Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at A.T. Still University’s College of Graduate Health Studies (ATSU-CGHS) was designed for nurses ready to take on leadership roles and serve diverse and underserved communities. With an evidence-based approach focused on strategic organizational leadership, ATSU’s online DNP degree prepares nurses to take an individual, global, and holistic view of healthcare needs in order to better develop thoughtful solutions to the complex situations that today’s nurses encounter.
ATSU's accredited online DNP program is a terminal degree without the need for a dissertation, with curriculum grounded in real-world practice relevant and applicable to working nurses and the evolving field of healthcare. Doctorate of nursing practice students complete a clinical practicum in their own communities, immediately applying their learning to their clinical practice and expanding their knowledge and confidence to lead.
With DNP faculty serving as mentors and encouraging their progress, nursing students will complete a final Doctor of Nursing Practice project intended to address an issue relevant to their clinical practicum experience. As an overarching project encompassing multiple academic terms, the DNP project tasks nursing students with completing a scholarly review of existing literature and put their progressing leadership skills to practice by assessing a situation, providing guidance, and developing thoughtful solutions in order to improve patient care, implement innovation, or shape nursing policy. The result is a fully online DNP program that forms active and engaged nursing leaders prepared to influence positive healthcare outcomes in every setting.
CCNE Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at A.T. Still University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Clinical Practice Hours
Nurses can complete their clinical practicum requirement for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program within their own communities. The DNP clinical practicum is a required component of earning a doctorate of nursing practice degree, and clinical hours can be completed at a place in the nursing student’s community outside of their regular workplace. For more information on the DNP clinical hours and resulting DNP project, check out the course spotlight on the companion course to the online DNP program.
100% ONLINE
flexibility
AACN-recognized
program
GRADUATE IN
1.75-2 years
no residency
requirement
evidence-based
DNP project
4 START DATES
PER YEAR
Program essentials
Doctor of Nursing Practice Curriculum Overview
The CCNE-accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice program at A.T. Still University features leading-edge information and experiences contributed by faculty in various advanced practices. The goal of the DNP is to develop a specialty practice that influences healthcare outcomes for clients who range from the individual to a contained population. Benefits of earning the DNP include the acquisition of advanced competencies in leadership, quality improvement, collaborative practice, health policy, information systems and population health within an ethical framework. The clinical focus of the DNP program is that of practice specialization within the discipline. The completion of the DNP Project demonstrates growth in knowledge and skills in nursing leadership and advancement of practice and also provides documentation of the achievement of The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, 2021.
The purpose of the DNP Project is to develop and design an evidence-based project that focuses on improvement, enhancement, or advancement of practice management, organizational systems, or leadership through a quality improvement perspective. Each course in the curriculum provides the content to assist in the broader understanding of advanced nursing practice, as expressed as strategic organizational leadership.
The DNP Project can be a quality improvement, practice innovation, or policy change. It is an interactive and iterative process, where students identify a particular issue or problem relevant to a healthcare practice site, resulting in a practice-application-oriented product. Students will complete a thorough scholarly review of the literature to gain a better understanding of the selected issue; apply evidence to design, implement and evaluate a quality improvement project, practice innovation, or policy change; and use project findings to offer insights into how to best respond to the selected issue or problem. Findings from projects described above will be disseminated to inform and advance practice, care delivery, health outcomes, or organizational performance.
Career Advancement
According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, employment of nurses is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2028.
- Chief nursing officer or assistant chief nursing officer of a healthcare facility
- Healthcare insurance or association administrator
- University administrator or faculty
- Healthcare consultant
- Healthcare business owner
- Health policy director/advisor/consultant
- Chief operating officer, president, or vice president of a healthcare system
- Application:
- Completed and signed admissions application along with a nonrefundable application fee.
- Academic:
- An accredited master of science in nursing degree from a university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Applicants who received their qualifying degree from a university outside the United States will have to provide a degree equivalency evaluation.*
- Official transcript from the qualifying degree-granting institution. For students using VA benefits transcripts for all institutions attended are required.
- Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) at the qualifying degree institution.
- A current; unencumbered RN license from the state in which the attainment of supervised clinical hours will occur.
- Clinical hour documentation from the degree granting institution.
- Some degree programs may require experience or credentialing relevant to the field.
- Elements of success:
- A current resume
- Completion of an essay
- English Proficiency **
- Meet technology requirements***
*Applicants who have graduated from a foreign college or university should submit acceptable evidence of U.S. degree/course equivalency. All course work taken at the foreign institution must be evaluated for American institution equivalence by one of the following services:
- World Education Services P.O. Box 5087 Bowling Green Station New York, NY 10274-5087 p: (212) 966-6311 f: (212) 739-6139 info@wes.org
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. P.O. Box 514070 Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 (414) 289-3400
- American Assn. of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520 Washington, DC 20036-1135 (202) 293-9161
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. International Education Consultants 7101 SW 102 Avenue Miami FL 33173 p: (305) 273 -1616 f: (305) 273 -1338 info@jsilny.com
- Intl. Education Research Foundation, Inc. PO Box 3665 Culver City, CA 90231-3665 (310) 258-9451
- **Applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in English when applying to A.T. Still University’s College of Graduate Studies. Written and spoken proficiency in the English language may be demonstrated by one of the following options:
- Option 1 - English is your first language.
