Doctor of Nursing Practice

The doctor of nursing practice degree program at Baptist Health Sciences University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (655 K Street NW Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791).

The doctor of nursing practice degree program is also approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing (Health Related Boards 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243, 1-615-532-5166; tn.gov/health).

Technical Standards for Doctor of Nursing Practice Matriculation, Retention, and Graduation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from Baptist Health Sciences University indicates the advanced practice nursing graduate is prepared to enter into supervised practice after obtaining advanced practice certification in their specialty area, with subsequent licensure. Therefore, all applicants and matriculated students must possess certain essential abilities and characteristics required for completion of the DNP degree that consist of certain minimum physical and cognitive abilities and emotional characteristics. This is to ensure that candidates for admission, matriculation, and graduation are able to complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of advanced nursing practice training, with or without reasonable accommodations.

To be qualified for the DNP degree, specialty certification and subsequent licensure, the student must demonstrate competency in five requisite areas: observation and sensory; communication; motor; intellectual-conceptual; and behavioral and social attributes. Students are required to demonstrate said competencies to provide safe and effective advanced practice nursing care in a wide variety of clinical environments.

Baptist Health Sciences University  is committed to the admission and matriculation of qualified students and does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, gender, marital status, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, creed, or religion. Students with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations if needed to meet these technical standards by following the University’s policies and procedures and contacting the Office for Disability Services as outlined at the end of this document. A student must be able to perform these outlined technical standards in an independent manner.
The national certification examinations for advanced practice nursing may have more stringent technical standards than outlined in this document.

Students who accept an offer of admission from Baptist Health Sciences University to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program will be required to sign an affirmation regarding compliance with the technical standards. Should a student's ability to meet the technical standards change at any point in the academic program, it is his/her responsibility to report this to the Graduate Nursing Program Chair and/or the Office of Disability Services. 

Requisite Competency Areas

I. Observation and Sensory

Students must be able to acquire a defined level of information in the advanced practice nursing theoretical, clinical, and health sciences domains. Students must be able to obtain information from demonstrations and experiments in the health sciences. Students must be able to assess a patient and evaluate findings accurately. The observation and information acquisition noted above will require students to have functional use of visual, auditory and touch sensations or the functional equivalent.

II. Communication

A student must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently, and to observe patients in order to elicit information, detect and describe changes in mood, activity, and posture; perceive nonverbal communications; and establish a therapeutic relationship. A student must be able to respectfully communicate effectively, efficiently and sensitively with patients, their families, faculty, peers and all other members of the health care team. Communication includes speech, reading and writing or the functional equivalent.
III. Motor

Students must, after a reasonable period of training, possess the capacity to perform advanced physical assessments and diagnostic maneuvers. They must be able to respond to clinical situations in a timely manner and provide general and emergency advanced practice nursing care. These activities require some physical mobility, coordination of both gross and fine motor neuromuscular function and balance and equilibrium. Such actions require coordination of gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision or the functional equivalent.

IV. Intellectual - Conceptual

Students must possess proficient measurement, calculation, reasoning, and analysis skills. Clinical judgment, the critical skill demanded of registered nurses, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, students must be able to comprehend three dimensional relationships and to understand and be able to work within the spatial relationships of structures. They must have the intellectual capability to increase their fund of information and knowledge base through various media as well as from course materials, scheduled conferences, lectures, rounds, current literature and journals; and to make appropriate evaluations of clinical circumstances. Analytical problem-solving skills are critical in nursing and students must be able to perform in a timely manner, tasks utilizing such skills. Advanced practice nursing implies the protection and safety of patients, not just the ability to pass advanced practice certification examinations. Advanced practice nurses are responsible for those who place themselves into their care and must demonstrate the ability to rapidly process information, make decisions, and perform the appropriate interventions. Certain personal characteristics are expected of an advanced practice nurse. These include integrity, compassion, interpersonal skills, and motivation.

V. Behavioral and Social Attributes

Students must exercise good judgment and act professionally, complete all responsibilities promptly and effectively, attend to the diagnosis and care of patients while maintaining mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Students must be able to function effectively under stressful conditions, adapt to changing environments, and function in the face of the uncertainties inherent in the clinical care of patients. Compassion, integrity, empathy, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the educational process. Students must display flexibility and a spirit of cooperation with faculty, classmates, and colleagues. Students must be able serve (in an appropriate manner) all persons in need of assistance, regardless of the person's age, class, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation (or lack thereof), gender identification, ability, sexual orientation, and value system.

Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other applicable laws, Baptist Health Sciences University provides reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified students with verified disabilities. An accommodation will not be provided if it would result in the fundamental alteration of the university’s programs, services or activities, or if it would impose undue financial or administrative burdens on the University.

Additional information about Baptist Health Sciences University’s Office of Disability Services may be found at https://www.baptistu.edu. If student circumstances should change related to these technical standards, the student will promptly notify the Graduate Nursing Program Chair and/or the Office of Disability Services if reasonable accommodations are required at any pointThe doctor of nursing practice degree program at Baptist Health Sciences University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (655 K Street NW Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791).

