The DNP Capstone project There are two main types of doctorate programs in nursing, the PhD and the DNP. In PhD programs, students are essentially prepared to become nurse scientists. PhD students complete a dissertation which is usually a research-focused project. DNP students, however, focus on bringing this scientific knowledge into practice and integrating it into patient care. So, DNP students complete a practice-focused project. This project is known as the DNP capstone project.
In July 2018, the College of Nursing officially became part of the UCF Academic Health Sciences Center – an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to education, research and community that leverages our strengths as one of the nation’s largest universities to make a greater impact on the future. Eventually, the College of Nursing will relocate to the 50-acre, state-of-the-art UCF Health Sciences campus at Lake Nona Medical City.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is designed to prepare nurses for the highest level of clinical practice in the profession of nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). The program includes a total of 79 credit hours of post baccalaureate study and 1035 clinical hours. The program is designed in accordance with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice Nursing
Our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs prepare nurses to use evidence-based practice in patient care delivery. Graduates are ready to serve as practice leaders within health systems or academic settings in roles involving organizational and system leadership; development and implementation of health policy; and planning, management and evaluation of programs for health promotion, risk reduction and health restoration
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the highest practice degree any nurse can achieve. Our DNP program prepares nurses with the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to ensure quality of care and positive patient outcomes. Students with degrees in nursing are offered the opportunity to acquire the competencies required for entry to advanced nursing practice while also completing the requirements for the DNP degree.
The DNP program consists of two pathways: BSN to DNP or Post-Masters to DNP. DNP education emphasizes research application and utilization in clinical practice settings as well as interdisciplinary team building skills, organizational leadership and management development, utilization of information technology and quality improvement techniques, development and initiation of public policy, and the establishment of evidence-based practice.