Doctors and analysts meeting in a conference room

Doctor of Nursing Practice: Leadership & Population Health (DNP)

Become a leader in addressing the complexity of health care and health care outcomes in the 21st century.

Next Application Date:

08/21/22

Next Term Starts:

09/10/22

40

Credit Hours

2.5-3

Year Program

$767

Per Credit Hour

HLC & CCNE

Accredited

This Doctor of Nursing Practice in Population Health Leadership (DNP) degree program is a population health-focused post-master’s degree program for nurses from a variety of practice settings.

Through the lens of the Jesuit tradition, the student builds on a previously earned master’s degree to achieve the highest level of academic preparation that incorporates scientific, philosophical, ethical, and historical perspectives of nursing practice along with a perspective of the complexities of present and future global and holistic health care. Additionally, organizational and systems leadership, population focused healthcare, health policy that includes advocacy in health care, and interprofessional collaboration to address health care outcomes will be considered. The design, implementation, and evaluation of delivery methods that address outcomes to improve the health of the nation will be the focus of the final DNP scholarly project. Xavier DNP graduates will be well positioned for translating the science of population health nursing as nurse leaders in an ever-changing global health care environment.

Intense immersion experiences in a variety of environments occur throughout the curriculum and focus on integration and application of credible research findings within the evidence base. Innovation and involvement in macrosystems that will ultimately allow students to influence health care outcomes for individuals and populations is also part of the immersion experience. Using conceptual and analytical skills, students will provide leadership in clinical scholarship and synthesize relationships among practice, organizations, diverse populations, fiscal resources and policy concerns to advance the delivery of quality, safe, efficient and effective health care for diverse populations.

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Why Xavier Online?

You’ll get more from your online education, from the personal attention of faculty to rigorous courses taught in the Jesuit Catholic tradition.

Personalized Experience

You’ll get the personal attention and flexibility needed to reach your goals at your pace. Our invested professors and small class sizes will set you up for success.

Jesuit Values

Our Jesuit Catholic values are based on a vision of a world changed for the better, emphasizing service and community engagement in addition to academics.

Affordability

We offer exceptional online programs at an affordable cost. Numerous financial aid resources are available for our online students, making education more affordable.

Curriculum

Doctor of Nursing Practice in Population Health Leadership Course Requirements

40 credits

Xavier’s 40 credit-hour DNP program is fully online, with students moving through the 8-semester program (approximately 32 months) taking 3 to 7 credits per semester for our full-time track. We also offer a part-time option for students who are seeking a slower pace.

A total of 1000 clinical immersion hours are required as students progress through the program. Up to 500 hours of clinical immersion from a master’s program and/or advanced certification may be accepted toward the 1,000 immersion hours.

Fall and spring semester courses are offered over 16 weeks. Summer courses are shorter and offered in variable lengths depending upon the specific course.

Part time and transfer opportunitites also exist. For more information contact Dr. Miranda Knapp.

Full Time Course Sequence: Year One

  • NURS 900 – DNP Foundations………… 3cr.
 
This course is foundational to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum and facilitates 
the dynamic interplay that will occur throughout the curriculum between faculty and students 
as they progress on their journey of discovery. The goal of this course is to build a population 
health perspective for students regarding the DNP role and its function within the complexities 
of present and future healthcare and the wider global community. The scientific and 
philosophical underpinnings of the discipline will be examined along with traditional and 
contemporary conceptual models. Students will explore the components of an ethical and 
artistic nursing practice within a population health perspective, while considering an Ignatian 
and holistic worldview.
  • NURS 904 – Applications of Advanced Research Methodologies………… 3cr.
 
This course prepares the Doctor of Nursing Practice student with the knowledge and skills of 
advanced research design and statistical methods for the translations of research to practice. A 
holistic approach to nursing care within an evidence based practice framework serves as the 
context to understand advanced qualitative and quantitative research design and appropriate 
analysis of healthcare data. The ethics of clinical research will be considered from a Jesuit 
tradition perspective. 
 
  • NURS 902 – Advanced Evidence Based Practice………… 3cr.
 
