -- GPA of at least 3.0
  Program Entry for Executive Leadership	At least one year of experience in a nursing administration role	None
  GRE Required	Required if cumulative GPA less than 3.2 from BSN or MSN program	Submission of GRE required in admission process
  Credits Required	-- BSN-DNP 82-86 credit hours( depending on concentration) -- MSN-DNP  40 credit hours -- Nurse Exec. Leadership: 79 credit hours	-- 59 credit hours -- Research Residency 300 clock hours
  Clinical Hours	-- 500 minimum  relating to DNP Project (all concentrations; BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP) -- Total 1000 clinical hours with minimum 500 hours related to concentration specialty	None
  Program Hallmarks	A clinical practice immersion with completion of an applied practice project (DNP Project) culminating is a scholarly product	An intense research immersion mentored by faculty who are nurse scientists, culminating in an independent research project (dissertation) and publishable scholarly works.
  Employment Opportunities	Nurse Practitioner, Healthcare Administrator, Health Care system Leader, Faculty Member	Nurse Scientist, Health Policy, Health Care Organization Leadership, Faculty Member
  Final Outcome Product	DNP Project	Dissertation
  Online/Blended Distance Learning	Yes	Yes
  Part-time Study	Yes	Yes
  Full-time Study	Yes	Yes
  Financial Aid Options	Yes	Yes

• Intensive Week Schedules

  2022-2023 Doctoral Intensive Week Schedules (for DNP and PhD Students) dates are:

  Semester	Intensive Dates
  Summer 2023	May 15, 2023. Time 08:15 AM thru 4:30 PM

NOTICE: Regulatory requirements governing student clinical vary by state and are subject to change. Clinical placement outside of Tennessee is contingent upon approval by the appropriate regulatory bodies and will be evaluated on an individual basis upon admission to the program.

East Tennessee State University offers many programs of study which lead to the ability to be licensed or certified in a profession by individual states. Each program is listed below with information whether the program's curriculum meets a state's educational requirements for licensure or certification.

• Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing (BSN)

  The College of Nursing has determined that its Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing (BSN) program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

  
  
  Alaska
  Arkansas
  Connecticut
  Delaware
  Florida
  Georgia
  Hawaii
  Indiana
  Kansas
  Maine
  Maryland
  Massachusetts
  Michigan
  Mississippi
  Missouri
  Nebraska
  New Jersey
  New Mexico
  North Carolina
  North Dakota
  Rhode Island
  South Dakota
  Tennessee
  Virginia
  Wisconsin

   

  
  For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing (BSN) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification.
  These states include:

  Alabama
  Kentucky
  New York
  Texas
  Arizona
  Louisiana
  Ohio
  Utah
  California
  Minnesota
  Oklahoma
  Vermont
  Colorado
  Montana
  Oregon
  Washington
  Illinois
  Nevada
  Pennsylvania
  West Virginia
  Iowa
  New Hampshire
  South Carolina
  Wyoming
  Idaho

  
  Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

  Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
  Nursing (www.ncsbn.org).

• Master of Science in Nursing

  The College of Nursing has determined that its Master of Science in Nursing program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

  
  
  Alaska
  Arkansas
  Connecticut
  Delaware
  Florida
  Georgia
  Hawaii
  Indiana
  Kansas
  Maine
  Maryland
  Massachusetts
  Michigan
  Mississippi
  Missouri
  Nebraska
  New Jersey
  New Mexico
  North Carolina
  North Dakota
  Rhode Island
  South Dakota
  Tennessee
  Virginia
  Wisconsin

   

   For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification.
  These states include:

  Alabama
  Kentucky
  New York
  Texas
  Arizona
  Louisiana
  Ohio
  Utah
  California
  Minnesota
  Oklahoma
  Vermont
  Colorado
  Montana
  Oregon
  Washington
  Illinois
  Nevada
  Pennsylvania
  West Virginia
  Iowa
  New Hampshire
  South Carolina
  Wyoming
  Idaho

  Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

  Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
  Nursing (www.ncsbn.org).

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

  The College of Nursing has determined that its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

  
  Alaska
  Arkansas
  Connecticut
  Delaware
  Florida
  Georgia
  Hawaii
  Indiana
  Kansas
  Maine
  Massachusetts
  Michigan
  Mississippi
  Missouri
  Nebraska
  New Jersey
  New Mexico
  North Carolina
  North Dakota
  Rhode Island
  South Dakota
  Tennessee
  Virginia
  Wisconsin

   

  For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

  
  Alabama
  Kentucky
  New York
  Texas
  Arizona
  Louisiana
  Ohio
  Utah
  California
  Minnesota
  Oklahoma
  Vermont
  Colorado
  Montana
  Oregon
  Washington
  Illinois
  Nevada
  Pennsylvania
  West Virginia
  Iowa
  New Hampshire
  South Carolina
  Wyoming
  Idaho

  Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

  Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
  Nursing (www.ncsbn.org).

• Tennessee Joint Doctor of Nursing Practice (TN Jt DNP)

  The College of Nursing and their partner, Tennessee Tech University Whitson-Hester School of Nursing, has determined that its Tennessee Joint Doctor of Nursing Practice (TN Jt DNP) program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

  
  
  Alaska
  Arkansas
  Connecticut
  Delaware
  Florida
  Georgia
  Hawaii
  Indiana
  Kansas
  Maine
  Massachusetts
  Michigan
  Mississippi
  Missouri
  Nebraska
  New Jersey
  New Mexico
  North Carolina
  North Dakota
  Rhode Island
  South Dakota
  Tennessee
  Virginia
  Wisconsin

   

  For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Tennessee Joint Doctor of Nursing Practice (TN Jt DNP) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

  Alabama
  Kentucky
  New York
  Texas
  Arizona
  Louisiana
  Ohio
  Utah
  California
  Minnesota
  Oklahoma
  Vermont
  Colorado
  Montana
  Oregon
  Washington
  Illinois
  Nevada
  Pennsylvania
  West Virginia
  Iowa
  New Hampshire
  South Carolina
  Wyoming
  Idaho

  
  Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

  Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
  Nursing (www.ncsbn.org).