Nurse Practitioner BSN to DNP

Institutional Accreditation

Information on FGCU institutional accreditation is available at www.fgcu.edu/accreditation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program in nursing at FGCU is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org)

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Public Notice: Posted December 9, 2022
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is seeking national reaccreditation of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in 2023. CCNE site visitors will conduct an onsite visit on February 15, 2023 thru February 17, 2023.

Program constituents, including students, alumni, representatives from clinical agencies, and the public, are invited to submit comments concerning the DNP program’s qualifications for accreditation status. CCNE will share comments with the site visitors before the visit, and at no time will comments be shared with the Florida Gulf Coast University, the DNP Program, or the Board.

This notification indicates that written third-party comments will be received by CCNE 21 days before the scheduled onsite evaluation and must be received by CCNE by January 25, 2023.

All comments are to be directed by email to: thirdpartycomments@ccneaccreditation.org or if you prefer, mail comments to:

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Attn: Third-Party Comments
655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001

Getting Started

Applicants must submit an application online per the individual program’s instructions below. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 239-745-GRAD or graduate@fgcu.edu for additional information about the application process. Satisfaction of minimum University and program requirements does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants should check with the program for the most up to date admission requirements prior to commencing the application process.

See program website at URL listed above

Note: Timeframe and process for admission to the Psychiatric Mental Health Concentration is under development.

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The application deadline for priority admission to the DNP Program is March 1. After March 1, applications may be accepted on a space available basis.

Students are admitted to the program for the Fall semester only. 

The BSN to DNP is for students who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a regionally accredited institution and a BSN program accredited by CCNE or ACEN, or the equivalent bachelor's degree in nursing from a foreign institution.  The BSN to DNP curriculum requires 81 credit hours of coursework that includes a minimum of 1000 practice hours and a DNP Project. The program is designed to be completed in either a full-time or part-time plan of study. Classes will be offered in a variety of formats including face-to-face, online, hybrid and clinical practice.

BSN to DNP Major Application Requirements: 

1. Submit all applications and supporting documentation through NursingCas, a centralized application system for nursing programs, to be considered for admission to the DNP Program
2. Submit only official transcript(s) for all colleges and universities attended, including a bachelor's degree in nursing transcript from a  nationally accredited (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education [CCNE] or Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing [ACEN]) nursing program, and a regionally accredited institution, or the equivalent bachelor's degree in a nursing program from a foreign institution.
3. Show evidence of a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of the BSN degree.
4. Provide copy of an unrestricted Florida RN license, or eligibility for the RN licensure in Florida.
5. Provide evidence of a minimum of one year full-time current experience or its part-time equivalent as a registered nurse in an acute care hospital setting. 
6. Provide a current resume or curriculum vitae.
7. Provide personal statement of professional goals in 300 to 350 words.
8. Show completion of the following undergraduate level nursing courses with a grade of "C" or better: Health Assessment and Statistics.
9. If applicable, applicants who have attended but not completed another DNP or doctoral nursing program must provide an official transcript from that program and a letter of standing from the dean of the school of nursing (or designee) that also addresses potential for success in a DNP program.
10. A personal interview may be required with designated faculty.
11. Provide three professional references that indicate your potential for doctoral study, clinical proficiency, and academic competence. References should include: 

• • one from a faculty
  • one from a supervisor
  • one from a registered nurse, APRN, or physician familiar with the applicant's professional expertise

Please request references through NursingCAS in the Applicant Evaluation Section.

Program Requirements for the 2023-2024 Catalog Year

Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements

• Students must follow a Program of Study approved by the Program Director or designee.
• Students must receive a grade of "B" ("S" if applicable) or better on all courses within the program curriculum.
• Students must meet specific progression, clinical and graduation requirements. See the D.N.P. Program Guidebook, General Academic Policies and FGCU Graduation Requirements.
• Successful completion of a minimum of 81 credits, based on the concentration, of doctoral level course work.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater in the D.N.P. program.
• Completion of Nurse Practitioner Certification exam review course.
• Completion of clinical practice requirements.
• Completion of D.N.P. Project requirements.
• Submit an application for graduation by the semester deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
• Students must register for a minimum of one credit during the semester in which they apply for graduation.
• Earn more than 50% of the credit toward the degree through FGCU.

Program Requirements

1. Required Courses in the Major (57 credits)
   NGR 6002 Advanced Health Assessment (3)
   NGR 6002L Adv Health Assessment Practice (1)
   NGR 6141 Advanced Pathophysiology (4)
   NGR 6172 Pharmacotherapeutics (4)
   NGR 6638 Advanced Health Promotion (3)
   NGR 6712 Foundations of Nursing Educ. (3)
   NGR 6811 Advanced Nursing Research (3)
   NGR 6872 Nursing Information Management (3)
   NGR 7176 Adv Pharmacology & Genomics (3)
   NGR 7768 Basis of Adv. Practice Nursing (3)
   NGR 7769 Advanced Practice Management (3)
   NGR 7846 Biostatistics & Epidemiology (3)
   NGR 7856 Evidence-Based Trans. Research (3)
   NGR 7895 Health Policy (3)
   NGR 7899 Organization Syst. & Leadship (3)
   NGR 7974 DNP Project (5)*
   NGR 7949L DNP Clinical Practice (7)*
   