As a course that supports an essential element of advanced nursing practice within the Doctor of Nursing Practice curriculum, the goal of the course is to provide an opportunity to explore frameworks within which to examine translation of evidence into nursing practice. Critical appraisal of scholarly literature for support of best practices will be a focus of the course. Synthesis of knowledge using theories, models, and strategies for translating evidence into practice within a holistic, ethical, and artful nursing practice will continue the focus of the course within which translational science is explored. Students will integrate systems thinking with innovations that support positive patient care outcomes. Exploring the transformation of a culture that will accept proposed changes ·in practice is also component of the course.
 
  • NURS 903 – Nursing Leadership in Complex Population-based Interprofessional Healthcare Systems………… 4cr.
 
This course is designed to enhance leadership skills to strengthen practice and health care delivery to individuals and populations. Care delivery models in complex healthcare systems will be explored from a framework of contemporary nursing science that is consistent with ethical, holistic nursing and healthcare goals to eliminate health disparities and to lead changes that will promote safety and quality outcomes. The course will encompass in-depth analysis of select concepts or topics using an analytic framework, including advanced communication and collaboration skills, innovation and quality.
  • NURS 906 – Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice in Complex Health Systems Systems………… 3cr.
  • NURS 886 – Graduate Writing Seminar………… 1cr.

Full Time Course Sequence: Year Two

  • NURS 907 – Evaluation and Analytics of Outcomes in Health Care………… 4cr.
 
This course will provide a framework for developing evaluation and analysis of population health outcomes. It will assist the student to develop skills in planning, measuring, and testing change for the purpose of improvement in nursing practice, patient experience, and value. Students will utilize tools for evaluation of variation in systems and learn to recognize and interpret patterns in data that demonstrate a change has occurred. Included will be the application of research/evaluation methods for appropriately collecting and analyzing data for the purpose of improving the practice environment toward the formation of a holistic and ethical healthcare system.
 
  • NURS 908 – Health Care Policy………… 3cr.
 
This course is designed to provide a framework with which to examine health policy issues and better comprehend the policy-making process at all levels, including institutional, local, state, regional, federal and international levels. Health policy issues related to ethics, cultural sensitivity, social determinants as well as healthcare delivery  regulation and financing are addressed. The leadership role as an advocate influencing health policy formation from a population health perspective is explored. Emphasized are skills for analyzing policy processes and engaging in politically competent actions for the transformation of a holistic and ethical healthcare system that meets the needs of the public and the nursing profession.
 
  • NURS 910 – Scholarship of Advanced Application and Innovation………… 3cr.
 
This course explores the activities that link scholarship and population health practice including grant-writing, institutional review board (IRB) process, writing for publication, and scholarly dissemination through publications and presentations. Emphasis will be placed on holistic skills to synthesize information from a variety of sources to support innovation and on clear and articulate presentation of ideas. Students will learn to use transformative leadership strategies to critically analyze their work, reflect on the work, and determine their scholarly contributions to the body of nursing knowledge particularly in population health.
 
  • NURS 905 – Healthcare Finance and Economics for Nurse Leaders………… 4cr.
 
This course is designed to prepare the holistic nurse leader with the business, financial, and dialogue acumen needed for the analysis of practice quality, risks, and costs. Changes in financial structures required to support practice will be explored. Economic and ethical principles and perspectives in healthcare will be discussed in relationship to care delivery models. Budgets for practice initiatives will be examined.
  • NURS 921 – DNP Project Immersion………… 3cr. (variable based on project progression, minimum 9 credit hours in course required)

 

This course provides an opportunity for students to apply population health leadership skills in a practice setting by planning the implementation and evaluation of a scholarly DNP project. Students develop a project proposal in collaboration with organizational stakeholders and a faculty mentor. The practice based project proposal builds upon foundations in evidence translation and implementation science acquired from previous coursework.

 

Full Time Course Sequence: Year Three

  • NURS 921 – DNP Project Immersion………… 3cr. (variable based on project progression, minimum 9 credit hours in course required)

 

Doctoral candidates for the DNP in population health leadership degree implement an approved project plan in a clinical immersion setting in this second of three scholarly project courses. This course focuses on ethical principles in data collection, data security, and privacy. Continued collaboration with organizational stakeholders provides an opportunity for leadership of clinical scholarship initiatives. The scholarly project plan is implemented after completion of the institutional review board process. Students begin the collection and analysis of data for evaluation of the project plan in this course.