- Option 2 - Graduated from a regionally accredited four year college/university in the United States with a BA/BS or graduate degree.
- Option 3 - You are demonstrating your English proficiency by submitting acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- CBT - minimum total score of 213
- iBT - minimum total score of 80
- PBT - minimum total score of 550
The TOEFL is administered by TOEFL/TSE Services, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ, 08541-6151, USA 609. 771.7100. A.T. Still University’s institutional code is 0339. Please be sure to include this information when you submit your application packet. TOEFL Educational Testing Services P.O. Box 6151 Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, 609.771.7100 ***ATSU technology requirements
Learning Outcomes
The DNP Program prepares the graduate to achieve the following program outcomes:
- Develop a broad understanding of nursing's unique advanced practice perspective and shared perspectives from other disciplines by applying theory and research-based knowledge from nursing, the arts, humanities, and other sciences through clinical judgment.
- Integrate advanced assessment skills and apply critical thinking to communicate effectively with individuals to engage in a caring relationship by managing actual and potential health problems and evaluating care outcomes.
- Practice effective population health management through engaging partnerships, considering the socioeconomic impact of healthcare delivery, advancing equitable health policies, demonstrating advocacy strategies, and collaborating on disaster and public health emergency preparedness.
- Apply best evidence to nursing practice and promote ethical scholarly activities to advance nursing scholarship.
- Apply quality improvement principles in care delivery to patients and providers in the work environment, thereby contributing to a safety culture.
- Facilitate interprofessional collaboration by valuing team communication, dynamics, and knowledge to address healthcare needs.
- Incorporate innovation and evidence-based practice to optimize system effectiveness and cost-efficiency across the continuum of care.
- Use information and communication technology tools to deliver safe nursing care, support documentation of care for diverse populations following ethical, legal, professional, and regulatory standards, and workplace policies.
- Demonstrate professionalism in nursing through ethical standards, accountability, compliance with laws and regulations, and the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Exhibit commitment to personal well-being by fostering flexibility and professional development while cultivating leadership capacity through inquiry.
Tuition
Review tuition and fees for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Please note tuition and fees are subject to change.
Financial Aid
Federal financial aid is available for qualifying students. For more information visit Enrollment Services or contact them at 660.626.2019 or by email at enrollmentservices@atsu.edu.
Dr. Drexler received a doctor of nursing practice and master of business administration degree from Arizona State University. She also holds a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She is a current Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow Alumnae (2007-10), and was selected to attend the Johnson & Johnson Wharton Fellows Nurse Executive Leadership Program in 2006.
Dr. Drexler has more than 30 years’ experience in nursing leadership in acute care and outpatient settings. She is a strong proponent of Shared Leadership and has a passion for developing emerging leaders. Her current position is at Community Memorial Health System in Ventura County, California as the Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer. Community Memorial Health System is a community-owned, not-for-profit organization consisting of two hospitals and 20+ community clinics including family-practice, urgent care, a residency program, and several specialties.
Dr. Helen Ewing received her doctor of health science degree from Nova Southeastern University specializing in international healthcare; proposing a model for the delivery of primary healthcare in rural India. She also holds diplomas in nursing and business management and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from University of Calgary, specializing in management and quality improvement.
Dr. Ewing has over 35 years’ experience in healthcare and has spent the past 30 years in health profession education, academic administration, and healthcare leadership. Her experiences range from various leadership, academic, and clinical roles in Canada and the United States to working in resource-poor countries (Liberia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Kenya, Bangladesh, and India).
Dr. Ewing’s research interests include issues affecting global health, quality of life of nurses, healthcare leadership, promoting evidence-based healthcare, online education, and academic integrity. Dr. Ewing has a passion for quality, student-centered education and advancing healthcare professions locally and internationally.
Dr. Clair Lunt received her doctor of health sciences degree from ATSU’s College of Graduate Health Studies. She also holds a master of education (in higher education) and a master of nursing (in critical care) from Queensland University of Technology.
Dr. Lunt has more than 25 years in nursing practice and is currently working as the director of nursing informatics at a major hospital system in New York. She is involved in professional organizations serving on various committees, is a published author, and a journal reviewer for an international informatics journal.
Dr. Claudia Mitchell is a registered nurse who holds a Ph.D. in Education, Master’s Degree in Nursing Administration and has more than two decades of experience spanning both clinical practice and academia. She presently serves as a consultant for both healthcare and academic organizations. Recently, she served as the Assistant Provost for Health Professions, where she provided executive leadership for both the department of healthcare and the department of nursing. In addition to her academic role, she has worked in a wide variety of clinical practice settings, the majority of which have been in post-acute care, specifically long-term care. Claudia has extensive experience in administrative roles such as director of nursing services and has served as a multi-state nurse consultant to post-acute care facilities in the areas of professional development, quality improvement, reimbursement, and compliance. She has had the distinct privilege of providing executive leadership in opening new two new long-term care facilities and has launched new academic programs.
