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• Web-based curriculum.
• Weekend seminars at the Pomona, California campus twice per semester.
• Clinical projects, including a culminating clinical immersion project, completed in your own community.

Western University's DNP program provides comprehensive preparation for nursing at the highest level of practice. The practice doctorate is firmly established as the terminal degree in nursing practice. The DNP prepares students for the expanding role, functions and needs of future practice. Transforming health care delivery recognizes the critical need for clinicians to design, evaluate, and continuously improve the context in which care is delivered. Nurses prepared at the practice doctoral level with a blend of clinical, organizational, economic, and leadership skills, will be able to significantly impact health care outcomes. DNP graduates will practice in diverse leadership roles in a variety of settings, designing the future health care system, managing population-based and clinical quality initiatives, as executives of healthcare organizations, as directors of clinical programs, and as faculty responsible for nursing educational program delivery and clinical teaching.

"I have an almost complete disregard of precedent and a faith in the possibility of something better. It irritates me to be told how things always have been done... I defy the tyranny of precedent. I cannot afford the luxury of a closed mind. I go for anything new that might improve the past."

-Clara Barton on opposition to the development of the American Red Cross

Full-time students complete the program in two years. To provide maximum scheduling and pacing flexibility while eliminating the need to commute daily to campus, the College of Graduate Nursing uses a combination of self-directed learning activities, collaborative clinical projects, and intensive weekend seminars.

Self-Directed Learning Activities

The World Wide Web provides a unique opportunity to offer students an individualized learning community that would be impossible through other media. Online education provides an environment which facilitates critical thinking and interactive learning. Learning activities include discussion forums, presentations, and scholarly papers.

Weekend Seminars

Twice during each semester, students are required to convene on campus for an intensive weekend of interactive activities and instruction.

Clinical Experiences

Six of the eight DNP courses include clinical work which will require the student to complete clinical hours and develop and implement clinical projects. In addition, the final clinical project will include a clinical immersion experience. Students will complete approximately 400 hours of clinical work during the six courses combined. The culminating project will require each student to complete additional clinical hours as determined by the individual project.

Clinical partnerships are established with local healthcare agencies, and students are mentored and supported in all clinical work assuring that each student is provided with adequate and appropriate learning experiences as close to home as possible. These partnerships between academic and clinical settings not only result in well prepared clinicians, but may position the student for future employment opportunities.

Student Assessment

Graduates of the DNP program will have knowledge, skills, and abilities that are important across health care settings including an advanced understanding of nursing and health care science; health care system leadership; clinical scholarship and evidence-based practice; transformational information systems; health care advocacy and policy; interdisciplinary collaboration; care delivery improvement; and population-based care of vulnerable populations.

Besides course specific assessment such as discussion forums, seminar participation, presentations, and scholarly written work, students will develop an individual portfolio to serve as a representation of their progression through the program and achievement of program outcome competencies.

The Curriculum

The DNP curriculum consists of 30 semester units (18 units/first year, 12 units/second year).

Before beginning the program, students will be evaluated individually for their proficiency at distance learning. If students are evaluated to not be adept at distance learning, they will be required to complete the pre-program course CGN 5000: Communication and Information Management (1 unit). This course is offered through the College of Graduate Nursing during the Summer prior to the start of the program, if necessary.

The following table shows the courses included in the full-time track for the DNP program. Unit values for each course are shown in parenthesis.