 
  • NURS 921 – DNP Project Immersion………… 3cr. (variable based on project progression, minimum 9 credit hours in course required)

 

Implementation and evaluation of an approved project plan is completed in the third of three scholarly project courses. Candidates for the DNP in population health leadership degree continue immersion in a clinical practice setting to complete the collection and analysis of data and to report results to organizational stakeholders. Reporting and dissemination of clinical scholarship is the focus of this course.

Curriculum: Sample Courses

This course is foundational to the DNP curriculum and facilitates the dynamic interplay occurring throughout the curriculum between faculty and students as they progress on their journey of discovery. The goal of this course is to build a comprehensive perspective for students regarding the DNP role and its function within the complexities of present and future healthcare and the wider global community. The scientific and philosophical underpinnings of the discipline are examined along with traditional and contemporary conceptual models. Students explore components ethical and artistic nursing practice while considering an Ignatian and holistic worldview.

This course is designed to enhance leadership skills to strengthen practice and health care delivery to individuals and populations. Care delivery models in complex healthcare systems are explored from a framework of contemporary nursing science that is consistent with ethical, holistic nursing and healthcare goals to eliminate health disparities and lead changes that promote safety and quality outcomes. The course encompasses in-depth analysis of select concepts or topics using an analytic framework, including advanced communication and collaboration skills, innovation and quality.

This course builds upon knowledge of healthcare technologies and the management of individual and aggregate level data. Leadership, knowledge and technical skills are applied within the interprofessional healthcare environment to select, use and evaluate population-based healthcare information systems. Programs that evaluate and monitor outcomes of care, quality improvement, consumer use of healthcare information systems, and patient care technology are analyzed. Legal, ethical, global, holistic and interprofessional considerations are emphasized.

This course is designed to provide a framework with which to examine health policy issues and better comprehend the policy-making process at all levels, including institutional, local, state, regional, federal and international levels. Health policy issues related to ethics, social determinants as well as healthcare delivery regulation and financing are addressed. The leadership role as an advocate influencing health policy formation is explored. Emphasized are skills for analyzing policy processes and engaging in politically competent actions for the transformation of a holistic and ethical healthcare system which meets the needs of the public and the nursing profession.

  • Readmissions, Telehealth, and a Handoff to Primary Care in Veterans with Diabetes
  • Educating the Current and Future Nursing Workforce on Principles of Health Equity: Standardized Social Determinants of Health Screening Tool and Education Module
  • Be the Voice: Empowering Families to Report Concerns in Care
  • Delirium Management of Older Adults in the Medical-Surgical Setting
  • Use of a Portable Medical Summary to Provide Continuity across Systems of Care as Youth with Medical Complexity Transition to Adult Care
  • Increasing Human Papillomavirus Immunization in Pediatric Cancer Survivors for Population Health: A Quality Improvement Approach
  • Evaluation of Fall Prevention Interventions to Reduce Falls in the Acute Care Setting
  • Standardizing Coroner Training for Suicide Survivors
  • Evaluation of Referral Bottlenecks from Primary Care to Hematology Care
Admission

Our Admission Process is Easy, on Your Phone or Computer!

Candidates must have:

  • Obtained a 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.
  • An unencumbered RN license in the state where clinical experiences will be completed.
  • One year of professional nursing work experience.
  • Completed a basic statistics course with a minimum grade of a ‘C’.*
  • Completed a 3 credit Master’s level course in Epidemiology with a minimum grade of ‘C’.*
  • 3.0 GPA is preferred.
    *Courses are offered at Xavier and can be completed prior to starting the DNP program in the fall. Conditional admissions are considered to allow time to complete these two requirements.

