School of Nursing

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

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 (D.N.P.) program prepares students for the highest level of nursing practice and provides 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.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) programs are approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. 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. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) programs are accredited by the ACEN. The D.N.P. Nurse Anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 222. S. Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, IL, 60068-4001, 847-692-7137. The School of Nursing is a member of the National League for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Graduate Academic Programs

The graduate faculty of nursing offer courses leading to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree with programs in adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner , family nurse practitioner , nurse anesthesia , and post-master’s to D.N.P. completion .

Program Goals

The D.N.P is a terminal degree. D.N.P. graduates will be viewed as leaders within the interprofessional team and larger health care community through enhanced clinical skills, dissemination of scholarly work to other health care professionals, and health care policy makers, advanced use of technology, and through demonstration of professional behaviors that encompass strong ethical, holistic, and organizational values. 

Program 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.

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 for the NP and Post-Master’s completion programs are reviewed throughout the spring and summer until spaces are filled. Applications for the NA program are accepted from May 1 to September 30 and are reviewed in the fall. 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.

To apply for the D.N.P. Program, applicants must submit the following: 

• Copies of all academic transcripts showing undergraduate and graduate coursework. 
• The NP program requires two letters of recommendation; one written by an advanced practice nurse and one written by a nursing supervisor. 
• The NA program requires three letters of recommendation; nursing faculty, nursing supervisor, and a physician, physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. 
• Documentation of a current Registered Nursing license. 
• Evidence of appropriate clinical experience for requested track as follows: 
• Nurse Anesthesia and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care - at least 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 D.N.P. 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@utulsa.edu or 918-631-2336. 

Admitted NP students will begin the program during the fall semester. Admitted NA students will begin during the summer semester. Students must take and satisfactorily complete the required courses offered each semester to stay in the program.  Core courses are online. Most program-specific 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. Prior to enrollment in the D.N.P. Program, admitted applicants must provide evidence of the following qualifications: 

• Current unencumbered Oklahoma Registered Nurse license 
• A bachelor’s degree in nursing (B.S.N.) from an accredited nursing program. An overall G.P.A. of 3.0 is recommended. 
• To prepare students for board exams, most examinations are done on computer using ExamSoft or Blackboard Learning Management System with 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. 

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. 

Faculty

Programs

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, D.N.P.
• Family Nurse Practitioner, D.N.P.
• Nurse Anesthesia, D.N.P.
• Post-Master’s to D.N.P. Completion, D.N.P.

Courses

• DNP 8004 Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
• DNP 8023 Advanced Pharmacology
• DNP 8033 Advanced Assessment
• DNP 8043 Translational Research
• DNP 8053 Biostatistics
• DNP 9003 Foundations for Practice
• DNP 9013 Health Care Policy
• DNP 9023 Healthcare Informatics
• DNP 9043 Organizational Leadership and Quality Improvement
• DNP 9063 Epidemiology
• DNP 9073 D.N.P. Project Proposal
• DNP 9082 D.N.P. Project Completion
• DNP 9173 D.N.P. Project Design
• DNP 9403 APRN Scholarship Practicum
• DNP 9413 APRN Leadership Practicum
• DNPA 9101 Orientation to Nurse Anesthesia Practice
• DNPA 9111 Anesthesia Simulation Lab
• DNPA 9112 Advanced Anesthesia Simulation Lab
• DNPA 9113 Basic Principles of Anesthesia
• DNPA 9114 Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology for Nurse Anesthetist I
• DNPA 9123 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice I
• DNPA 9124 Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology for Nurse Anesthetist II
• DNPA 9133 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice II
• DNPA 9154 Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthetists
• DNPA 9164 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum I
• DNPA 9174 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum II
• DNPA 9186 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum III
• DNPA 9193 Advanced Clinical Topics
• DNPA 9196 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum IV
• DNPA 9294 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum V
• DNPC 9302 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Clinical Practicum I
• DNPC 9303 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nursing Practice Diagnostic Reasoning
• DNPC 9304 Advanced Practice in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care I
• DNPC 9312 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Clinical Practicum II
• DNPC 9313 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practice Summation
• DNPC 9314 Advanced Practice in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care II
• DNPC 9322 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Clinical Practicum III
• DNPC 9323 AG-ACNP Advanced Skills Lab
• DNPC 9324 Advanced Practice in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care III
• DNPC 9332 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty Clinical Rotations
• DNPC 9334 Advanced Practice in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care IV
• DNPC 9342 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Clinical Practicum IV
• DNPF 9203 Diagnosis and Management I: Introduction to Diagnostic Reasoning
• DNPF 9213 Population Focus Family Nurse Practitioner II: Pediatrics
• DNPF 9222 FNP Practicum I
• DNPF 9233 Diagnosis and Management II: Common Health Conditions in Primary Care
• DNPF 9243 Population Focus Family Nurse Practitioner I: Families
• DNPF 9252 FNP Practicum II
• DNPF 9263 Population Focus Family Nurse Practitioner III: Specialty
• DNPF 9272 FNP Practicum III
• DNPF 9283 Community/Business Development Plan
• DNPF 9292 Population Focus Family NP Practicum IV
• DNPF 9294 Family Nurse Practitioner Practice Summation
• DNPF 9513 FNP Competency Lab