Our dedicated Faculty Doctoral Advisors and program director offer personalized attention throughout the duration of the program, ensuring continuous guidance and mentorship to support your growth.
Achieve a work-life-education balance with our flexible online degree. Explore the opportunity to transfer earned immersion hours from your previous master's degree and fulfill additional hours at your organization or a location that suits your professional needs.
Gain access to our impressive healthcare industry network, offering opportunities to support your community-based projects and connections to a lifelong professional network.
As the demand for nurses rises, a DNP can position you to meet requirements for teaching, making a significant impact in the evolving field of nursing.
The DNP program prepares students for advanced nursing practice by developing their ability to independently provide culturally sensitive, evidence-based care and demonstrate critical thinking in healthcare management. Students will learn to translate research into practice, integrate science and theory for reflective practice, and evaluate outcomes through healthcare information systems and fiscal analysis.
Upon completing the Doctor of Nursing Practice, you will acquire the relevant knowledge and practical application needed to navigate the healthcare industry successfully and provide mentorship to fellow nursing professionals. You will gain experience in healthcare information systems, fostering collaborative relationships, and assuming leadership roles in policy analysis and development at various levels.
As a graduate of the Egan School DNP program, you will:
Tuition for the Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program is $36,320 ($1,135 per credit hour).
Please see the Tuition and Financial Aid page for more information.
The DNP program is open to students with a conferred bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution. A GPA of 3.2 or better is preferred but not required.
No GMAT/GRE required.
Here’s what you will need to apply:
Dr. Sally Gerard, Professor and Program Director for The Nurse Leadership and MSN/MBA programs at Fairfield University, boasts a 25-year nursing career with a focus on critical care and hospital education. A Certified Diabetes Educator, Dr. Gerard is renowned for her expertise in diabetes. Her dedicated publications and research aim to deepen our understanding of diabetes and improve patient outcomes. Driven by a profound passion for nursing, she actively advocates for health and quality care, contributing significantly to the healthcare landscape.
Dr. Dorothy Vittner is an Assistant Professor and Director Post Masters DNP Program. Dr Vittner’s background of 34 years in nursing and research focuses on care of high-risk infants and families. Her professional responsibilities focus on infant neurobehavioral assessment and functioning as well as training multidisciplinary healthcare professionals on infant behavior and neurodevelopment to improve outcomes for infants and families. Dorothy is currently on the NIDCAP Federation International Board of Directors and serves as the Vice-President and NFI Program Committee Chair. Dorothy received a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education from University of Hartford and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. She published many book chapters and manuscripts in peer-review journals and has lectured around the world. Her research focuses on examining bio-behavioral mechanisms, specifically the role oxytocin and cortisol in modulating premature infants’ behavioral, autonomic and stress responses utilizing individualized developmental care strategies to enhance parent engagement to strengthen developing relationships.
Empower yourself to deliver exceptional healthcare to diverse communities. Our practice-focused curriculum and extensive field experience options enable you to choose your path. Our faculty advisors offer personalized mentorship, guiding your academic journey, and shaping your path to a fulfilling healthcare career. Your success is our central focus.
Credits – 3
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with the skills needed to develop either a research study proposal or a healthcare improvement proposal. This course prepares the student to identify practice problems and critique current research for relevance and application to practice. An overview of theory is presented as a vehicle for understanding public health or healthcare research. Basic concepts of qualitative and quantitative research methods will be examined in order to plan and evaluate a practice change or answer a research question. Using an evidence-based and/or research approach, students identify a clinical or public health problem within a specific population or setting, considering ethical issues. Students will develop a research study proposal or healthcare improvement proposal for implementation. Students use reflection in the evaluation of public health or healthcare system research.
Credits – 1
This online module course introduces reflective practice, portfolio development, and health policy for the Doctorate of Nursing Practice student. The methods, processes, applications, benefits, and limitations of reflection and reflective practice are examined. Advanced practice roles of expert clinician, collaborator, educator, teacher, consultant, advocate, researcher and manager are addressed through exemplars of reflective praxis. Students identify and analyze a health policy issue and develop strategies to influence the political process toward change. 14 theory hours. Previously NS 0609.
Credits – 3
This course presents the foundational skills required for public health and healthcare provider students to engage in a systematic approach to population health. Disease prevention and health promotion are addressed through examination of social and behavioral determinants. Evidence-based strategies inform how to identify and assess at-risk populations, implement both preventive and therapeutic interventions, and evaluate outcomes at the population level. Models of health behavior change synthesize psychological, biophysical, cultural, ecological, environmental, and social dimensions to analyze population-based outcomes. The roles of national initiatives, public policy and cultural values are explored in relation to health equity to support population health at institutional, local, state, and national levels.
Credits – 3
This course presents epidemiologic principles and biostatistical methods for the presentation and analysis of health-related data. Data from a variety of sources will be used to draw inferences about the health status of populations. Biostatistical techniques are used to examine relationships among contributing factors for population health in order to plan and evaluate health services and programs. Epidemiological methods for conducting studies will be discussed in detail, with an emphasis on group and population methods. Ethical issues related to the application of biostatistics and data privacy, such as IRB requirements, genomics, population genetics, clinical trials, and public health epidemiological studies are addressed.