Applicants interested in applying to Xavier University’s online DNP program should submit the following:

Get Started on Xavier University’s free online application

Requirements for Admission:

  1. Free online application. Get Started on Xavier University’s free online application
  2. One professional reference from a Xavier faculty member or who can evaluate your effectiveness in a graduate nursing program
  3. Submit any additional or updated transcripts to Xavier University, ATTN: Admission Processing Center, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207-5131. For electronic transcripts, send to: xugrad@xavier.edu
  4. Current résumé of work experience or Curriculum Vitae (CV). For electronic transcripts, send to:
    xugrad@xavier.edu
 
Admission is available for the Fall semester of each academic year. Applicants will be accepted and students must register one week before classes start unless given special approval by the DNP Program Director. This is only after the student has completed an application and has been officially admitted into the program. Classes start mid August every Fall.  Applications are processed immediately upon receiving all required materials. Applicants are notified of the admission decision as soon as possible.

Requirements for Admission:

  1. Free online application. Get Started on Xavier University’s free online application
  2. Two professional references from faculty or other health professionals with advanced preparations who can evaluate your effectiveness in a Graduate Nursing Program
  3. Official transcripts of all previous completed coursework from accredited colleges and universities including diploma program. Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited university. Send transcripts to: Xavier University, ATTN: Admission Processing Center, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207-5131. For electronic transcripts, send to: xugrad@xavier.edu
  4. Current résumé of work experience or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  5. A 1-2 page, single-spaced, a personal statement describing the reasons for seeking doctoral study at Xavier University, what experiences prepared you for doctoral study, and your plans for aiding your success through the doctoral program. We consider this essay’s writing quality, so if writing is challenging, please address strategies you plan to use to help you in this area.
 
Admission is available for the Fall semester of each academic year. Applicants will be accepted and students must register one week before classes start unless given special approval by the DNP Program Director. This is only after the student has completed an application and has been officially admitted into the program. Classes start mid August every Fall.  Applications are processed immediately upon receiving all required materials. Applicants are notified of the admission decision as soon as possible. 

State Authorization

Applicants outside of the State of Ohio: State authorization of distance education is complex and dynamic. Applicants should review the link below regarding regulations for the delivery of distance education.

View the complete list of approved states on the State Authorization page.

Tuition

Get More from Your Education with a Graduate Degree from Xavier

  • The Xavier College of Nursing has been a participant in the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) grant since 2017. NFLP DNP student participants are awarded funding to help cover the costs of tuition. Recipients may be eligible for up to 85 percent loan forgiveness. For additional information please contact Lisa Niehaus at niehausl1@xavier.edu.
  • The Loyal Musketeer Scholarship is available to all graduating students and alumni who wish to pursue a graduate degree at Xavier. The scholarship is equal to 25 percent off the program tuition rate for most graduate programs.
  • The American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Doctors of Nursing Practice, Inc and Interact for Change – Deaconess Associations Advance Practice Nursing Scholarships are organizations that provide funding to support DNP students.
  • Additionally, our students have received funding through their employers, local, state and nation institutions and organizations. We are happy to facilitate and share information about additional scholarship opportunities.
$767

Per Credit Hour

$30,680

Total Estimated Tuition

The amounts listed are for the 2023-2024 academic year, and include classes from Summer 2023 through Spring 2024. Tuition cost is per credit hour unless otherwise stated. For the full, official listing, please visit xavier.edu/costs.
Xavier University reserves the right to correct any computational or clerical errors.

Ready to Get Started?

Faculty

Students enrolled in Xavier University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Population Health Leadership program will learn from dedicated faculty and professionals with experience working in the field of nursing.

Miranda Knapp, PhD, DNP, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CNE, EBP-C earned her DNP from the University of Alabama and her second doctoral degree, her PhD in Nursing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Dr. Knapp earned a MS from Mount Carmel College of Nursing, a BS in Health Care Administration and a BSN from the University of Toledo, and an AS from Sinclair Community College. Dr. Knapp is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and APRN, a Certified Nurse Educator, and earned her certificate in EBP. These educational achievements have aided Dr. Knapp in successful involvement in DNP programs and a culmination as the DNP Program Director at Xavier University.