Dr. Jan Olson is a seasoned population health nurse, subject matter expert, and academician with 20 years of clinical experience. She obtained a Master of Science (MSN) in Nursing Education in 2017 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2020 from Grand Canyon University. She is also nationally board certified in school nursing.
Dr. Olson has practice expertise in communicable disease epidemiology, behavioral health, pediatric chronic disease, and leadership. She is regarded as a local and national expert in School Health. Dr. Olson has an academic background as an Associate Professor of Practice, Content Developer, Nursing Strategic Programming Coordinator, and a Curriculum Director serving in nursing programs, nursing professional organizations, and academic organizations including Linfield College, Concordia St. Paul University, Oregon School Nurses Association, and EBSCO Industries.
Dr. Olson's areas of special interest include health disparities, vulnerable populations, adverse childhood experiences and health outcomes. Dr. Olson is the president of the Oregon School Nurses Association, a member of the National Association of School Nurses and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor society for Nurses, respectively.
Dr. St. Pierre completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in 2010 from Chatham University, and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Nova Southeastern University in 2008.
Dr. St. Pierre brings years of experience in nursing education and specializes in teaching methods for online, blended, and face-to-face classes. She also has extensive experience in curriculum and course development, leadership, learning outcomes, program evaluation, faculty development, and accreditation.
Dr. St. Pierre states, “My top priority is to ensure the best outcomes for students by upholding academic rigor while demonstrating compassion and kindness.” With more than 25 years in the field, she has made significant contributions through research, leadership, and curriculum creation. She enjoys reading, cooking, spending time on the water, and spending time with friends and family.
Dean
Marisa Hastie, EdD, MS, ACSM-EP, PN-1, FACSM is the Dean of the College of Graduate Health Studies at AT Still University. Dr. Hastie received her doctor of education from George Fox University (2013), her master of science in exercise and sport science with an emphasis in biomechanics from the University of Oregon (2003), and her bachelor of science in exercise science from Gonzaga University (2001). She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is a certified Exercise Physiologist.
Prior to joining ATSU, she was a Professor of Exercise Science and Program Chair for the Exercise Science Program at Lasell University (Newton, MA). Dr. Hastie also served as the Faculty Fellow for the Fuss Center for Research on Intergenerational Education and Aging and received the deWitt Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from Lasell University. Dr. Hastie served as Faculty Chair of the University’s governance system.
Dr. Hastie has served in several leadership roles at the regional and national level of the ACSM, which include her current roles on the Professional Education Committee at the national level and as the President-Elect for the New England chapter. Her research interests have included exploring the connection between lifelong physical activity and long-term health outcomes, the relationship between exercise training and cognition, and the effects of discrimination experiences on health-related coping behaviors.
Dr. Hastie has extensive experience in online program development, teaching, and assessment. She developed an online Master of Science in Nutrition for Human Performance program and has 18 years of experience in both synchronous and asynchronous teaching formats. She became an educator because she strongly believes in the development of the whole student as a crucial responsibility of higher education institutions.
Chair, Department of Nursing Practice
University Catalog
Review the University Catalog to learn more about the program and university. Read detailed course descriptions and obtain answers to many of your questions regarding application and tuition.
A.T. Still University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
230 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500,
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 800.621.7440 | Fax: 312.263.7462
Email: info@hlcommission.org
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Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree Faculty
The ATSU faculty and staff are dedicated to the success of each health professions degree student. Our online nursing degrees offer challenging, interprofessional educational experiences that enables intellectual and practice advancement.
All ATSU nursing faculty hold doctoral degrees, bringing their diverse academic and professional backgrounds in nursing practice, leadership, and management to the online classroom and other nursing learning experiences. Their academic areas of expertise include executive administration, health policy and advocacy, community and rural health, advanced nursing practice, child and adolescent health, mental health, public and community health, palliative and end-of-life care, health information systems, and nursing research and education, among many others. ATSU’s graduate nursing faculty enjoy online teaching and are committed to providing innovative instructional opportunities and experiences.
Application
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For additional information contact an Enrollment Counselor:
877.626.5577 or cghsonlineadmissions@atsu.edu
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Missouri Campus
800 W. Jefferson Street Kirksville, MO 63501
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Wondering if the DNP is the perfect fit for you?
ATSU-CGHS offers a variety of doctoral programs that meet your professional needs and career goals.
Honoring Exceptional Nurse Educators
DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Foundation was formed by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease, in 1999. Touched by the care and compassion of the nurses who took care of him, his family developed recognition programs to honor and celebrate direct care nurses, nursing faculty, and nursing students.
The DAISY Nurse Educator Award honors a selected nurse educator for their inspirational influence. ATSU-CGHS nursing faculty members advance the skills of graduate students and keep clinicians updated on evidence-based practice. The Award is merit-based and honors excellent teaching skills and leadership and a commitment to instilling strong patient care and compassion in their students.