   
2. Concentration (24- 27 credits)
   Select one of the concentrations below
   
   Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration (24 credits)
   NGR 6240 Primary Health Care I (4)
   NGR 6240L Primary Health Care I - Pract. (2)
   NGR 6252 Primary Health Care IV (4)
   NGR 6252L Primary Health Care IV Pract. (4)
   NGR 6305 Primary Health Care III (3)
   NGR 6305L Primary Health Care III-Pract. (2)
   NGR 6741 Primary Health Care II (3)
   NGR 6741L Primary Health Care II Pract. (2)
   
   Psychiatric Mental Health Concentration (27 credits)
   NGR 6240 Primary Health Care I (4)
   NGR 6240L Primary Health Care I - Pract. (2)
   NGR 6505L Role Synthesis in Adv PMHNP (7)*
   NGR 6508C PMHNP Group Therapy (4)
   NGR 6509C PMHNP Indiv & Fam Psychotherap (4)
   NGR 6538 Psychopharm for Psych Nursing (3)
   NGR 6560C Adv Psych Assess & Diagnostics (3)

*Credits are spread over varying semesters

Total Credits Required: 81 HRS

View/Print:

Sample of BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner Full Time Progression Plan

Sample of BSN-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner Part Time Progression Plan 

Sample of BSN-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Full Time Progression Plan 

Sample of BSN-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Part Time Progression Plan 

Additional Graduation Requirements 

• Successful completion of a minimum of 81 credit hours of doctoral level course work.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater in the DNP program.
• Completion of all courses with a grade of "B" or higher, or "S" (Satisfactory) where applicable.
• Completion of Nurse Practitioner Certification exam review course.
• Completion of clinical practice residency requirements.
• Completion of capstone requirements. 

Progression Requirements 

• Students must follow a Program of Study approved by the Program Director or designee.
• Students must receive a grade of "B" ("S" if applicable) or better on all courses within the program curriculum.

Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search

Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.

*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Graduates will: 

1. Collaborate and communicate with other healthcare professionals to provide high quality, ethical patient-centered care that meets current standards of best practice.
2. Lead inter-professional teams to design, implement, and evaluate complex clinical practice strategies based on theoretical, scientific, and ethical knowledge.
3. Integrate advanced critical reasoning and judgment in the management of complex clinical situations and systems in a selected area of advanced practice nursing and organizational systems.
4. Implement health care delivery models and strategies designed for increased safety and quality improvement in health promotion, clinical prevention and population health.
5. Employ an evidence-based framework and information technology to evaluate and develop strategies and interventions to improve health status, access patterns, and identify gaps in care of diverse patients, populations, and organizations.
6. Advocate for change in health care practice and health care environments through policy development, implementation, and evaluation.

Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.

Updated 11-8-23 

Q: Is the GRE required? 

The GRE is no longer required for admission. 

Q: Do we need to provide all 3 professional references?  

Yes, one from Faculty, one from current or past Supervisor, and one from a RN APRN, or Physician familiar with the applicant’s professional expertise. 

Q: How long is the program?   

The BSN to DNP Full Time is 3 years or Part Time is 4 years 

The MSN to DNP Full Time is 2 years or Part Time is 3 Years.  

Q: How many days per semester will I have to be on campus or at clinical sites? 

The core courses are offered in a hybrid format (partially online and face-to-face) but students are expected to be on campus 2 days a week if full-time (recommended not to work or work part-time) and 1 day a week for part-time (may be able to work full-time). Clinical hours may include some telehealth opportunities; however, most encounters will be in-person.  

Q: Can students get preceptor and clinical site placing assistance? 

A clinical coordinator will assist with clinical placements.  FGCU has clinical partnerships to help facilitate finding preceptors.  Faculty will evaluate all potential clinical placements to verify that both the preceptor and clinical site are appropriate for the program. 

Q: Can a current workplace be used as a clinical site? 

Due to potential conflict of interest, students are not advised to complete their clinical hours where they are employed. Final approval of clinical site placement is at the discretion of the faculty. 

Q: Where are the clinical sites located?  

Generally, in the SWFL 5 County areas (Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Glades, and Lee Counties)  

Q: Do you have advising and mentorship?

Each student is assigned a faculty advisor.  Students are strongly encouraged to collaborate with faculty and peer groups throughout the program.  Meet at least once per semester.   

Q: Does FGCU offer a board review course? 

No, but there are several reputable APRN review courses e.g. Fitzgerald, Barkley, APEA  

Q: Is it possible to work full-time while enrolled in the DNP program? 

It is highly recommended that students do not work full-time during the program.  Students need to evaluate their school needs to determine if they can find a balance.     

Q: Requirements for the DNP Project? 

Completion of coursework to the capstone project. The project is an opportunity for students to answer an evidenced based question through implementation dissemination of work through a manuscript and presentation.  More details can be found in the DNP-NP Project handbook.