Dr. Knapp participates in professional organizations such as the National League for Nursing (NLN) and Sigma Theta Tau. Most recently, Dr. Knapp was awarded the Rachael Zook, RN, Memorial Faculty Innovation Scholarship and applied to a scholarship through the Rho Omicron chapter of Sigma Theta Tau to continue my research focused on nursing students’ anxieties. Dr. Knapp also received funding for projects through the Mount Carmel Foundation.
Dr. Knapp has a passion and experience with QI, EBP, and research. Dr. Knapp’s area of interests include students’ and nurses’ wellbeing including anxiety, depression, and wellness. Additional areas of interest include simulation, incivility, orthopedics, surgery, pain management, hospice, and geriatrics.

Terri Enslein EdD, MSN, RNC-OB, CNE is a Certified Nurse Educator who earned her doctoral degree from Northern Kentucky University, a MSN from Ball State University, a BSN at Wright State University, and an ADN at Miami University. Her research areas of interest are methods of promoting nursing students’ clinical judgment/reasoning, nursing informatics, infant mortality and public health nursing, and the lived experience of prelicensure nursing students. She has many years of experience as a registered nurse in the clinical setting in labor and delivery and the NICU in both Ohio and Texas. She has been in the nursing faculty role since 2012. She received the Case Competition award at the 2017 International Leadership Association annual conference in Brussels for her work in Infant Mortality. She is a member of the Beta Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International.

Sandra Harris DNP, MSN, RN earned her doctoral degree from Ursuline College, a MSN from Case Western Reserve University, a BSN from Case Western Reserve University, and a Diploma in Nursing from Saint Alexis School of Nursing. She received the Teaching Excellence Award from Baldwin Wallace University in 2014 and the Doctoral Student Scholarship Award from the National League of Nursing in 2014. She has more than 40 years of experience in critical care nursing, medical-surgical nursing, nursing administration and nursing education. She also has experience as a research nurse at the Cleveland Clinic in the Department of Vascular Surgery for both NIH funded and sponsored research studies. During this time, she co-authored three research papers with the vascular surgery research team. Dr. Harris’s DNP project was the “Development & Implementation of a Pilot Evidence-Based Practice Program on a medical surgical unit in a Community Hospital”. Research and evidence-based practice interest are in the following areas: interprofessional education, nutrition & wellness, dissemination of evidence-based practice literature to nurses and allied healthcare partners, development of wellness assessment programs, and development of patient & family education programs. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society and the Midwest Nursing Research Society.

Deborah Knapp, DNP, RN, C-eFM earned her doctoral degree, MSN and BSN from University of Mount St. Joseph and a AND from Raymond Walters (a branch of the University of Cincinnati). She is certified in fetal monitoring. Her background included Obstetrics and Women’s Health, Surgical Services and Medical Surgical Nursing. Her research areas of interest are methods of promoting nursing students’ clinical judgment/reasoning, maternal health, infant mortality, surgery and areas focusing on improving mental health in students and faculty. She has won the Daisy Award and the Ohio Teaching Excellence Award. She has been in the nursing faculty role since 2018. She is a member of AWHONN, Kappa Gamma Pi and Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society. She believes that the Xavier Mission speaks to the nursing profession and works to incorporate the mission into her teaching philosophy. She is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Angela R. Liggett, DHA, MSN, RN is currently the Coordinator and an Associate Professor in the graduate forensic tracks at Xavier University College of Nursing. She is a life-long resident of the Cincinnati area and graduated from Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing in 1985. Dr. Liggett graduated from the College of Mt. St. Joseph with her BSN in 2006. She was awarded her MSN in 2010 from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and received a certificate in Forensic Nursing from the Cyril Wecht Law School. Dr. Liggett received her Doctorate in Health Administration with a focus on Health Policy and Advocacy from Capella University in 2017.

Dr. Liggett’s capstone project at Duquesne was a training program, “Forensic Nursing in Trauma,” for ER staff. Her dissertation was titled, “Prevalence of Substance Abuse Screening in Adolescents by Pediatricians.” The methodology for this study was a qualitative survey, utilizing a modified Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire (DIBQ) survey tool and was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

With over 36 years of nursing experience, Dr. Liggett has worked in many clinical settings, both in rural and urban hospitals, mainly in the surgical and emergency room arenas. Her roles have included Med/Surg charge nurse, Director of Surgical Services, Perioperative Care Manager, Materials/Inventory Systems Manager, and Project Coordinator for corporate nursing. She was employed by the state, surveying health care facilities and investigating complaints and claims of harm. She was the Compliance Officer focusing on Title IX and other regulatory issues at a local college of nursing.

