Nursing - DNP

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Program at a Glance - Needs Updating

Credit Hours

Year Program

Per Credit Hour

Accredited
This population health-focused program prepares nurses as leaders in addressing the complexity of 21st-century health care and health care outcomes. Through the lens of Xavier’s Jesuit tradition, students achieve the highest level of academic preparation that incorporates scientific, philosophical, ethical and historical perspectives of nursing practice along with the complexities of present and future global and holistic health care. The DNP program has been offered 100% online since Fall 2017.
This program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the premier accrediting agency for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs.
This program is approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN).
This program is endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation (AHNCC). Only twelve universities in the nation currently have this endorsement, and this endorsement permits graduates to sit for the Holistic Nurse Certification (HNC) examination.
Xavier University is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission.
No. The degree is from Xavier University and is awarded on meeting coursework standards that are independent of course delivery mode.
Yes! Xavier University and the College of Nursing have been consistently recognized at the national level. Some examples of our accolades include:
- #8 Best Colleges — Regional Universities (Midwest) (U.S. News & World Report)
- #7 Best Colleges for Veterans (U.S. News & World Report, Regional Midwest Colleges)
- #29 Graduate Health Care Management in the nation (U.S. News & World Report)
- Top 100 Graduate Occupational therapy in the nation (U.S. News & World Report)
- #132 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs (U.S. News & World Report)
The tuition rate for the online MSN program is $670 per credit hour. The total cost of the degree program will vary, depending upon transfer credits awarded, additional fees and the cost of textbooks/materials. See the Tuition page for more information.
No, online courses charge the same rate as all other courses.
Students may find that they can get to know their professor/instructor and other students better in an online course than in a traditional face-to-face course. There are many options for interacting with your instructors and classmates in your online program, including discussion boards, video or audio files from your instructor, email and video conferencing. There may be additional opportunities for interaction available based on the course and instructor.
All courses are offered in 8-week time periods. However, summer courses may be shorter and some courses may span two 8-week periods. Upon acceptance advisors will work with each student to select courses.
Part-time students will generally take 1 class in an 8-week session. Students who wish to take 2 classes in an 8-week session may do so pending course availability.
Participation expectations vary by professor. Courses will be asynchronous with no set meeting times; however, professors have the option of including synchronous online sessions in their courses. Faculty in this program are very sensitive to the need for flexibility of working professionals.
Online courses include components such as readings, activities, video lectures, discussion boards and other peer interaction, tests/quizzes and group projects. Most courses do not include mandatory synchronous meeting times; however, they are synchronously paced – students progress through the course together according to the scheduled course content and activities.
Xavier prides itself on upholding the value of “cura personalis,” or “care of the whole person,” in its classes. Faculty maintain those values in our online courses by constructing activities that build a sense of community among participants and by making themselves available for questions and instructional support.
First Year
Fall
- NURS 900 – DNP Foundations………… 3cr.
- NURS 904 – Applications of Advanced Research………… 3cr.
Spring
- NURS 902 – Advanced Evidence Based Practice………… 3cr.
- NURS 903 – Nursing Leadership in Complex Population-based Healthcare Systems………… 4cr.
Summer
- NURS 906 – Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice in Complex Health Systems………… 3cr.
- NURS 864 – Epidemiologic Methods………… 3cr.
Second Year
Fall
- NURS 905 – Healthcare Finance and Economics for Nurse Leaders………… 4cr.
- NURS 908 – Health Care Policy………… 3cr.
Spring
- NURS 910 – Scholarship of Advanced Application and Innovation………… 3cr.
- NURS 907 – Evaluation and Analytics of Outcomes in Health Care………… 4cr.
Summer
- NURS 911 – Advanced Practice Application………… 3cr.
Third Year
Fall
- NURS 915 – Immersion and DNP Project I………… 3cr.
Spring
- NURS 917 – Immersion and DNP Project II………… 3cr.
Students enrolled in Xavier’s online MSN program take classes with the same world-class faculty as our traditional students. Our exceptional faculty members include:
Director of Nursing and Professor/Epidemiologist
