Post-Bachelor's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

• Earned a baccalaureate degree in nursing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 from  programs accredited by the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• Submission of a Statement of Purpose for seeking a DNP degree from The Catholic University of America.
• Curriculum vitae or resume.
• Copy of unencumbered RN license.
• Two letters of reference (one from a former dean or academic adviser and one from current or former employer).
• Meets the Conway School of Nursing's Health-Related Behavioral Standards for clinical programs.
• All students admitted to the program are required to submit a Graduate Health Form indicating they are able to participate in clinical practice.

1. Knowledge for Nursing Practice

Develop, lead, and disseminate transformational interventions demonstrating expert critical thinking and clinical reasoning, including knowledge from nursing, other disciplines, theology, philosophy, and the other liberal arts and natural and social sciences to make judgments and create innovations in advanced nursing practice/specialty level for the common good.

2. Person-Centered Care

Design, create, implement, and evaluate models of care that support, holistic, individualized, just, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, developmentally appropriate, and inclusive care that is respectful of the dignity of the human person, promotes human flourishing and is consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

3. Population Health

Develop evidence-based and collaborative strategies that promote health, prevent disease, and manage risks, considering social determinants of health, advocating for the improvement of equitable health outcomes, across the continuum of care and levels of prevention through both traditional and non-traditional partnerships from diverse communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others.

4. Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline

Generate, synthesize, translate, apply, and disseminate nursing knowledge to improve health and transform health care.

5. Quality and Safety

Addresses clinical quality issues using innovation principles and processes, improvement science and evidence to assure accountability for a culture of patient, provider, and work environment safety through both system effectiveness and individual performance.

6. Interprofessional Partnerships

Leads, implements, and evaluates interprofessional teamwork and collaboration with colleagues, patients, families, and communities that value engagement with the city, nation, Church and world through participatory decision-making related to healthcare needs to innovate, optimize, and improve health outcomes within advanced nursing specialty practice.

7. Systems-Based Practice

Design and evaluate innovative strategies for coordinated cost-effective, proactive, and efficient care within complex healthcare systems based on Catholic values to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations.

8. Informatics and Healthcare Technologies

Enhances and advances   information and communication technologies and informatics processes to provide care respecting the dignity of the human person and to guide clinical decision making to improve outcomes in the delivery of safe, high-quality and efficient healthcare services that align with best practices and professional and regulatory requirements.

9. Professionalism

Cultivate professional development in others grounded in Catholic social teaching, inclusive of honesty, integrity, accountability, a collaborative disposition, and ethical behavior reflective of the Catholic identity and nursing’s unique characteristics and values.

10. Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development

Influence  change guided by leadership principles and theories, demonstrating a commitment to lifelong personal resilience and whole person well-being, intellectual curiosity, and professional growth and development. 

• 3-Year Sample Plan of Study
• 4-Year Sample Plan of Study

• 3-Year Sample Plan of Study
• 4-Year Sample Plan of Study

• 3-Year Sample Plan of Study
• 4-Year Sample Plan of Study

• 3-Year Sample Plan of Study
• 4-Year Sample Plan of Study