Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), FlexPath option
School of Nursing and Health Sciences
The accredited† Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program is designed for master’s-prepared nurses who want to pursue administrative positions, nurse administrators who want to expand their leadership responsibilities, or nurse leaders who want to design and implement health care delivery programs. The curriculum emphasizes effective health care delivery; patient advocacy; and health care policy development, implementation, and reform. Throughout the program, learners assess and apply theory, build therapeutic relationships, design and implement therapeutic interventions, and lead and manage in the health care environment. Upon successful completion of this degree program, learners are prepared to apply the knowledge and skills needed to meet diverse patient needs and improve health care delivery. The DNP degree program is not designed to prepare advanced practice registered nurses for roles as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, or certified nurse anesthetists. Registered nurses who have a master’s degree in nursing or a field other than nursing may pursue Capella’s DNP. Learners who pursue this degree program through the FlexPath option earn a DNP through self-paced demonstrations of competencies.
Practicum Requirement(s)
Minimum of 1,000 supervised practicum hours. See the Practicum section, below, for more information.
Additional Program Requirements
Total
At least 26 program points
One or more courses in this program may require a prerequisite(s). Refer to the course descriptions for details.
Learners who do not complete all program requirements within quarter credit/program point minimums will be required to accrue such additional quarter credits/program points as are associated with any additional or repeat coursework necessary for successful completion of program requirements.
† The BSN, MSN, and DNP degree programs at Capella University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 887-6791.
Alabama residents are not eligible to enroll in this degree program.
This program does not prepare graduates for licensure as an RN or APRN.
Learners enrolled in the DNP, FlexPath option degree program are required to maintain a current, unrestricted RN license throughout their program.
GuidedPath courses and FlexPath courses fulfill the program requirements and prerequisites for each delivery model.
Practicum
Learners enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program must have 1,000 documented hours of post-bachelor’s, hands-on practicum experience as a requirement of their program. The practicum experience requires learners to synthesize and expand the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program by applying evidence-based methods to practice. Learners are responsible for finding an appropriate preceptor to oversee the practicum experience. With their preceptors, learners then engage in in-depth work within a practice environment that is the focus of their final project. The environment for the practicum experience is a professional site at which learners, with the support of program faculty and their on-site preceptors, design and participate in a practice change initiative such as a pilot study, program evaluation, quality improvement project, evaluation of a new practice model, or consulting project. Learners use the practicum experience to help them achieve the DNP program outcomes and competencies and the learning objectives related to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. Practicum hours are considered complete once all program required practicum hours have been successfully achieved. Partial completion of practicum hours requirements cannot be verified for licensure or transfer of credits.