Dr. Susan Schmidt is a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist and a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Her specializations include epidemiology, community health nursing, stroke rehabilitation, occupational health nursing, clinical nurse leader, biostatistics, population health and inter-professional collaboration. She has conducted several national and international presentations related to her occupational health research and won an international research award while at Research Triangle Park.
As an epidemiologist, she conducted research in the epidemiology and rehabilitation of stroke patients along with managed care. Her national presentations and publications include topics on computer-based instruction, occupational health, stroke and managed care. Prior to her extensive years of experience in collegiate nursing education as faculty, researcher and administrator, she was a visiting nurse working in underserved Cincinnati areas and rural Kentucky.
Since 2004, she has been awarded over seven million dollars in federal and state grant funding in support of program growth within the nursing school and is now actively implementing inter-professional collaboration and population health within our evolving health care system. She also serves on local and state boards and committees working towards implementation of PCMH and improved education.
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Kelly Bohnhoff, PhD, RN, MFT, CTS is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and oversees the Forensic program at Xavier University. Dr. Bohnhoff has been teaching in Xavier’s College of Nursing since 2010. She earned her MSN in Community Health Nursing and her PhD in the Psychological Foundations of Education, both from the University of New Mexico, and has an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University.
Dr. Bohnhoff is a nationally certified Trauma Specialist in Structured Sensory Intervention for Traumatized Children, Adolescents, and Parents and is licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Ohio. She currently practices one day a week as a Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Trauma Specialist serving underserved and vulnerable minority children, adolescents and parents/families suffering from severe and persistent grief and trauma reactions. Recent publications have focused on teaching community health nursing to graduate students.
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Elizabeth (Libbie) Bragg, PhD, RN is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Xavier University. Dr. Bragg earned her PhD in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati and her MSN from The Ohio State University. She is licensed as a RN in Ohio. Her recent research includes work on preparing the physician workforce to care for the aging population.
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Judi A. Godsey, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and coordinates the MSN Informatics track at Xavier University, where she has been teaching since 2011. As part of a dual faculty appointment, Dr. Godsey also serves as the Director of Nursing Research at The Christ Hospital Health Network. She was Assistant Professor and Distance Learning Coordinator at Northern Kentucky University from 2003-2009, receiving the Nursing Civic Engagement Award in 2015 for her contributions to nursing and the community.
Dr. Godsey earned her PhD at the University of Hawaii, and her MSN, BSN and ADN from Northern Kentucky University. She is licensed as a RN in Ohio, Kentucky and Hawaii. Her current national research is among the first to empirically examine the brand image of the nursing profession. Dr. Godsey received the Nursing Informatics Bronze Award from the Online Journal of Nursing Informatics for her extensive work to measure and improve the informatics competencies of nursing students.
Academic Program Director
Marilyn Gomez is the Academic Program Director in the College of Nursing. She began her Xavier career in 1979 in the Undergraduate Office of Admission. In 1991, she assumed the position of Director of Nursing Student Services in the College of Nursing.
Adjunct Faculty Member
Rosanne Hountz, MSN, RN, MCJUS is an adjunct faculty member at Xavier. Since 2006, she has worked at University Hospital Medical Center, where she currently serves as a Nursing Supervisor. Hountz received her MSN in Forensic Nursing and MS in Criminal Justice from Xavier University. She is licensed as a Registered Nurse in Ohio and Indiana. Her current work focuses on developing hospital protocols to identify victims of human trafficking as well as the development of a forensic nurse response team.
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Betsy A. List, PhD, MPH, RN is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Xavier University. Dr. List earned her PhD in public health with a specialization in epidemiology from Walden University and her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has more than 25 years of experience in health care delivery, primarily focusing on maternal-child health and pediatrics. Her most recent role supported the use of evidence-based decision making by pediatric interdisciplinary teams working to improve health outcomes for children living with chronic disease.