The doctor of nursing practice degree program is also approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing (Health Related Boards 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243, 1-615-532-5166; tn.gov/health).

The goals for Doctor of Nursing Practice education at Baptist University are to prepare professional nurses for advanced nursing practice who:

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in planning and health care delivery.
• Provide advanced practice person-centered care for diverse population foci along the health-illness continuum.
• Provide leadership to promote equity, inclusion and quality and safety.
• Provide leadership to multidisciplinary teams through analysis of critical health indicators to promote enhanced quality and stewardship of health care resources.
• Innovatively designs, manages, and evaluates policies and processes to effect desired change in integrated health care systems.
• Successfully pass the credentialing examination in their specific population foci.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice

The curriculum guiding the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) includes full-time and part-time options for academic study. The doctoral curriculum builds upon the baccalaureate nursing framework and essential competencies.  The doctoral curriculum includes the adult-gerontology acute care concentration with a total of 66 credit hours.  The program learning outcomes reflect the expected student learning outcomes for which the program is preparing its graduates.

Upon completion of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, the graduate will be able to:

1. Integrate, translate, and apply knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to distinguish professional nursing and form a basis for advanced-level clinical judgment.
2. Provide person-centered care built upon a scientific body of knowledge to guide advanced-level nursing practice.
3. Engage in advanced-level collaborative activities across the entire healthcare delivery continuum for the improvement of equitable Public Health outcomes.
4. Generate, synthesize, translate, apply, and disseminate advanced-level nursing knowledge to improve health outcomes.
5. Use advanced-level principles of safety and improvement science to enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to clients and others.
6. Collaborate with clients and care team members to optimize equity in advanced-level care delivery, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.
7. Effectively and proactively coordinate resources within healthcare systems to provide safe, quality, and equitable advanced-level care to diverse populations.
8. Use informatics processes and technologies to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality, and efficient advanced-level healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and regulatory standards.
9. Form and cultivate an advanced-level professional identity that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values.
10. Participate in activities and self-reflection that foster advanced-level personal, professional, and leadership development.

Baptist University seeks academically well prepared, highly motivated graduate students who are interested in advanced practice careers in nursing. Special attention is given to the academic performance of the applicant's most recently completed degree program in nursing. The GPA calculation for the most recently completed nursing program will be based only on those grades earned at the degree-granting institution. The performance in the basic sciences and math will also be considered in the selection process.

Admission to the University and Program: 
The number of applicants admitted to the DNP program at Baptist University during any academic year may be limited. Thus, the admission/selection process is competitive. The criteria outlined are minimum for consideration of an applicant but in no way guarantees admission.

Deadlines

Priority Admissions Deadlines:
September 1: BSN to DNP
September 1: MSN to DNP

Applicants who meet the admission criteria by the final admission deadline will be considered for admission based on available openings.

Nursing Graduate Applicants (DNP)
In support of the educational mission of Baptist University, applicants who meet the following criteria may be considered for admission:

1. Have earned an entry-level degree culminating in either a Baccalaureate in Science of Nursing or a Master of Science in Nursing from a regionally accredited college or university or have earned an advanced practice Master of Science in Nursing Degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. A total cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 grade-point scale) on all collegiate course work is preferred.
   • Holistic admission practices will factor into the decision for admission acceptance. These holistic practices include an admission essay, a candidate interview, non-academic criteria and work experience.
   • Holistic admissions evaluation will also include, but not be limited to, activities such as; civic activities, research interests, professional development activities, and membership in professional organizations.
   • A minimum of three months recent prior work experience in an acute care setting within the last 2 years will be a consideration for selection to the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner concentration as verified by job description and employment agency.
3. Submit a current resume'/curriculum vitae outlining professional nursing accomplishments.
4. Submit a written essay outlining the applicant's professional goals, expectations and desired achievements from the program.
5. Complete a graduate faculty panel interview (may be done in person or virtually).
6. Submit final official transcripts from all colleges attended.
7. Be in good standing and eligible to return to any institution previously attended.
8. Applicants must submit a letter of good program standing from any prior graduate nursing programs attended, and be eligible to return to all previously attended prior to admission.
9. Hold an unencumbered Tennessee RN nursing license or have unencumbered authority to practice as an RN via multi-state privilege at the time of application. Accepted students must maintain an unencumbered RN license for the duration of the program of study.
10. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse applicants must hold an unencumbered advanced practice nursing license at the time of application. Accepted students must maintain an unencumbered advanced practice license for the duration of the program of study.
11. Must comply with the citizenship/residency requirement for all Baptist University applicants. (Refer to the Citizenship/Residency Requirement section).
12. Upon acceptance to Baptist University, the applicant must submit the following:
    • A guaranteed enrollment deposit. The enrollment deposit, a nonrefundable deposit, is due within 30 days of acceptance and is held in escrow and applied to the student's first enrolled term. Drug screen clearance
    • Criminal background check clearance.
    • Required immunizations.
    • Proof of Basic Life Support Certification for healthcare providers. Students are expected to maintain current certification throughout their enrollment.
       

All DNP students are expected to attend a new student/program orientation. Dates for orientation will be sent by postal mail and email upon acceptance to the University.​