Nursing DNP

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the SON is "To educate nursing students at beginning and advanced levels through excellence and innovation in teaching, scholarship and service." Baccalaureate education would be at the beginning level where the graduate will possess the basic skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to practice nursing in this everchanging healthcare environment. Graduate education would be at the advanced level as either a Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist or a Nurse Anesthetist.

This mission is grounded in the missions of the University "fosters the intellectual and cultural growth and civic awareness of its students, preparing them to make significant contributions to their communities in the region and beyond. At UNF, students and faculty engage together and individually in the discovery and application of knowledge. UNF faculty and staff maintain an unreserved commitment to student success within a diverse, supportive campus culture" and the Brooks College of Health to "develop competent and caring health professionals for the 21st century who are diligent in the pursuit of knowledge, make significant contributions to the communities and individuals that they serve, and become leaders of their chosen professions" and is explicated in the current SON goal of strengthening existing community partnerships. The SON further fulfills the University mission by following the four guiding principles identified by President Delaney in his inaugural speech. These four guiding principles are: Excellence, Relevance, Accountability and Focus.

The post-MSN Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of North Florida is designed as a program for those who already possess, at a minimum, a Master of Science in Nursing and specialty certification.  The curriculum for the program is based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice (2006).  The program objectives build upon those for the masters in nursing program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will be able to:

Content/Discipline Knowledge

• develop, implement and evaluate new practice approaches based on scientific knowledge
• develop, evaluate and provide leadership for health care policy which shapes health care financing, regulation and delivery

Independent Research/ Professional Practice

• demonstrate analytical methodologies for the evaluation of clinical practice and the application of scientific evidence.
• utilize technological information systems to evaluate outcomes of care, health care delivery and quality improvement.

Knowledge of Literature of Discipline

• analyze epidemiological, biostatistical, environmental, and occupational data for the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs of clinical prevention and population health.
• base practice on the application of biophysical, psychosocial, behavioral, sociopolitical, cultural, economic, ethical and nursing science as appropriate to area of specialization.

Professional Skills

Ensure accountability for quality patient safety for populations with whom they work. Work collaboratively with transdisciplinary teams to meet the health care needs of individuals and populations.

Assessment Approaches

Courses: Students are expected to achieve an average of 75% on all tests in every course. Papers and projects are graded based on specific criteria. Because many courses are team taught, faculty use various means to assure consistent grading. For example, both faculty may grade the same paper as a check for interrater reliability, or faculty may divide the projects/papers so that one faculty grades all of the student work for a single assignment. In the case of student presentations, peer evaluations also make up a portion of the grade. The peer evaluations themselves are also graded but in this instance by faculty. Use of information/ presentation technology is required for all student presentations. Student outcomes are also measured by their ability to pass standardized exams and are measured against national standards.

Faculty: Students have opportunity to evaluate faculty at the end of each course through use of the University sanctioned ISQ form. Doctoral Project: All graduates of the DNP program complete a doctoral project. The project must be research based and reflective of an issue they have observed in practice.

Part II: Four-Year Cycle of Assessment The SON has an ongoing Evaluation Plan. The evaluation plan provides for ongoing review of various areas related to the SON. Changes are made as deemed appropriate through the findings of the evaluation process, feedback from students and alumni and feedback from employers of our graduates. In addition, changes are made as deemed appropriate to meet the changing needs of the health care environment and our constituents