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Nursing Field Experience:
8505

DNP Program Outcomes

At the end of the DNP program, students will be able to:

  • Translate research findings to direct evidence-based nursing practice
  • Develop organizational system changes for quality improvement in healthcare delivery in response to local and/or global community needs
  • Apply optimal utilization of healthcare information technology across healthcare settings
  • Advocate for the advancement of nursing and healthcare policy through sharing of science-based knowledge with healthcare policy makers
  • Demonstrate leadership to facilitate collaborative teams for improving patient and population health outcomes
  • Utilize advanced nursing practice knowledge to implement methodologies to improve population health outcomes
  • Establish a foundation for lifelong learning and for continual elevation of contributions to the field of nursing through active involvement in professional organizations and/or other professional bodies

For graduate specialty programs, the College of Nursing uses the following guidelines and standards to inform the curriculum and professional behavior:

  • The Essentials Core Competencies for Nursing Education (AACN)2021
  • The Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2017)
  • Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, 2016)
  • Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretative Statements (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015)
  • Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (ANA, 2015)
  • The AONL Nurse Executive Competencies (AONL, 2023).

DNP Program Outcomes

At the end of the DNP program, students will be able to:

  • Translate research findings to direct evidence-based nursing practice
  • Develop organizational system changes for quality improvement in healthcare delivery in response to local and/or global community needs
  • Apply optimal utilization of healthcare information technology across healthcare settings
  • Advocate for the advancement of nursing and healthcare policy through sharing of science-based knowledge with healthcare policy makers
  • Demonstrate leadership to facilitate collaborative teams for improving patient and population health outcomes
  • Utilize advanced nursing practice knowledge to implement methodologies to improve population health outcomes
  • Establish a foundation for lifelong learning and for continual elevation of contributions to the field of nursing through active involvement in professional organizations and/or other professional bodies

For graduate specialty programs, the College of Nursing uses the following guidelines and standards to inform the curriculum and professional behavior:

  • The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006)
  • The Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2017)
  • Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, 2016)
  • Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretative Statements (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015)
  • Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (ANA, 2015)

Required Hours

Executive Leadership Track

  1. NURS 8504: Evidence-Based Practice for the Executive Leader I(3 cr. didactic and 2 cr. clinical)++
  • Didactic: 3 credits
  • Clinical: 2 credit, 160 hours (1 credit=80 practicum hours)
  • Prerequisites: NURS 8002. 8006
  1. NURS 8505: Evidence-Based Practice for the Executive Leader II
  • Didactic: 3 credits
  • Clinical: 2 credit, 160 hours (1 credit=80 practicum hours)
  • Prerequisites: NURS 8002/6, NURS 8502 or NURS 8504

Completing DNP Practicum Hours

Please Note: Students may NOT log any hours before the start of the course or before they receive approval. 

All practicum hours should be completed by the end of Week 10 of the practicum courses. If a student is unable to complete practicum hours by week, students should notify instructor to develop a plan for completion. Students may complete hours independently; not all practicum hours need to be completed in person with the preceptor. 

Practicum courses include: 

Students enrolled in the DNP Program prior to May 27, 2024 

  • Traditional & Nurse Practitioner Tracks:  NURS 8302, NURS 8502, NURS 8503 
  • Executive Leadership Track: NURS 8302, NURS 8504, NURS 8505 

Students enrolled in the DNP Program beginning May 27, 2024 

  • Traditional & Nurse Practitioner Tracks: NURS 8312, NURS 8512, NRUS 8513 
  • Executive Leadership Track:  NURS 8312, NURS 8514, NURS 8515 

Practicum hours are course and term specific. Practicum hours do not carry over to a different term or practicum course if a student withdraws, drops a course, or fails a course. All hours must be documented in Meditrek for faculty review. 

A minimum total of 1,000 post-baccalaureate practice hours are required to graduate from the DNP program. Up to 600 hours may be transferred in from master’s nursing programs, as applicable. Students who do not transfer enough practice hours to meet the 1,000-hour requirement may complete additional hours as necessary as described in the section:  Section 7. DNP Additional Field Experience Hours: NURS 8600/8601. 

Please Note: Practicum hours should not include any direct, hands-on patient care or be at an academic site. 

Preceptor Requirements

Identifying a Preceptor

Students must identify a potential preceptor and determine if the individual is interested in working with them. If so, students must find out whether this individual meets the qualifications to serve as preceptor and if the preceptor is available for the desired term. Students should contact the nursing field experience coordinators as soon as they identify a possible preceptor, and no later than the start of their second term, to determine if the preceptor and site meet the requirements. Students should evaluate potential preceptors early by emailing nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu to obtain feedback about whether the nominee is an acceptable preceptor. 

Walden discourages students from paying preceptors, practicum sites, or site placement agencies, due to conflicts of interest that can arise. 

Students enrolled in the Executive Leadership track, must find preceptors that have senior leadership positions or system-wide administrative responsibilities which may be responsibilities such as chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), chief information officer (CIO), vice president for nursing, vice president for healthcare systems, Divisional Directors, Administrative Directors, etc. Students should identify the person or persons who can assist them in collaborating with executives and leaders across various healthcare disciplines who have responsibilities for guiding change in the healthcare systems. Students in the Executive Leadership track practicums should not select preceptors with only unit responsibilities, such as a nurse manager. The preceptor, however, may be the senior business manager in an area like a free-standing clinic, health center etc.