Doctor of Nursing Practice

Nurses in advanced nursing practice roles must have forward-thinking clinical expertise and systems leadership skills at their command to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practice changes. Accomplishing this goal requires the application of health policy, informatics, population health, and business practices to the care of individuals, families, and communities. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal degree designed to prepare nurses in advanced nursing practice roles to meet the nation's increasingly complex health care needs.

Professional Licensure Information

Wilmington University has determined that Doctor of Nursing Practice Program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in Delaware and New Jersey. Wilmington University is reviewing other states and has not made specific determinations for those states. Prospective students seeking professional licensure outside of Delaware or New Jersey should verify state licensure requirements before applying. For state-by-state contact information for inquiring about individual state licensure requirements, please visit NC-SARA's Professional Licensure Directory.

Program Competencies

Outcome competencies for the DNP program are derived from The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006). Upon completion of the DNP program, graduates will be able to:

1. Evaluate the scientific underpinnings of practice.

2. Apply systems leadership skills to develop and evaluate care delivery approaches while leading quality improvement activities to improve clinical outcomes.

3. Apply clinical scholarship and analytical methods to appraise existing literature and other evidence to determine and implement the best evidence for practice.

4. Appraise information systems technology and patient care technology to transform health care.

5. Serve as a health care policy advocate by critically analyzing health policy proposals, health policies, and related issues.

6. Lead inter-professional teams in the analysis of complex practice and organizational issues to improve patient and population health outcomes.

7. Synthesize and utilize individual, aggregate, and population data to promote the highest quality of care.

8. Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment, systems thinking, and accountability in selecting, implementing, and evaluating care.

Program Information 

WilmU's DNP program delivers an innovative curriculum emphasizing evidence-based practice and interdisciplinary collaboration among clinicians, health systems, community leaders, and policy makers. Students learn to utilize both theory and evidence-based data to promote the highest level of professional nursing practice.

To best serve working professionals, WilmU offers flexible schedules that enable students to balance work, personal, and educational commitments. To that end, full-time, part-time, 100% online, and hybrid options are available.

The Advanced Practice Concentration (for licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) can be completed full-time in 18-20 months (5 semesters), culminating with a 9-credit, evidence-based practice doctoral project. Core courses are offered two (2) at a time in 7-week blocks. The DNP project courses are offered one (1) at a time in 15-week semesters.

Advanced Practice Concentration students also have the option to complete the DNP program part-time in 28 months (7 semesters), culminating with a 9-credit, evidence-based practice doctoral project. Core courses are offered one (1) at a time in 7-week blocks. The DNP project courses are offered one (1) at a time in 15-week semesters.

Leadership Concentration students (nurse leaders not licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) may complete the DNP program part-time in 28 months (7 semesters), culminating with a 9-credit, evidence-based practice doctoral project. Core courses are offered one (1) at a time in 7-week blocks. Experiential engagement courses are offered one (1) at a time in 15-week semesters. The DNP project courses are offered one (1) at a time in 15-week semesters.

The DNP program is offered in two formats: (1) 100% online to provide the most flexibility for students. Two optional online synchronous course meetings are offered during each course to facilitate student and faculty interaction. There are no on campus residency requirements and students have the option to present their final doctoral project virtually or on campus. (2) Hybrid with weekend intensives in Delaware. The hybrid option requires one weekend of on-site classes per course.

Online cohorts begin every Spring, Summer and Fall. Weekend intensive hybrid cohorts begin every Fall and Spring. 

Students must earn a B or better in all DNP courses, maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher, and complete all degree requirements within five (5) years. If less than a B is earned in a DNP course, students may re-take the course one (1) time and a maximum of two (2) courses may be repeated. Continuous enrollment is required during the DNP Project phase of the program (DNP 8000, DNP 8001, DNP 8002 and DNP 8004 as needed).

DNP Project

The DNP program exists within a framework of professional, academic rigor that requires planning, implementing, and evaluating an evidence-based practice doctoral project. The DNP Project highlights the scholarly contribution of DNP-prepared nurses to the ever-changing health care landscape. Students will identify a pertinent topic to address through a clinical practice change, most commonly within their workplace. The project begins in DNP 8000: DNP Project I and culminates with completion in DNP 8002: DNP Project III. The final project manuscript details the nature and scope of the project, and students are required to disseminate their findings to the health care community. Students are encouraged to individualize their project toward their career focus as a DNP-prepared nurse and will be assigned to a DNP faculty advisor who will serve as the DNP Project Advisor, providing guidance throughout the three sequential semesters of project completion. The DNP Project Team will be mutually agreed upon between the student and faculty advisor.