Dr. Liggett was a member of her previous county’s first rape/violence task force. She was also a member of the Cincinnati City Council Task Force for the Prevention of Campus Gender-Based Violence. She was a member and a previous chairperson for her community’s Board of Mental Health and Recovery and also that board’s Finance Advisory Committee. She has volunteered with a battered woman’s program and is a volunteer in her community’s Smallpox Response program and with a Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Her journey in forensic nursing started prior to any formalized specialty. Dr. Liggett trained nurses regarding domestic violence (DV) in the late 1980’s. The physicians where she worked would call on her to consult with patients who were victims of DV, now known as interpersonal violence (IPV). While working in the ER, she became certified in trauma nursing and as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

Betsy List, Ph.D., M.P.H earned her PhD in public health with a specialization in epidemiology from Walden University and Master of Public Health degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has more than 25 years of experience in health care delivery, including maternal-newborn nursing, newborn intensive care, and evidence-based practice. She also has experience as a research nurse for NIH-funded epidemiologic research on human milk and lactation. Her most recent role supported the use of evidence-based decision making by interdisciplinary quality improvement 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. She teaches primarily in the online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program at Xavier University.

Heather Moore DNP, MSN, BSN, RN, CNL is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Xavier University. Prior to arriving at Xavier University, she was an Assistant Professor at Mercy College of Ohio and Hondros College of Nursing. Preceding her full-time focus in academia, Dr. Moore began her nursing career completing a nurse residency program at Toledo Hospital, followed by many years working on the general pediatric unit, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Toledo Children’s Hospital. She also spent time as a clinical team leader at a Retina Ophthalmology practice covering the northern Ohio area. While completing her Master’s of Science in nursing and Doctor of Science in Nursing degrees, she worked as adjunct clinical faculty at various institutions such as: Lourdes University, University of Toledo, Professional Skills Institute, and Ohio Northern University.

Dr. Moore’s areas of specialty include: pediatric and family care nursing, leadership and management, and community health. As an active member of Kappa Gamma Pi and Sigma Theta Tau International Honors society, she works to improve the nursing profession in both the clinical and academic realms.

Debbie (Debra) VanKuiken, PhD, RN, AHN-BC has been at Xavier’s College of Nursing since 2010. She has taught a variety of courses at all levels including: Pathophysiology and Adv. Pathophysiology, Community Nursing, Healthcare policy, Nursing Research and has mentored DNP projects. Dr. VanKuiken has served in several leadership roles within the College and the University. Before coming to Xavier Dr. VanKuiken practiced nursing in critical care, hospice, and school nursing. She is certified in advanced holistic nursing and twice led the application for renewal of the holistic nurse endorsement for the College of Nursing. She also served as Executive Director of a shelter for families who were homeless in the 1990s and continues to be involved in community and diversity initiatives. Dr. VanKuiken’s publications include articles on guided imagery, nurse work environment, quality of life, and research methodology. Her areas of interest are in presence, self-compassion, and Holistic approaches to pain assessment and management. She is currently a member of Sigma Theta Tau and the American Holistic Nurses Association.

DNP Program Objectives

  1. Integrate the scientific, philosophical, ethical, and historical underpinnings of professional nursing practice from a global and holistic perspective.
  2. Provide organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking.
  3. Provide leadership in clinical scholarship and analytical methods for the translation of research in practice.
  4. Utilize information systems/technology and patient care technology for the holistic improvement and transformation of health care.
  5. Influence health care policy by possessing essential skills in policy and advocacy.
  6. Establish interprofessional collaboration for holistically improving patient and population health outcomes.
  7. Design, implement, and evaluate health care delivery methods for illness prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health.
  8. Utilize conceptual and analytical skills to distinguish relationships among practice, organizations, diverse populations, fiscal resources, and policy concerns, and to advance nursing practice
Nurses talking in a conference room

Clinical Opportunities and Partnerships

Xavier University is well known not only in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, but we are growing with students across the United States enrolled in our DNP program. We are currently accepting students from most states. Therefore, we are committed to growing our existing partnerships and adding additional partners. We are currently partnered with organizations in various states including California, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio including TriHealth and the VA among many others. Sarah McGrath (mcgraths4@xavier.edu) executes our partnership agreements and is happy to help establish a clinical agreement with your clinical site if we do not have an established agreement.

