Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree offers B.S. or post-master’s degree curriculum. This curriculum allows B.S. or M.S.-prepared registered nurses to earn doctorates, which will prepare them for assuming leadership roles in advanced practice for patient care and health-care systems. It addresses and meets outcome expectations that advanced practice specialty areas be staffed by nurses with doctoral degrees, as articulated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Program learning outcomes

Learning outcomes for the D.N.P. degree program are designed to prepare nurse leaders with a Christian perspective and enable them to contribute to professional nursing through clinical practice, teaching, and administration. 

1. By the end of the program, graduates should be able to:

   1. Provide leadership in the ethical and professional use of information systems and health-care technology for the improvement and transformation of nursing care and health-care populations.
   2. Integrate current scientific and interdisciplinary theories and perspectives to develop a broad knowledge base for nursing practice.
   3. Participate in and advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes.
   4. Advocate for health care through legal and policy analysis and development.
   5. Apply organizational and systems leadership theory for quality improvement and systems thinking that leads to workplace and patient safety.
   6. Demonstrate leadership in the ethical integration and promotion of evidence in advanced nursing practice and the nursing profession.
   7. Develop and sustain therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and other professionals, considering all aspects of care including physical, mental, and spiritual to facilitate optimal communication and patient outcomes, using evidence-based practice from multiple disciplines.
   8. Construct, coordinate, and communicate plans of care with a focus on wholeness that includes assessment, diagnosis, and care for the patient and self.
   9. Demonstrate ethical leadership with accountability to individuals, society, and the profession.

In addition to Loma Linda University admission requirements, the applicant to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program must also complete the following:

B.S. to Doctor of Nursing Practice program admissions criteria

1. Baccalaureate degree or equivalent in nursing from an accredited institution
2. Complete a NursingCAS application
3. G.P.A. of 3.0, both cumulative and in nursing courses
4. Current unencumbered United States RN license. California RN license must be obtained within 3 quarters of matriculation and maintained throughout the program for all programs with a clinical or practicum requirement to be completed in California.
5. Minimum of one year of full-time RN experience prior to matriculating into clinical courses.
6. Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) certification
7. Two electronic recommendations from a recent nurse manager or director. Second recommendation may be either of the following: nursing peer or spiritual advisor. 
8. If interview is granted by the SN Admissions Committee:

• ​Completion of the Emotional Intelligence Interview Process, which includes a meeting (in person or via Zoom) with the program coordinator and another Graduate Nursing Program faculty member.

Additional criteria for acute care adult gerontology nurse practitioner applicants:

1. Unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the United States with an unrestricted Registered Nurse license in California before matriculation and the California RN license must be maintained until program completion.
2. Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) certification.
3. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification required before matriculation and must be maintained until program completion.

Additional criteria for acute care pediatric nurse practitioner applicants:

1. Unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the United States with an unrestricted Registered Nurse license in California before matriculation and the California RN license must be maintained until program completion.
2. Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) certification.
3. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification required before matriculation and must be maintained until program completion.

Additional criteria for neonatal nurse practitioner applicants:

1. Minimum 2 years of relevant Level III/IV NICU RN experience before matriculating into clinical courses.
2. Unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the United States with an unrestricted Registered Nurse license in California before matriculation and the California RN license must be maintained until program completion.
3. Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) certification.
4. Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS) certification required before matriculation and must be maintained until program completion.

Additional criteria for nurse anesthesia applicants:

1. Baccalaureate degree or equivalent in nursing from an accredited institution.

Academic Performance 

1. Minimum GPA of 3.0, both cumulative and in nursing coursework.
2. Science GPA of 3.0 or higher

Licensure

1. Unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license within e quarters of matriculation into the program and must be maintained until program completion. 
2. California RN license must be obtained before the start of classes and maintained throughout the program until completion. 

Experience

1. Minimum one year of full-time critical care RN experience (in the United States) at the time of application (excluding orientation); critical care experience preferred. Experience is evaluated individually.
2. Eight hours of clinical observation with a CRNA is highly recommended before the admission interview.

Certification

1. Current certification in BLS, ACLS, and PALS is required before clinical courses begin and must be maintained until program completion; CCRN preferred

Recommendations

1. Three electronic recommendations required:
   1. One from a spiritual advisor or pastor
   2. One from an immediate supervisor in the critical care area where the applicant currently works
   3. One from a critical care/ICU charge nurses
2. Interview Process (if granted by the Admissions Committee) 
3. Completion of an online questionnaire following submission of the application must be completed by the applicant before the admission deadline.

Not all applicants who meet the admissions criteria are guaranteed an interview. Competitive applicants are selected for an interview by Nurse Anesthesia Admissions Committee.

Post-Masters to Doctor of Nursing Practice program admissions criteria

1. Completion of a master's degree in nursing with a clinical major from a program or completion of a bachelor's degree in nursing and a masters in a closely related field.  The nursing degrees must be accredited by Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
2. Undergraduate and Graduate G.P.A. of 3.0, both cumulative and in nursing courses.
3. Current unencumbered United States RN license at the time of application.
4. Current unencumbered United States RN license. California RN license must be obtained within 3 quarters of matriculation and maintained throughout the program for all programs with a clinical or DNP Project practicum requirement to be completed in California.
5. Minimum of one year of full-time RN experience is required before matriculating into clinical courses (applies to most programs).

Application deadlines

Applicants seeking graduate admission must have the application process completed by the dates indicated as follows:

• Nurse Anesthesia
  • Autumn Quarter - Application Period: May 1 - July 1
  • Autumn Quarter Documents Deadline: All official documents must be submitted by August 1
• Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Leadership, and Post-Masters to DNP
  • Autumn Quarter
    • Application submission deadline – April 1
    • Application documents and requirements deadline – May 1
  • Winter Quarter
    • Application submission deadline – August 1
    • Application documents and requirements deadline – September 1
  • Spring Quarter
    • Application submission deadline – November 1
    • Application documents and requirements deadline – December 1

Pre-entrance requirements:

1. Health clearance, including immunizations
2. Background check

Nondegree course status

Up to 12 units of required core coursework may be taken as a nondegree student, with the consent of the instructor, while the application submission and review are in progress. If grades of B or higher are earned, the coursework may be applied toward the graduate degree upon acceptance into the program.

Course scheduling

Core nursing courses are scheduled to accommodate the typical working nurse.

Curriculum change

The school reserves the right to update and modify the curriculum without prior notice to maintain currency with standards in health care.

Students in continuous attendance will meet graduation requirements of the CATALOG under which they enter the School of Nursing unless change is necessary to comply with new professional standards.

General requirements

For information about requirements and practices to which all graduate students are subject, the student should consult these sections of the CATALOG: About the University and General Regulations, School of Nursing.

Concentrations

Bachelor of Science to Doctor of Nursing Practice:

Clinical Nurse Specialist concentration areas:

• Clinical Nurse Specialist: Adult-Gerontology
• Clinical Nurse Specialist: Pediatrics

Nurse Anesthesia

Nurse Leadership

Nurse Practitioner concentration areas:

• Acute Care Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
• Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
• Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
• Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Post-Masters to Doctor of Nursing Practice