KEIGWIN SCHOOL OF NURSINGDoctor of Nursing Practice

Two nurses listening to the heart rate of a female patient in an exam room
A woman posing in her white coat

Available Programs

If you have a Master of Science in Nursing…

The post-MSN DNP program is designed to accommodate the schedules and individual interests of practicing RNs, advanced practice nurses, nurse administrators, and educators. It offers two cognates:

  • The Advanced Practice track is designed for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses such as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists. In this track, students will enhance their advanced practice specialties with a clinical focus on individuals and populations.
  • The Leadership track focuses on executive-level skills and is suited for RNs and APRNs working within health care systems in areas such as education and administration.

If you don't have a Master of Science in Nursing…

The BSN to DNP program is designed to provide BSN-educated nurses a pathway to earn a terminal degree and take on new leadership positions in multiple domains of healthcare. It offers four cognates: 

  • The BSN to DNP Leadership program follows the APRN admissions schedule and only admits once a year for the Fall semester. This program is designed for RNs who wish to pursue Leadership roles within nursing systems and organizations while completing DNP coursework.

  • BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program follows the APRN admissions schedule and only admits once a year for the Fall semester. This program is designed for RNs who wish to obtain FNP certification and complete DNP coursework concurrently.
    Graduates are prepared for the Family Nurse Practitioner National Certification Exams through American Nurses Credentialing Center and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.  After successful completion of the certification exam graduates are prepared to apply for licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the state of Florida.

  • The BSN-DNP Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner cognate is for BSN nurses who wish to pursue their DNP degree and specialize in the treatment of adults with critically complex and acute episodic illnesses.
    Graduates are prepared for the Adult Gerongology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner National Certification Exams through American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. After successful completion of the certification exam graduates are prepared to apply for licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the state of Florida.

  • The BSN-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner cognate will help BSN students, who wish to obtain their DNP, demonstrate critical thinking and decision-making skills in evaluating the health of individuals and families suffering from mental health issues.
    Graduates are prepared for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner National Certification Exam through American Nurses Credentialing Center.  After successful completion of the certification exam graduates are prepared to apply for licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the state of Florida.

AdmissionsHow to Apply

  • Completed JU Application
  • Unofficial Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended with All Nursing Coursework & Nursing Degrees
    • If the candidate attended a college or university abroad, an official NACES evaluation of that transcript is required. Choose the course-by-course evaluation with the GPA option.
  •  A minimum 3.3 undergraduate nursing GPA on a 4.0 scale is required
    The following may be requested of students with a GPA of 3.3 or below
    • GRE/GMAT scores
    • Letters of Recommendation
  • Graduation from a regionally accredited program and CCNE, NLN, or ACEN accredited program
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (if applying to a Nurse Practitioner track)
  • Statement of Intent
  • Active U.S. Nursing License
    • Out-of-state applicants must be eligible for endorsement in Florida
    • International students must hold a current license from a U.S. state and be eligible for endorsement in Florida. 
  • All international students whose first language is not English are required to submit proof of their proficiency in English, by providing scores for either: IELTS or TOEFL. If submitting score reports, they must be sent directly to Jacksonville University from the testing institutions.

Featured Project

Improving Clinical Alarm Fatigue and Alarm Management Competency Among Critical Care Nurses by Implementing a Unit Based Alarm Management Bundle

Stephanie Bosma, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Faculty Chair: Roberta Christopher, EdD, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, EBP-C, NE-BC, CAIF

Clinical alarms are designed to signal an unsatisfactory patient physiological state, alert staff to malfunctioning medical equipment or systems, and warn the operator of potential hazards to the patient. While alarms interrupt the patients healing process, alarms also induce a crippling fatigue among nurses, known as alarm fatigue. The concept of alarm fatigue and clinical alarm management competency remains a common problem among nurses who work in the acute care setting. In the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at a teaching hospital in Northeast Florida, alarm fatigue, consistent alarm management skills, and competency surrounding the use of the Philips physiologic monitoring systems were noted to be a problem among nurses working in the SICU. The goal of the DNP quality improvement project was to improve nursing competency associated with alarm management skills and decrease alarm fatigue through the implementation of an evidence-based alarm management bundle, called the CEASE bundle. A pre-and post-intervention HTF clinical alarms survey was distributed to 115 full-time nurses to gather their perceptions of alarm fatigue and management. Overall, nurse participants demonstrated improved alarm management competency, which resulted in significant improvements in their perceptions of alarm functionality, settings, response, and policy adherence. There was a statistically significant decrease in self-reported alarm fatigue post project intervention, and the CEASE bundle was found to be influential to nursing practice.

April 2023 Publication

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Contact Information Keigwin School of Nursing

Phone: (904) 256-7000
Email: graduateadmissions@ju.edu

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