DNP in Nurse Executive Leadership in Health Care Management

The DNP Executive Nurse Leader also has a focus on evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and systems leadership, but partners with the Duquesne University Palumbo-Donahue School of Business Health Care Management program to enable. The program is offered as post-master’s or post-bachelor’s options. Students will combine their nursing experiences with areas such as finance, budgeting, organizational behavior, ethical leadership, and more. This program is designed to prepare graduates to become chief executive officers, chief nursing officers, executive directors of quality, clinical practice, or nursing directors in hospitals, ambulatory, and non-profit organizations.

Elevate your professional writing skills
Writing is a complex process, especially at the doctoral level. That’s why our writing residency prepares you to deliver high‑quality academic papers and projects. Prior to orientation, you will gain access to writing modules created exclusively for DNP online students. Each module can be completed at your own pace.

Complete a specialized leadership project
Nurses prepared at the DNP level are expected to provide leadership for evidence‑based practice in nursing. That’s why we require you to complete a Doctoral Practice Project.

Working closely with faculty, you will select an area of interest to evaluate, such as a population, program, system or clinical intervention, within a health setting. Each course in our DNP program builds on the last — enabling you to work toward the completion of your DNP project every step of the way.

 

Program Information

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Executive Nurse Leadership in Health Care Management is a two-year program (post-master’s; 4-year program post bachelor’s) in which students combine their nursing experiences with coursework in finance, budgeting, organizational behavior, and more. Graduates are prepared for executive-level roles in health care.

Program Type

Major

Degree

Doctorate

Duration

2-4 years

Required Credit Hours

35 (Post Master’s) 56 (Post Bachelors)

Admissions

Admission Requirements

To qualify for our online Post-Bachelor’s Executive Nurse Leadership DNP, you must:

  • Hold a current, unencumbered RN license.
  • Hold a bachelor’s degree (nursing or non-nursing) from an accredited college or university with a 3.0 GPA or higher. BSN degree preferred.
  • Have completed an undergraduate statistics course with a “C” or higher.
  • Have at least one year of full-time work experience as an RN prior to registration in the clinical or specialty courses.


Note: Strong leadership experience is preferred.

Admission Process

  • Resume or curriculum vitae
  • Goal statement (2-3 pages)
  • Official transcript(s)
  • An interview may be required
  • Three reference letters. Recommendations should be from persons who can comment on the applicant’s professional or academic abilities. Examples:
    • One Supervisory and two Academic (Nursing Professor/Nursing Preceptor)
    • Two Supervisory and one Academic (Nursing Professor/Nursing Preceptor)
    • Or three Supervisory if you have been out of school for more than five years
    • The supervisor reference letters must come from a direct supervisor who is responsible for your performance evaluation
A DNP in Executive Nurse Leadership and Health Care Management will allow you to apply your current leadership experiences in a curriculum that advances your business acumen, while developing your knowledge of evaluating and implementing evidence-based practice and how it is used to improve health care outcomes and transform organizations.
Post-Bachelor's Track
56 Credit Hours
18 Courses
  • GPNG 524 Evidence Based Nursing Practice and Policy Development (3 Credits)
  • GPNG 527 Clinical Prevention and Population-Based Health Promotion (3 Credits)
  • GPNG 928 Social Justice and Vulnerable Populations (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 907 Healthcare Policy and Finance (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 933 The Legal Environment in Nursing and Healthcare (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 955 Organizational Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare (3 Credits)
  • GPNG 917 Transcultural Care and Global Health Perspectives (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 954 Analytical Methods for Evidence Based Practice and Practice Improvement (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 956 Nursing Informatics and Data Management (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 957 Evidence-Based Practice I (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 958 Evidence-Based Practice II (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 959 Change Management and Project Analysis (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 960 Doctor of Nursing Practice Practicum I (4 Credits)
  • GPNS 961 Doctor of Nursing Practice Practicum II (4 Credits)
  • MGMT 601 The Entrepreneurial Manager (3 Credits)
  • MGMT 605 Leadership & Motivation for Executives (3 Credits)
  • MGMT 619 Budgeting & Finance for Leaders (3 Credits)
  • MGMT 620 Leading Strategic Change (3 Credits)
Post Master's Track
35 Credit Hours
11 Courses
  • GPNS 933 The Legal Environment in Nursing and Healthcare (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 954 Analytical Methods for Evidence Based Practice and Practice Improvement (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 955 Organizational Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 957 Evidence-Based Practice I (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 958 Evidence-Based Practice II (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 959 Change Management and Project Analysis (3 Credits)
  • GPNS 960 Doctor of Nursing Practice Practicum I (4 Credits)
  • GPNS 961 Doctor of Nursing Practice Practicum II (4 Credits)
  • MGMT 601 The Entrepreneurial Manager (3 Credits)
  • MGMT 619 Budgeting & Finance for Leaders (3 Credits)
  • MGMT 620 Leading Strategic Change (3 Credits)