The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track of the DNP Program is designed to prepare graduates to conduct advanced health assessments and histories, develop treatment plans for acute illness and chronic disease management, manage overall adult and gerontologic patient care, including issues related to aging and development, and leadership in interprofessional advanced nursing practice.

Curriculum

This program is 69 credit hours.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
GNUR 404	Theories & Concepts for Advanced Clinical Practice	3
GNUR 405	Introductory Statistics for Healthcare Professionals	3
GNUR 407	Social Justice and Ethics in Health Care	3
GNUR 408	Research for Advanced Clinical Practice	3
GNUR 420	Leadership and Roles in Advanced Nursing Practice	3
GNUR 521	Population-Focused Health	3
GNUR 523	Health Care Policy and Economics	3
GNUR 545	Evidence Translation for Advanced Clinical Practice	3
GNUR 570	DNP Scholarly Project: Planning	1
GNUR 571	DNP Scholarly Project: Proposal and Pre-Implementation	2
GNUR 572	DNP Scholarly Project: Project Implementation	2
GNUR 573	DNP Scholarly Project: Analysis and Dissemination	1
Role (CNS) Courses
GNUR 413	Advanced Pharmacology	3
GNUR 425	Advanced Health Assessment Across the LifeSpan	4
GNUR 442	Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology	3
GNUR 476	Basic Diagnostics for Advanced Practice	2
GNUR 529	Family-Focused Health Promotion and Disease Prevention	3
Population (Adult-Gerontology) Courses
GNUR 471	Palliative Care	2
GNUR 526	Management of Common Adult Health Problems	4
GNUR 528	Management of Complex Adult Health Problems	4
GNUR 534	Advanced Practice Nursing Care of Older Adults	2
Practicum
GNUR 499	Interprofessional Team Practicum	1-7
GNUR 543	Adult Primary Care NP Practicum	1-4

Clinical Experience

DNP students are required to complete practicums that focus on acquiring the advanced skills and knowledge to meet the competencies to practice as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP. Faculty design clinical rotations and place students with preceptors. Loyola maintains academic-practice partnerships throughout the Chicago metropolitan area with a focus on working in underserved communities.

A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice experience is required before entering the first APRN clinical rotation. Clinical placements for students in these programs are in the Chicago area, and students must have an Illinois RN license before they begin their clinical experience/rotation.

Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations

Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supercede school policies.

Learning Outcomes

PROGRAM GOAL

The goal of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is to prepare nurses to assume advanced roles in direct care and systems leadership domains at the highest level of nursing to improve health care outcomes through practice-based scholarship.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

At the completion of the DNP program, the graduate has the knowledge and skills to:

• Apply integrated scientific, knowledge and clinical judgements at the highest level of professional nursing practice.
• Evaluate health care delivery approaches and healthcare systems, with an emphasis on quality and safety.
• Apply best evidence in approaches to client and system-centered practices.
• Apply analytic approaches and information technology in the delivery and improvement of client-centered health care and health care systems.
• Employ ethics, leadership, and advocacy concepts to advance healthcare quality and equity for individuals, systems and populations.
• Implement intraprofessional and interprofessional leadership and collaboration competencies and methods, at the highest level of professional nursing practice in advancing health and health outcomes.