Dr. List has served as a leader, mentor and educator for clinical and professional staff, as well as, students in the medical and nursing sciences. She has co-authored several evidence-based practice reviews and served as an expert reviewer of numerous pediatric evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Her research interests include population health disparities, healthcare quality performance measurement, comparative effectiveness reviews and service learning in higher education.
Professor of Nursing
Linda Weaver Moore, PhD, RN, CNS, CNL is professor of nursing at Xavier University, where she has been teaching since 1998. Dr. Moore earned her PhD in Nursing and her MSN with an Adult/Gerontology focus, both from the University of Cincinnati. She is licensed as an RN in Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Dr. Moore has clinical expertise in the areas of adult health, gerontological nursing and perioperative care. She has conducted a variety of research studies on topics related to gerontology, second degree nursing students, nurse managers and nurse-to-nurse relationships. Her research has been funded by Sigma Theta Tau through the international organization and local chapters. Dr. Moore’s research expertise centers on qualitative approaches. She has presented research findings at local, national and international conferences. Her work has been published in both research and clinically focused journals.
IPCP Project Coordinator
Lisa Niehaus, MSN, RN, is Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) Project Coordinator for Xavier University College of Nursing. As IPCP Project Coordinator, 50% of her faculty time is coordinating the paradigm shift to an IPCP culture among partner sites Cincinnati Health Department, Episcopal Retirement Services and Black Stone Home Health.
Niehaus received her MSN from Xavier, is an I-CAN Scholar and completed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement course entitled Leadership and Organizing to Improve Population Health. As a certified TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer, she utilized best practices for teaching IPCP competencies when creating both the flipped face-to-face and online course, Applied Interprofessional Collaboration at Xavier University. Additionally, Lisa Niehaus has coordinated training of College of Professional Sciences Faculty as TeamSTEPPS Master Trainers.
MSN Administration and Healthcare Law Concentration Coordinator
Marie Reynolds, MSN, MS, RN, CNL is the MSN administration and healthcare law concentration coordinator at Xavier University. She teaches in the MSN, MIDAS and DNP programs. Following years of experience in emergency nursing, Reynolds’ nursing career focused primarily in healthcare administration. She held numerous management and leadership positions in emergency care and home health and hospice most recently as Vice President of Patient Care Services for the VNA of the Treasure Coast in Vero Beach, Florida and Executive Director of VNA Care. Reynolds holds a MS in Health Care Administration from California State University, a MS in Nursing from Xavier University and a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) certificate from AACN.
Adjunct Faculty
Devin Robinson, MSN, RN has been an adjunct faculty member in Xavier University College of Nursing since 2012. She is currently an RN at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where she has worked since 2007. Robinson received her MSN from Xavier and is licensed as an RN in both Ohio and Kentucky. She is a volunteer with the American Red Cross, Hands Against Hunger and the Medical Reserve Corp. of Boone County, Kentucky.
Candidates must have obtained an MSN from a CCNE or ACEN (formerly NLNAC) accredited school, or a Master’s in a field other than nursing. Candidates with a Master’s in a field other than nursing are required to have a BSN from a CCNE, ACEN or regionally accredited institution. Candidates are required to have completed a basic statistics course.
One year of professional nursing work experience is required.
International students must be licensed registered nurses in the United States and must meet all additional requirements for admission to the university.
Application Requirements and How to Apply:
Verification of current RN licensure (School of Nursing will obtain)
Official transcripts from all previous coursework including diploma program
A 1-3 page, single spaced, personal statement describing the reasons for seeking doctoral study, short and long term professional goals, narrative of professional experience & discussion of a possible DNP project
Published work or paper from previous coursework
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
3 professional references from faculty or other health professionals with advanced preparation who can evaluate your effectiveness in Graduate Nursing Program (a standard form is incorporated in the application)
Admission is available for the fall semester of each academic year. Applicants will be reviewed and notified of their status by June 30.