Nursing (Doctoral)

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Doctoral Programs and Requirements

Degrees/Programs
Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
Advanced Practice (D.N.P.) *
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.)
Emergency Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.) (Post-Master’s)
Family Nurse Practitioner (B.S.N. to D.N.P.)
Family Nurse Practitioner w/ENP Specialty (B.S.N. to D.N.P.)
Family Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.) (Post-Master’s)
Nurse Leader (D.N.P.) (Post-Master’s)
Nurse Anesthesia (B.S.N. to D.N.P.) (see the Nurse Anesthesia  section for details)
Nursing Administration (D.N.P.) (Post-Master’s)**
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*The Advanced Practice D.N.P. is currently closed to new admits. Students enrolled in this program should refer to the catalog edition (2023-2024 or earlier) for their year of admission.
**Students enrolled in the Post-Master’s D.N.P. Nursing Administration should refer to the catalog edition (2023-2024 or earlier) for their year of admission.
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The Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing offers innovative options in a program leading to a doctor of nursing practice degree (D.N.P.). Graduates are prepared to practice in an advanced role to meet and/or manage health care needs of families across the life span. The graduate will be prepared to practice in a variety of settings with a functional focus in one of the following areas: emergency nursing, family nursing, psychiatric mental health, and nurse leadership.

Through the B.S.N. to D.N.P. option, the School of Nursing provides students who currently hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing the opportunity to earn a D.N.P. in nurse anesthesia or nurse practitioner.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) (Post-Master’s)

The doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.) program will fulfill a need within the profession for advanced nursing practice who can provide leadership in the healthcare system of the 21^st century. The D.N.P. will be a visionary leader for the practice of nursing and the delivery of health care in all settings. This program prepares graduates to demonstrate competencies, including organizational and systems leadership, advanced clinical skills, the ability to mobilize interdisciplinary teams, the ability to establish collaborative relationships to solve complex clinical problems, and to initiate policy and programmatic changes. The D.N.P. program will prepare clinicians (nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists) and nurse administrators for leadership roles, evidence-based practice, and to fully implement the emerging science and practice innovations in health care.

The post-master’s doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.) is a terminal degree in nursing that can be completed full-time study or part-time. The concentrations include nursing administration, advanced practice, advanced practice-emergency nurse practitioner, advanced practice-family nurse practitioner, and advanced practice-psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

D.N.P. Outcomes*

*DNP Outcomes for those admitted prior to summer 2024.

Graduates with a doctor of nursing practice from the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing will be prepared to:

Practice at the highest level of nursing by integrating nursing science and the biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, organizational and public health sciences to improve health, nursing and education outcomes.
Integrate advanced critical reasoning and judgment in the management of complex clinical situations and systems.
Assimilate ethical principles, personal beliefs, and Christian values to provide a framework for advanced nursing practice.
Engage in scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice to effect optimal outcomes.
Apply information systems and technology for the provision and/or transformation of health care delivery and nursing practice.
Participate in interprofessional collaboration for the improvement of individual and population health outcomes.
Advocate change in health care practice through policy development, implementation and evaluation.

Graduate Outcomes

NOTE: All students enrolled in a Post-Graduate Certificate (FNP or PMHNP track) Fall 2024 or later will meet the Graduate program outcomes.

Graduate Outcomes for those admitted in summer 2024 and beginning in fall 2024:

Integrate knowledge and evidence from nursing and other sciences into advanced specialty nursing practice.
Design evidence-based person-centered care within multiple contexts across the health continuum.
Formulate strategies to improve equitable population health outcomes among diverse populations.
Engage through scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice to effect optimal health outcomes.
Facilitate quality of care and culture of safety at individual and system levels.
Collaborate, building on core nursing and interprofessional values, to optimize integrated team-based care.
Coordinate innovative system-based solutions to address complex health problems for diverse individuals and populations across settings.
Incorporate information systems and technologies for the provision and/or transformation of healthcare delivery and nursing practice.
Model nursing’s unique professional identity and ethical behaviors across roles, relationships, and settings.
Participate in activities and self-reflection that promote well-being, resilience, and leadership in self and others.

Admission Requirements

Applications for the D.N.P. program are considered on a competitive basis by the School of Nursing; thus, applicants’ admission profiles are evaluated according to stated admission criteria. The applicant will be considered for admission to Samford University and the School of Nursing graduate program upon submission of the following required materials:

Completion of application. For complete admission instructions, visit www.samford.edu/nursing.
Current unencumbered license as a registered nurse.
Applicants for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner must hold current national certification as a nurse practitioner.
Applicants for Emergency Nurse Practitioner must hold current national certification as a family nurse practitioner.
Master’s degree from an accredited and CCNE, CNEA, or an ACEN (formerly NLNAC) accredited program in the area of advanced practice or administration.
Master’s degree cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale.
American citizens or permanent residents who learned English as a second language must score at least 575 (paper), or 90 (Internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Video interview.
If accepted, a non-refundable fee of $750 is required to secure admission into the program. This fee is applied to the first semester’s tuition.

Transfer Credit

Graduate students are permitted to transfer a maximum of 12 graduate credits from a CCNE, CNEA, or an ACEN (formerly NLNAC) accredited college or university. To do so, students should complete a course substitution form and attach a copy of the syllabus. Transfer credits will be evaluated by the associate dean of the graduate program for applicability to the program.

Progression Policies

For complete progression policy information, please refer to the Graduate Nursing Student handbook.

Academic Policies

Students who receive a grade below a B in any required or prescribed course or whose cumulative GPA falls below a 3.00 will be placed on academic probation and must:

Repeat any nursing course in which a grade received was below a B and receive a grade of B or better.
Be aware that a required nursing course can only be repeated one time.
Be aware that failure of the same course twice or failure of two separate courses constitutes dismissal from the program

Students who fail to successfully complete a required nursing course within one calendar year of the academic probation notification will be dismissed from the program.

Students must be aware that matters of plagiarism, unethical, unprofessional or unsafe conduct may result in immediate dismissal from the School of Nursing.

Program Interruptions

Students who need more than four years to complete the program may petition the School of Nursing graduate program to request an additional year for completion (a total of five years for completion).

Readmissions Policy

A student who has been dismissed from the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing graduate program may apply through the Office of Graduate Student Services for readmission after an intervening period of not less than one semester. The appropriate graduate admission committee will consider such requests for readmission on presentation of substantial evidence of a responsible and successful period of work or study during the intervening period. There is no guarantee, however, that a student will be readmitted. The decision regarding readmission rests with the dean and is based upon the faculty’s evaluation of the likelihood of the applicant’s ability to perform successfully in graduate coursework.

Programs

Doctoral

Courses

Nursing - Doctoral