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Advance Patient Care as a Nurse Leader
As a nursing professional, you never remain still. ACU’s online BSN to DNP program welcomes your tenacious spirit to improve care delivery with coursework and in-person clinical assignments that can be completed around your existing obligations. As you move steadfast toward your goals, our vibrant, virtual, Christ-centered community supports you during your endeavor.
Introducing
Locked-In Tuition.
Our Locked-In Tuition program guarantees you’ll pay the same price for your entire graduate degree.
About the Program
Blending nursing practice and theory, ACU’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited online BSN to DNP program gives you the opportunity to pursue an advanced degree around your schedule. Graduate with a DNP in approximately three years, ready to pursue nurse leadership and educator roles, advocate for patients, and improve community outcomes for nursing facilities through research and evidence-based care.
Program Structure
All the Details on Your Degree
The online BSN to DNP consists of three key parts: an 18 credit-hour pathway sequence, the DNP core, and a specialized concentration in Executive Nursing Leadership. Following successful completion of pathway courses, you’ll transition directly into the DNP coursework with no additional application. Along the way, you’ll practice what you’ve learned through 500 clinical hours plus two projects designed to be completed in your current workplace. Please note that the 18 credit-hour pathway does not result in a standalone MSN degree.
Timeframe
18 hours
Minimum of 12 months
Cost: $650/Hour with $400 resource fee per semester
Example Coursework
Advanced Leadership
Spirituality & Nursing Care
Population Health
Nurse Leaders as Stewards in Healthcare
Upcoming Start Dates
January 14, 2025
March 11, 2025
Common Job Titles
Academic Nurse Leader
Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
Director of Nursing
Lead Clinician
Director of Clinical Services
Director of Advanced Practice Nurses
Public Health Coordinator
Curriculum
Deepen your knowledge of nursing with the 18 credit-hour pathway sequence before honing your leadership and healthcare management skills during the program’s DNP portion. 500 clinical hours help you put what you know into practice and understand how your knowledge can shape patient outcomes.
On the pathway toward a leadership or nurse administrative role, you’ll synthesize everything acquired thus far through two projects requiring you to develop and implement a clinical program. You’ll then present your ideas through a paper for review.
Pathway Courses
Begin where your BSN left off to further explore key nursing disciplines and how research and evidence-based practice influence patient care outcomes for the better.
During these introductory courses, you’ll:
- connect theory, research, practice and evidence-based care to promote more beneficial outcomes;
- broaden what you know about pathophysiology and pharmacologic therapies to provide more informed care along the lifespan;
- discover the importance of nurse leadership on organizational processes and care outcomes;
- understand how to serve diverse clients through health assessments and physical examinations; and
- prepare to influence organizational policy by learning how to design, establish and evaluate healthcare quality initiatives.
DNP Courses
After the pathway sequence, you’ll begin the DNP core, designed to offer insight into expectations for advanced nursing professionals as patient advocates, scholars and leaders. Courses expand upon the leadership, organization and management competencies essential for the healthcare field, touch on technology and data integration and continue to explore topics related to epidemiology and making research-backed, evidence-based care decisions.
Master how to train and direct teams of healthcare workers, how finances affect a practice, and the impact of chronic health conditions on service delivery and care expectations.
Meet the Program Director
Dr. Marcia Sotelo, Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice
Dr. Marcia Sotelo is the Program Director and an Associate Professor for Abilene Christian University’s online BSN to DNP degree program as well as Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Having earned her Baccalaureate Degree in Communications from Baylor University, she decided to return to school and pursue nursing after the birth of her first daughter. She received her ADN from Austin Community College, her BSN from The University of Texas at Arlington, her MSN from Western Governors University, and her DNP from Samford University. All of these nursing education programs were completed online. This has enabled her to understand both the benefits and the challenges of learning in the online setting.
Professionally, Dr. Sotelo has worked in a wide variety of clinical areas, including medical-surgical, outpatient surgery, GI lab, PACU, and Women’s Services. As a National League of Nursing (NLN) Certified Nurse Educator, she has extensive experience teaching in and leading both traditional and online programs at all educational levels. She loves her job of guiding students as they pursue further education and looks forward to working with each student as they achieve their personal and professional goals by pursuing their BS in Nursing all the way to their doctorate.
Spotlight
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Student Spotlight: Susie Brown
Meet Susie Brown, currently enrolled in ACU Online’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Read how she’s shining in her DNP program, while tackling personal odds.
Everything You Need to Know About ACU Online’s DNP Program
Nurses are some of the most dedicated professionals in the healthcare field, providing comfort, respite and necessary care to others. Over time, many nurses will look at their career goals and where they aspire to be in the medical profession. If you find yourself looking to advance your career, now may be the time to consider some additional education.
Become the voice patients need to receive timely, appropriate care. As you scale up your BSN with a more thorough and nuanced array of leadership and clinical skills, earning your DNP degree will prepare you to embark on a career as a:
- chief nursing officer (CNO);
- director of nursing;
- nurse administrator;
- director of clinical services;
- director of advanced practice nurses;
- public health program director or coordinator;
- informaticist; or
- nurse educator.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.
- Submit official transcripts from the accredited colleges or universities that awarded the baccalaureate degree to the applicant sent in a registrar’s sealed and stamped/signed envelope or official electronic transcripts.
- Have a minimum nursing cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Supply two professional recommendation letters that attest to the applicant’s academic abilities, character, and professional abilities.
- Author a 500-word purpose statement outlining the applicant’s interest in the BSN to DNP program and their career professional goals (written in APA format).
- Submit a professional CV or resume.
- Provide proof of unencumbered registered nurse licensure in the United States.
- Have completed an undergraduate level statistics course with a “C” or better.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791
