Doctor of Nursing Practice Policies

Admission Criteria

1. Current USA RN license without restrictions
2. BSN
3. MSN or graduate degree in another discipline
   1. Applicants with a graduate degree in a discipline other than nursing will be individually evaluated, and additional courses at the master’s level may be required to meet the AACN Essentials, The Essentials: Core competencies for Professional Nursing Education (April 6, 2021).
4. GPA of 3.50 or higher
5. Official BSN and MSN transcripts, or BSN and Master’s degree in another discipline transcripts
   1. Advanced Practice Nurses (Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives) must present evidence of completion of:
      1. Completion of Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Health Assessment
      2. National certification or 500 documented hours of clinical practice during MSN Advanced Practice Nursing program
6. Curriculum vitae
7. Two letters of recommendation
8. Narrative statement of career goals and how the program will enable the achievement of those goals
9. Personal Interview

Students must begin the program within one year of notification of admission. Application materials remain active for one year following submission and inactive applications are shredded after one year.

Transfer Credits

Transfer credit is granted in a manner consistent with University policy. Each course is individually reviewed by the Registrar in consultation with the Director of the DNP Program and/or members of related University disciplines for judgment concerning transfer of credits. When transfer credit is evaluated, only those courses that fulfill the degree requirements for the DNP degree will apply. Other credits may transfer to the University, but they will not be applied to the nursing curriculum.

Waynesburg University will accept a maximum of six credit hours with grades of B or above in transfer from an accredited nursing doctorate program. The credits must have been earned within seven years of application to the program.

Graduate Non-degree Students

With the approval of the Director of the DNP Program, students are permitted to enroll in a maximum of four courses (12 credits) without declaring a degree.

Financial Aid

Financial aid information may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. Student loans are available to students taking a minimum of six semester hours. For the purposes of the graduate nursing programs, a full-time student is considered to be anyone enrolled in a minimum of nine semester hours.

Progression

All doctoral students are required to have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher to be eligible to receive a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from Waynesburg University. Admission and progression GPAs are not rounded. To remain in good standing, all courses, including any master’s level courses taken during the doctoral program, must be completed with a grade of B or higher. A student who receives a B- or lower in any course must repeat the course prior to program progression. The student is only permitted to enroll in clinical residency courses until a repeated course grade of B or higher is achieved. A course may be repeated only once. Only one required course in the doctoral program may be repeated. Students must successfully complete Preliminary Exams after completion of NUR 605, 606, 607, 608, and 665 to progress.

Students’ academic performance will be reviewed at the end of each semester. If the student receives a grade of B- or lower, a letter of warning will be sent to remind the student of the academic progression policy and standards. If the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on probation, and must raise the GPA to 3.00 or higher by the completion of the next 6 credits.

Once a student begins the capstone courses (NUR 667 and 699), students must be continuously enrolled in the University until all capstone work has been completed. Students will be enrolled in GRD 999 each semester after completing NUR 667 and 699 until the capstone project and all program requirements have been successfully completed.

Withdrawal

Students seeking to withdraw from the DNP program must meet with and submit a written letter of intent to the Director of the DNP program. The date of the receipt of the written letter becomes the official date of withdrawal from the DNP program.

Students must also follow the University policy regarding withdrawal from the University. Non-attendance does not constitute official withdrawal from the program.

Dismissal

All courses in the DNP program must be completed with a grade of B (3.00) or higher and students may repeat only one course. Students may repeat any one nursing course only once. Additional course grades of B- or below will result in dismissal from the DNP program. Students in the DNP program must achieve a cumulative GPA or 3.00 or higher, and failure to maintain the GPA above 3.00 within 6 credits of a repeated course and/or failure of the preliminary exam on the second attempt will result in dismissal from the DNP Program. Additionally, if the faculty finds that a student does not meet standards considered necessary for successful performance as a professional nurse, the student will be dismissed. These standards include, but are not limited to, level of achievement, health, and personal conduct.

Reinstatement

Students who withdraw from the DNP program must apply for readmission in a manner consistent with University policy. A student who has withdrawn from the DNP program may apply for reinstatement in writing to the Director of the DNP Program and provide evidence of a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher at the time of leaving the program. Reinstatement will be subject to seat availability in a new cohort. Reinstatement requires the student to complete the course sequence and curriculum requirements for the new cohort. Students who do not enroll in a course for one calendar year will be placed on inactive status and must reapply to the program for reinstatement.

Preliminary Examination

A preliminary examination will be administered to DNP students following completion of NUR 605, 606, 607, 608, and 665. If the student’s performance on the preliminary examination is less than satisfactory, the student and the academic advisor will meet to mutually develop a remedial plan. Failure to complete the remedial plan successfully and pass the preliminary examination on the second attempt will result in the student being unable to progress in the program. The student will be dismissed from the program.

Degree Requirements

Thirty-six credits at the doctoral level, including satisfactory completion of the practicum requirements, are required for the awarding of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Completion of 36 credits is by itself not sufficient to authorize that the degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice be granted by the University. All program progression requirements, including preliminary examination, capstone project requirements, portfolio development, and any additional required Master’s level credits and/or residency hours must be successfully completed prior to application for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Graduates of the DNP program will have completed approximately 72- 84 credits post-BSN degree, demonstrated mastery of essential competencies, and provided documentation of 1000 practice hours post-BSN.

Explanation of Semester Hours, Grades of Scholarship, and Grade Points for Graduate and Professional Studies Accelerated Master of Nursing Program

Grade		Grade Points per Semester Hour
A	(Excellent)	4.00
A-	(Excellent)	3.70
B+	(Above Average)	3.30
B	(Above Average)	3.00**
F	(Failure)	0.00
I	(Incomplete)	0.00
W	(Withdrew)	0.00
WF	(Withdrew Failing)	0.00
WP	(Withdrew Passing)	0.00
NG	(No Grade)	0.00
P	(Passing)	0.00
AU	(Audit)	0.00
TR	(Transfer)	0.00

** Grades below B do not earn credit, and are not awarded. If a student does not earn a B or above, the course must be repeated; students are limited to repeating one (1) course total.