Graduate Outcomes

Expected Program Student Learning Outcomes for DNP Graduates

This program will prepare graduates who:

• Practice in an interprofessional, expanded, specialized, and/or advanced nursing role.
• Promote the inherent dignity of all individuals in the provision of person-centered care.
• Advocate for quality and safety outcomes for individuals, families, populations, and systems.
• Demonstrate professionalism, ethical leadership, and faithful service in their chosen roles and settings.
• Facilitate translation of research and evidence into practice.
• Utilize information and healthcare technology to impact best practice

Expected Program Student Learning Outcomes for AG-ACNP Certificate Graduates

This program will prepare graduates who: 

• Practice interprofessionally in an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner specialty role.
• Promote the inherent dignity of all individuals in the provision of person-centered care.
• Advocate for quality and safety outcomes for persons / families experiencing acute, critical, or chronically-critically ill situations.
• Demonstrate professionalism, ethical leadership, and faithful service in their role and setting.
• Facilitate translation of research and evidence into practice.
• Utilize information and healthcare technology to impact best practice.

Curricular Model

In this graphical representation of the curriculum, the broad and multidisciplinary aspects of theory, practice, research, and evidence comprise the outermost circle of the model and serve as the scientific underpinnings of nursing practice. DNP/certificate students are assisted to integrate multiple theories from nursing and other disciplines, to analyze relevant research findings, and to seek and evaluate evidence with which to enhance their knowledge and skills in advanced professional practice. 
 
The next circle delineates the curricular concepts of health, quality, leadership, advocacy, ethics, collaboration, technology, and diversity. These broad concepts flow from the mission and expected graduate student learning outcomes as well as are consistent with the DNP Essentials Competencies (AACN, 2021). Content related to these major competencies/concepts is addressed in the core courses and threaded throughout the role and population-focused coursework that prepares graduates for expanded, specialized, and advanced nursing roles. While specific role preparations are unique, the core curricular components and unified mission and outcomes represent the solidarity of purposes among them. The circular framework implies a systematic and life-long commitment to learning to be proficient and current in the chosen roles and settings. 
 
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) adopted a new educational framework designed to prepare nurses to respond to the rapidly changing healthcare system. The Viterbo University DNP program is in the process of adapting curricular content to reflect The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021). 
 
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). The Essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www. Aacnnursing.org/Education-Resources/AACN-Essentials

Curricular Concepts with Related Content Explicated (not exhaustive; overlapping)

• A. Outer Circle
  Research, Theory, Practice, and Evidence: the source and outcome of our life-long learning, our professional role development, and our care and caring
• Middle Circle
  • Quality: health care quality, health and care outcomes, health care delivery, quality/process improvement and safety, quality of life, quality education, expertise, evidence-based, technology, professional competence, standards/ policies, culture of excellence
  • Advocacy: for  the health of individuals, families, communities, populations, the vulnerable and underserved, role and professional advocacy, system navigation (micro, meso, macro), voice, caring, conflict, policy, proactive, negotiation, accessibility, accountability, affordability, power, activism, social justice, equity, teach
  • Health: individual, aggregate, population, holistic, health continuum, health promotion, genomics, epidemiology, health maintenance, clinical prevention, organizational/system health, health care finances, health policy, complementary/alternative, environmental, global, determinants of health, health in illness, health education, disparities, risk assessment, illness prevention, health protection, health programming, health care delivery across the continuum and the lifespan, health literacy, primary, secondary, tertiary care
  • Technology: informatics, for teaching/learning, for optimal care, literacy, ever changing, balance with touch, safety, communication, data management, analysis, retrieval, decision support, standardized terminologies, EHRs, metrics, health information management, privacy
  • Ethics: informed, respect, moral reasoning, principled thinking, decision-making, values, protection, policy, virtues, dilemmas
  • Diversity: sensitivity, recognizing differences, respect, cultural, human, ethnicity, special needs, competence, sensitivity, group dynamics, across generations, multifaceted, teaching learning needs, cultural broker
  • Leadership: faithful service, change agent, advocate, transformational, innovative,  horizontal/vertical, systems, authentic, servant, adaptive, engagement, empowerment, emotional intelligence, to advance profession, ethical, chaos/complexity issues, scholarship, micro/meso/macro,  systems broker,  influence policy, professional competence, teach/learn, manage, organizational
  • Collaboration: interdisciplinary, intradisciplinary, interprofessional, respectful, partnerships, engagement, communication, team building, negotiation, advocacy, coordination, consultation, conflict management, delegation, lateral integration, mentor, coach, coach, teach/learn, care coordination, relationships
• Inner Circles
  Expanded, specialized, advanced nursing roles: Developing students/graduates of Viterbo University for role preparation.