Credits – 1
This seminar provides the foundation for development of the scholarly DNP Project. In conjunction with the first two research courses in the DNP curriculum, this seminar gives students the opportunity to further refine their proposed DNP project aimed at improving the healthcare delivery system or patient outcomes. This project could be a quality improvement project, a practice change project, a program evaluation, a policy development/improvement project, or another project with a focus on patient outcomes and practice improvement. Project plans are developed to include the identification of an appropriate clinical practice problem, the patient/system/population outcomes that the project is intended to affect, the proposed project site, and the proposed steps for implementation and outcome assessment. Students will continue to work with their DNP Advisor in developing the project. In addition, students will identify potential Immersion experiences that focus on achieving program outcomes. Previously NS 0697.
Credits – 3
This course begins by applying microeconomic theory to the health sector of the U.S. economy with a focus on financial incentives throughout the healthcare system. Topics include the demand for healthcare and health insurance, quality improvement, managed care and the role of government. The U.S. experience is compared to healthcare systems in other countries. Evidence-based skills include cost analysis and business plan and budget development. 42 theory hours. Previously NS 0602.
Credits – 3
Prerequisites: NURS 7601, NURS 7608.
This course focuses on the critical analysis, synthesis and application of qualitative and quantitative research methods for improvement of outcome indicators at the individual, family, system and population level. Emphasis will be placed on current paradigms of scholarship including Boyer’s Model of Scholarship and the philosophy of reflective practice, bridging the gap between research and practice, and outcome assessment in healthcare. The evaluation of instruments to measure quantitative outcomes and methods of qualitative analysis will be examined, and ethical and legal considerations will be addressed as they relate to the IRB process. The process of identifying potential sources of grant funding and models of long-term program evaluation will also be explored. Students will develop an IRB-ready project proposal based upon a previously identified practice problem within their area of specialization. 42 theory hours. Previously NS 0612.
Credits – 1
DNP graduates are healthcare leaders who will care for a cohort of patients within their specialty, while using a cross-population perspective to assess, manage and evaluate common problems. The immersion experience prepares the graduate in the design, delivery, and evaluation of evidenced-based care incorporating advanced practice nursing competencies. In addition, students will provide leadership in promoting evidenced-based practice in the advanced practice specialty while functioning as a practice specialist/consultant in the resolution of clinical problems. The DNP immersion experience culminates in the completion of a scholarly DNP Project, disseminated in both the form of a conference-style poster and a publication-ready manuscript. Previously NS 0687.
Credits – 3
This course focuses on the evaluation and utilization of information systems and technology in order to support and improve patient care and health care systems, provide leadership within health care systems and/or academic settings and impact quality improvement initiatives with emphasis on the macro and meso system levels. Discussion focuses on the design, selection and utilization of information systems as a means to evaluate programs of care, outcomes of care and care systems. In addition, students will evaluate the use of information systems and technology resources to implement quality improvement initiatives, support practice and administrative decision-making, and apply budgetary and productivity tools to support and improve patient outcomes. Discussion of the legal, ethical and cultural issues as they relate to the use of information technology for improvement of health care will be woven throughout the course. 42 theory hours. Previously NS 0614.
Credits – 3-4
DNP graduates are healthcare leaders who will care for a cohort of patients within their specialty, while using a cross-population perspective to assess, manage and evaluate common problems. The immersion experience prepares the graduate in the design, delivery, and evaluation of evidenced-based care incorporating advanced practice nursing competencies. In addition, students will provide leadership in promoting evidenced-based practice in the advanced practice specialty while functioning as a practice specialist/consultant in the resolution of clinical problems. The DNP immersion experience culminates in the completion of a scholarly DNP Project, disseminated in both the form of a conference-style poster and a publication-ready manuscript. Previously NS 0687.
Credits – 3
The focus of this course is on contemporary health policy, its development and implementation, and ways that public health and healthcare system leaders, can influence it. Students will evaluate the impact of health policy on health professionals, consumers, communities, and healthcare delivery systems. Resource allocation, along with the socioeconomic, political, legal, and ethical factors that influence health policy will be examined.
Credits – 1
This seminar is designed to provide students with the opportunity to synthesize knowledge as they transition to advanced practice nursing at the doctoral level. The seminar reflects integration of all course work and experiential learning in order to demonstrate the students’ integration and utilization of evidence based-practice, finance, management, quality improvement, informatics, leadership, ethics, and reflective practice in the management of individual patients, populations, and healthcare systems. Students will be given an opportunity to develop a poster for professional presentation, give case presentations developed during immersion experiences, present drafts of manuscripts and/or practice guidelines, and participate in the peer review process to demonstrate expertise and decision making skills in their individual area of specialization. Previously NS 0699.
Credits – 2-5
DNP graduates are healthcare leaders who will care for a cohort of patients within their specialty, while using a cross-population perspective to assess, manage and evaluate common problems. The immersion experience prepares the graduate in the design, delivery, and evaluation of evidenced-based care incorporating advanced practice nursing competencies. In addition, students will provide leadership in promoting evidenced-based practice in the advanced practice specialty while functioning as a practice specialist/consultant in the resolution of clinical problems. The DNP immersion experience culminates in the completion of a scholarly DNP Project, disseminated in both the form of a conference-style poster and a publication-ready manuscript. Previously NS 0687.
Visionary by nature.
Jesuit Catholic by origin.
The driving force of Fairfield is our mission — to impact the world. It prompts us to ask important questions, to embrace our social responsibilities, and to lead by example. And it’s what has made us a premier institution in the Northeast. Let the mission be part of your journey.
