School of Nursing

Director
Sheryl Stansifer

Adult Gerontology - Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program Director
Brandon King

Family Nurse Practitioner Program Director
Sheryl Stansifer

Associate Professor
Lee Anne Nichols

Clinical Associate Professors
Rhonda Martin
Kathleen Strunk

Clinical Assistant Professors
Tonya Ballone-Walton
Tedi Courtney
Cassy Abbott Eng
Helen Hansen
Brandon King
Jennifer Kuwitzky
Angela Martindale
Sheryl Stansifer
Nicholas Zumwalt

For more information about degree offerings, visit the School of Nursing webpage.

The School of Nursing graduate curriculum leads to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.).

The curriculum combines advanced nursing sciences and intensive clinical training to educate advanced practice nurses who are prepared to provide high quality, appropriate and cost conscious health care. Students in the program learn through a combination of classroom, human patient simulation, and clinical experiences in the community to advance their knowledge and skills in providing modern interprofessional health care.

Mission

The Mission of The University of Tulsa School of Nursing is to educate students to become accomplished nursing professionals who advance health through clinical practice, research, teaching, and the promotion of health equity.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program prepares students for the highest level of nursing practice and provide opportunities for professional assimilation and involvement. The program seeks to promote clinical scholarship and life-long learning and aims to support student professional and ethical service to our communities. Through advanced nursing scholarship and practice, students and faculty will seek to enhance the quality of life for people of all cultures, economic levels, and geographic locations.

Student Learning Outcomes

The core D.N.P. curriculum is driven by the missions, the end of program student learning outcomes, and The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006). Each program option has additional professional competencies that are expected to be achieved by each student in their respective field of study. At the completion of the program, students will:

Develop new practice approaches based on nursing theory and theories borrowed from other disciplines to improve health and reduce health disparities locally, nationally, and globally.
Employ strategic leadership skills and interprofessional collaboration to influence health policy, advocate for social justice, and promote equity locally, nationally, and globally.
Implement ethical, cost effective, and evidence-based changes in care systems, while advancing the profession.
Provide leadership at the highest levels to design, direct and evaluate system changes to deliver and promote patient-centered care that is culturally competent, safe, timely, effective, efficient, and equitable.
Engage in complex, evidence-based advanced nursing practice, and evaluate innovative approaches to care delivery for individuals, communities, and populations.

Accreditation

The D.N.P. program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326. The D.N.P. program is approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. The School of Nursing is a member of the National League for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Graduates of the program will be eligible to apply to sit for national board certification in their respective field of study after accreditation is granted by the ACEN.

Advanced Practice Certification

The University of Tulsa cannot guarantee that completion of the D.N.P. program will enable a student to take the National Certification exam if the student has a previous arrest or conviction record. The Nurse Practice Act varies from state to state regarding arrests or convictions. States may prohibit nursing licensure due to violent misdemeanors or due to felony convictions. If seeking licensure in another state, contact the board of nursing in that state regarding arrest or conviction records.

Admission

Prospective graduate students apply for admission through the Graduate School. Applicants submit their application, supporting materials and an application fee through the Graduate School application system.

Applications are reviewed throughout the spring and summer until spaces are filled. Applications are reviewed as they are received, and potential candidates will be scheduled for an interview. Applications and all supplemental materials must be submitted before a decision can finalized for admission to the program. Applications are reviewed throughout the spring and summer until spaces are filled.

To apply for the DNP Program, applicants must submit the following:

Copies of all academic transcripts showing undergraduate and graduate coursework.
Two letters of recommendation; one written by an advanced practice nurse and one written by a nursing supervisor.
Documentation of a current Registered Nursing license.
Evidence of appropriate clinical experience.
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care - minimum of one-year full-time acute care nursing experience as a registered nurse
- Family Nurse Practitioner - at least one-year full time nursing experience as a registered nurse
- Post-Masters to DNP completion - certification and experience as an Advanced Practice Nurse
TOEFL or IELTS scores along with transcripts accompanied by a certified English translation. (International students only)

If you have any questions or problems with the TU Graduate School application link, please contact grad-ga@utulsa.edu or 918-631-2336.

Admitted students will begin the program during the fall semester. Students must take and satisfactorily complete the required courses offered each semester to stay in the program. Many of the courses are face-to-face, but some are hybrid courses to provide opportunities for students to integrate their traditional course work with their clinical rotations.

Admission Requirements

Current unencumbered Oklahoma Registered Nurse license - must be obtained prior to enrollment
A bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing program
Recommended overall GPA of 3.0.
Further requirements are track specific:
- Post-Masters to DNP completion - certification and experience as an Advanced Practice Nurse

Computer Requirements

To prepare students for board exams, most examinations are done on computer using the Respondus Lockdown Browser. All admitted students are required to have or purchase a portable computer/laptop with a keyboard capable of running Microsoft Windows 7, 8 or 10, or macOS 10.1 or newer.

Progression of Students

Progression of D.N.P. students is dependent upon completion of required curriculum while maintaining a 3.0 G.P.A. Should a student fail to fulfill one or more of the program requirements at the end of the semester, the student will be notified in writing by the Director of the School of Nursing of his/her continuing status in the program. Because of the sequential nature of the curriculum, a grade below C in any course is grounds for non-progression and the student may be referred to the Graduate College for dismissal from the program.

Courses in the D.N.P. program are required and must be completed in sequential order for the specific track. The clinical practicum for each clinical track will build on the advanced sciences, simulation, and didactic preparation.

The Adult Gerontology Acute Care (AG-ACNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) - clinical practicums begin the fall of the second year. The tracks require a minimum 200 clinical hours per semester over five semesters. Students will complete a minimum of 1000 hours. Clinical time is in addition to procedural training and simulation.
The Post-Master’s to D.N.P. completion track builds on previous academic work and practice experience. A gap analysis is done to verify previous clinical and academic work. Students complete 24 credit hours of core D.N.P. research and theory courses, and five hours of D.N.P. project building courses. This course plan includes 500 supervised clinical practice hours for the implementation and completion of the D.N.P. project in the clinical setting.

The final D.N.P. project may be at the individual or system level. Students will identify a need within their field during their first four semesters of study. Their project will be built and conducted over the course of the remaining semesters. Their final work will be disseminated as a demonstration of the culmination of their work; for example, introduction of a validated clinical assessment tool into a new healthcare system, with analysis of its effect on care improvement. Students will not create original research, but instead demonstrate proficiency in the application of existing science through translational research. Students will complete a final D.N.P. project that is the culmination of their scholarship and project implementation using the translation of existing science into practice to improve health.

Clinical Sites and Preceptors

Students will complete clinical rotations in healthcare facilities in Tulsa and the surrounding area. Clinical Preceptors are selected by faculty for their ability to demonstrate and teach professional leadership and competent patient care.

Students must submit the following documentation before they will be able to begin clinical rotations:

Immunizations, including MMR, Hepatitis B, Varicella, annual influenza;
Annual TB Test;
Drug screen using the 10 panel by a SAMHSA Certified Lab;
Criminal background check including Oklahoma Department of Corrections Sex Offenders Registration;
Signed Performance Standards for Admission and Progression form;
BLS for Healthcare Providers certification; and
AG-ACNP students - ACLS for Healthcare Providers.

Programs

Doctoral

Courses

Nursing