Doctor of Nursing Practice
Achieve the highest level of nursing practice and help shape the future of health care
Become a transformative nursing leader in an increasingly complex health care environment with a DNP degree from the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. At Loyola, we prepare you to manage, deliver, and improve patient care. Our DNP curriculum integrates advanced nursing practice, leadership, systems thinking, analytic and information management strategies, quality and safety, health policy, and health care economics and finance.
PROGRAM GOAL
The goal of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is to prepare nurses to assume advanced roles in direct care and systems leadership domains at the highest level of nursing to improve health care outcomes through practice-based scholarship.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
At the completion of the DNP program, the graduate has the knowledge and skills to:
- Apply integrated scientific, knowledge and clinical judgements at the highest level of professional nursing practice.
- Evaluate health care delivery approaches and healthcare systems, with an emphasis on quality and safety.
- Apply best evidence in approaches to client and system-centered practices.
- Apply analytic approaches and information technology in the delivery and improvement of client-centered health care and health care systems.
- Employ ethics, leadership, and advocacy concepts to advance healthcare quality and equity for individuals, systems and populations.
- Implement intraprofessional and interprofessional leadership and collaboration competencies and methods, at the highest level of professional nursing practice in advancing health and health outcomes.
NURSE PRACTITIONER (NP) TRACKS
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP with Oncology specialty
- Family NP
- Family NP with Emergency specialty
- Psychiatric Mental Health NP
- Psychiatric Mental Health NP with Substance Use and Addictions specialty
- Women’s Health/Gender Related NP
CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST (CNS) TRACKS
SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP TRACK
Our Commitment to You
The goal of the DNP program is to prepare nurse leaders to assume roles in direct care and systems at the highest level of nursing and improve health care outcomes through evidence-based practice and scholarship.
Curriculum Overview
Loyola's DNP program offers courses in advanced practice, leadership, inquiry, and a clinical practicum. Students meet with their faculty academic advisor to determine their final course of study.
Coursework
All DNP students take the same foundation of courses, including:
- Population Focused Health
- Leadership and Roles in Advanced Nursing Practice
- Social Justice and Ethics in Health Care
- Statistics for Health and Biological Sciences
- Healthcare Policy and Economics
- Evidence Translation for Advanced Clinical Practice
- DNP Project
Learn more about coursework by exploring specific tracks.
Clinical experiences
Clinical experiences provide a basis for translating evidence and theoretical knowledge into practice. At Loyola, we maintain collaborative partnerships in diverse health care settings throughout the Chicago area and beyond. Faculty design the clinical practicums and guide students as they select their clinical sites.
A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice experience is required before entering the first clinical rotation in the NP and CNS tracks.
Immersion Experiences
Immersion Experiences provide the unique opportunity to meet in-person with faculty and students across population and specialty tracks within the DNP program. Hosted at Loyola University Chicago's Health Sciences Campus in Maywood, the Immersion Experiences supplement coursework and foster progression, connection, and continuity within the DNP program.
DNP Project
The hallmark of a successful DNP student is the ability to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of one’s specialty and communicate that expertise to others through a final project. Typically, this scholarly project is completed in one year. The development, implementation, and evaluation of this project occurs over three semesters.
Recent Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects
2023
Admission
The advanced practice nursing tracks (NP and CNS) are open to registered nurses with a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited program, who are not already certified as an NP or CNS.
The DNP in Systems Leadership is open to registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing.
Application Deadline
NP and CNS tracks:
- Fall: July 1
Systems Leadership
- Fall: July 1
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20001, (202) 887-6791.
The U.S. Department of Education requires any institution offering distance education/online programs to students outside of its home state to acquire authorization from the states in which students reside. Regulations vary from state to state. While Loyola University Chicago is authorized, exempt or pursuing authorization in most states, some restrictions apply. Please see our State Authorization page for the most up-to-date information.
Achieve the highest level of nursing practice and help shape the future of health care
Become a transformative nursing leader in an increasingly complex health care environment with a DNP degree from the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. At Loyola, we prepare you to manage, deliver, and improve patient care. Our DNP curriculum integrates advanced nursing practice, leadership, systems thinking, analytic and information management strategies, quality and safety, health policy, and health care economics and finance.
PROGRAM GOAL
The goal of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is to prepare nurses to assume advanced roles in direct care and systems leadership domains at the highest level of nursing to improve health care outcomes through practice-based scholarship.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
At the completion of the DNP program, the graduate has the knowledge and skills to:
- Apply integrated scientific, knowledge and clinical judgements at the highest level of professional nursing practice.
- Evaluate health care delivery approaches and healthcare systems, with an emphasis on quality and safety.
- Apply best evidence in approaches to client and system-centered practices.
- Apply analytic approaches and information technology in the delivery and improvement of client-centered health care and health care systems.
- Employ ethics, leadership, and advocacy concepts to advance healthcare quality and equity for individuals, systems and populations.
- Implement intraprofessional and interprofessional leadership and collaboration competencies and methods, at the highest level of professional nursing practice in advancing health and health outcomes.
Our Commitment to You
The goal of the DNP program is to prepare nurse leaders to assume roles in direct care and systems at the highest level of nursing and improve health care outcomes through evidence-based practice and scholarship.
Curriculum Overview
Loyola's DNP program offers courses in advanced practice, leadership, inquiry, and a clinical practicum. Students meet with their faculty academic advisor to determine their final course of study.
Admission
The advanced practice nursing tracks (NP and CNS) are open to registered nurses with a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited program, who are not already certified as an NP or CNS.
The DNP in Systems Leadership is open to registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20001, (202) 887-6791.
The U.S. Department of Education requires any institution offering distance education/online programs to students outside of its home state to acquire authorization from the states in which students reside. Regulations vary from state to state. While Loyola University Chicago is authorized, exempt or pursuing authorization in most states, some restrictions apply. Please see our State Authorization page for the most up-to-date information.