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
School
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
Curriculum
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)
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)