Ready to Get Started?

FAQs

Candidates for the population health doctorate degree must have obtained:

  • Obtained an MSN from a CCNE or ACEN (formerly NLNAC) accredited school or a Master’s degree in a field other than the nursing profession. Candidates with a Master’s degree in a field other than nursing are required to have a BSN from a CCNE, ACEN or regionally accredited institution.
  • An unencumbered RN license in the state where clinical experiences will be completed.
  • One year of experience nursing in a health profession
  • Completed an introductory statistics course with a minimum grade of a ‘C’
  • Completed a 3 credit Master’s level course in Epidemiology with a minimum grade of a ‘C’

No. The program is entirely online. However, if you are local to the Cincinnati area or are in town visiting, the faculty would enjoy meeting in person.

Xavier University does not have specific scholarships for incoming DNP degree program students. Any information about available Xavier scholarships will be sent to incoming students Xavier.edu email addresses as they become available. There are however scholarships and financial aid sources provided by independent organizations that are listed below:

Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

The Xavier College of Nursing has been a participant in the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) grant since 2017.This NFLP loan repayment program is an exciting opportunity through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Program created to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty in the U.S. NFLP DNP student participants are awarded funding to help cover the costs of tuition. Recipients may be eligible for up to 85% loan forgiveness. For additional information about this program please contact Lisa Niehaus at niehausl1@xavier.edu.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing:
https://www.aacnnursing.org/Students/Financial-Aid

Doctors of Nursing Practice, Inc.:
http://www.doctorsofnursingpractice.org/resources/grants-and-scholarships/

Interact for Change – Deaconess Associations Advance Practice Nursing Scholarships (note: deadline is usually January 31st of each year):
https://www.interactforchange.org/nursing-scholarships

Applicants will be reviewed and notified of their status as applications are submitted for the fall semester each year. Students will be notified if they are accepted into the program within 2 to 3 weeks of filing their completed application including all required material.

Students are encouraged to enroll at least 1 week before the class start date. Admission is available for the fall semester of each academic year.

Students must register one week before classes start unless given special approval by the program director. This is only after the student has completed an application and has been officially admitted into the program.

Students may be able to transfer up to 6 credit hours upon approval by the program director, department chair, and university. Students desiring to transfer credit for advanced standing must meet with the program director prior to the start of their first course to review the request.

Most students complete the program on a full-time basis. However, we do provide opportunities for a part-time track. Cohorts are formed for both durations starting each Fall to support students on their journey at their pace.

Participation expectations vary by professor. Students are not required to log in at specific times during most courses- this means the courses are ‘asynchronous’. Students’ progress through the courses together according to the scheduled course content and activities.

The 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 login times (asynchronous); however, they are synchronously paced – students’ progress through the course together according to the scheduled course content and activities.

Students must have their own PC or Mac computer with a webcam, the full Microsoft Office Suite, and high-speed internet connection. A Google Chromebook or Tablet is not sufficient. Some courses may require additional software that, similar to textbooks, students must purchase for personal use and use on their computer. Generally, these software packages have academic pricing that is comparable to a textbook price.

Approximately 3 hours of course work for every hour of class time each week or 9 hours a week for a 3-credit hour course should be expected. Students should expect to dedicate at least 10-12 hours per class per week on average. Please note that some weeks may require more hours and others may require fewer.

Our graduates have reported a variety of outcomes upon completion of their DNP at Xavier University. Of note, job satisfaction, personal achievement, career advancement and increased wages/salary have been achieved. Although there is no way to guarantee outcomes for each student, the possibilities are endless and we want to partner with you for your succsess.

VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSION
Please join Dr. Miranda Knapp, Director of the DNP Program for a Virtual Question and Answer session: 

March 27, 2024 – Register Here