Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

California State University, Long Beach Policy Statement 23-05

January 30, 2023

 

 

 

Doctor of Nursing Practice

 

(This new state-supported program was approved by the CSULB Academic Senate on November 17, 2022, approved by the President on November 21, 2022, and the CSU Chancellor’s office on January 19, 2023.)

 

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

 

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree program is a professional degree designed to prepare advanced practice nurses for complex practice, leadership roles in the clinical setting, and teaching roles at California’s community colleges and universities. The BSN-DNP program prepares graduates for evidence-based inquiry, leadership, health policy and advocacy, and development of high-level competencies and skills in the following six nurse practitioner clinical specialty areas: Adult Gerontology Primary Care, Adult Gerontology Acute Care, Family Practice, Pediatric Primary Care, and Psychiatric- Mental Health Across the Life Span. The program also prepares the students for national certification examination in specified clinical specialty. The BSN-to-DNP Program is a 72 semester-unit, three-year (full time) program. It consists of 39 units (54.67%) of core courses, 24 units (33.33%) of clinical specialty courses and 9 units (12.5%) of doctoral project. The students will complete 1,000 clinical hours in practicum experience.

 

The BSN-DNP Degree is available to qualified students who desire advanced studies. The School of Nursing is approved to offer both undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees by the California Board of Registered Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 1 Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington DC, 20036-1120, phone: (202) 887-6791.

 

Admission requirements/Pre-requisites

1. A bachelor’s degree in Nursing;
2. Current unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in California;
3. Admission to graduate standing in nursing at the university;
4. An undergraduate statistics course including descriptive & inferential statistics*;
5. An undergraduate physical/health assessment course*;
6. An undergraduate pathophysiology course*;
7. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better in the undergraduate program;
8. Three letters of reference (including recommendation form);
9. An official copy of all transcripts;
10. Interview;
11. Writing of an on-site essay test;
12. Current curriculum vita or resume
13. Employment verification (using employment verification form)
14. Statement of purpose for obtaining the BSN-DNP degree.

*These courses are usually part of the BSN programs

Advancement to Candidacy

1. Satisfy the general University requirements for advancement to candidacy;
2. Approval of the School Graduate Director and Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Services

 

Requirements

1. Completion of a minimum of 72 units in approved upper division, doctoral level courses;
2. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better;

3. Completion of 1000 clinical hours in the chosen clinical specialty;
4. Completion of the Doctoral Directed Project.

 

Course Requirements (72 units)

 

Core Courses (39 units)

• • NRSG 701- Advanced Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 units)
  • NRSG 702 -Advanced Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 units)
  • NRSG 703 &703L - Advanced Physical Assessment for Advanced Practice Nursing (3 units) plus lab (1 unit)
  • NRSG 704 - Health Care Economics and Policy (3 units)
  • NRSG 705 - Social Determinants of Health (3 units)
  • NRSG 706 - Leadership and Roles (3 units)
  • NRSG 707- Humanistic Care (2 units)
  • NRSG 708 - Informatics (3 units)
  • NRSG 709 – Data Management (3 units)
  • NRSG 710 – Advanced Evidence Based Practice (3 units)
  • NRSG 711- Proposal Writing (2 units)
  • NRSG 712A – Theories of Learning and Instruction (3 units)
  • NRSG 712B – Curriculum Development in Nursing (3 units)
  • NRSG 795 – Review course for National Certification (1 unit)

 

 

Clinical Specialty Courses:

 

Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty (24 units)

 

Family Nurse Practitioner Theory Courses:

• • NRSG 720 – Family Nurse Practitioner Theories for Advanced Practice Theory I (3 units)
  • NRSG 721 – Family Nurse practitioner for Advanced Practice Theory II (3 units)

 

Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Courses:

• • NRSG 720L - Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Studies Practicum I (8 units)
  • NRSG 721L - Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Studies Practicum II (8 units)
  • NRSG 722L - Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Residency I (2 units)

 

Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty (24 units)

 

Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Theory Courses:

• • NRSG - 730 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Theories for Advanced Practice- Theory I (3 units)
  • NRSG 731 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Theories for Advanced Practice- Theory II (3 units)

 

Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Clinical Courses:

• • NRSG 730L – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Clinical Studies Practicum I (8 units)
  • NRSG 731 – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Clinical Studies Practicum I (8 units)
  • NRSG 731L - Adult Gerontology Primary Care Residency I (2 units)

 

Psychiatric Mental Health (Across the Life Span) Nurse Practitioner Specialty (24 units)

 

Psychiatric Mental Health (Across the Life Span) Nurse Practitioner Theory Courses

• • NRSG 740 - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Theories for Advanced Practice theory I (3 units)
  • NRSG 741 - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Theories for Advanced Practice Theory II (3 units)

 

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical Courses

• • NRSG 740L - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical Studies Practicum I (8 units)
  • NRSG 741L - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical Studies Practicum II (8 units)
  • NRSG 742L - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Clinical Residency I (2 units)

 

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Specialty (24 units)

 

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Theory Courses

• • NRSG 750 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Theories for Advanced Practice Theory I (3 units)
  • NRSG 751 – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Theories for Advanced Practice Theory II (3 units)

 

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Clinical Courses

• • NRSG 750L – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Clinical Studies Practicum I (8 units)
  • NRSG 751L – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Clinical Studies Practicum II (8 units)
  • NRSG 752L – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Clinical Residency I (2 units)

 

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty (24 units)

 

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Theory Courses

• • NRSG 760 – Adult Gerontology Acute Care Theories for Advanced Practice- Theory I (3 units)
  • NRSG 761 – Adult Gerontology Acute Theories for Advanced Practice- Theory II (3 units)

 

Adulty Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Clinical Courses:

• • NRSG 760L – Adult Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Studies Practicum I (8 units)
  • NRSG 761 – Adult Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Studies Practicum II (8 units)
  • NRSG 762L - Adult Gerontology Acute Care Residency I (2 units)

 

 

Culminating Experiences Leading to Doctoral Project (9 units)

 

• • NRSG 792A – Integrative Scholarship I (3 units)
  • NRSG 792B – Integrative Scholarship II (1 unit)
  • NRSG 792C – Integrative Scholarship III (2 units)
  • NRSG 792D – Integrative Scholarship IV (3 units)

 

Electives: (Not required for degree)

• • NRSG 551A - Medical Spanish (3 units)
  • NRSG 556C - Microteaching (3 units)
  • NRSG 556L - Practice Teaching (3 units)

 

Culmination

• Completion of the Doctoral Project

 

The Doctoral Project is developed as the student is enrolled in four Integrative Scholarship courses.