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Graduate & Professional | In-Person

Doctor of Nursing Practice, BSN to DNP

Enhance your career through Belmont's BSN-DNP program and become a nurse leader, clinical educator or family nurse practitioner. DNP students engage in practice and scholarship to improve population health.

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Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing

Sarah Caylor
Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions
(615) 460.6722

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Why choose a Doctor of Nursing Practice? 

BSN-prepared RNs can continue their education and earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at Belmont University College of Nursing, choosing between two separate tracks.

Family Nurse Practitioner Track: Students on this track will be eligible for the National Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP).

Health Care Leadership Track: Students will choose electives in one or both areas of healthcare leadership and clinical education. Students will be prepared academically to take the AONL Executive Nursing Leadership or Nursing Educator certification exam.

The Belmont DNP meets the professional standards for the practice doctorate (DNP Essentials) developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The program is designed to be completed in three years of full-time study and offers flexibility to accommodate working students.

Students are guaranteed clinical and DNP project placement sites in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Students can also work with their networks to arrange their own clinical experiences.

The Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing is committed to whole-person formation through an integrated approach to health and well-being.

What You'll Learn 

NLN Center for Nursing ExcellenceBelmont University’s DNP program prepares nurses for advanced practice as clinicians and scholars dedicated to improving population health. Students graduate skilled in the measurement of outcomes, education of diverse populations, leadership in health policy development and implementation, translation of evidence into clinical practice and advocacy for safe and quality care within complex health care delivery systems.

As a graduate of Belmont’s DNP program, you will be able to:

  • Integrate knowledge from nursing, biophysical, social, analytical and organizational sciences to develop and transform advanced practice nursing.
  • Translate nursing, biophysical, social, analytical and organizational knowledge to improve patient and population health outcomes.
  • Manage increasingly complex healthcare system demands by incorporating knowledge of current and emerging health technologies.
  • Provide leadership and advocacy for social justice, equity and ethical policies in health care.
  • Develop, implement and evaluate effective and sustainable educational programs for varying populations.
  • Demonstrate intra- and inter-professional collaboration to improve healthcare quality and outcomes across diverse populations and to address health disparities.
Doctorate Nursing graduates in their graduate robes

Career Possibilities

A DNP is a terminal professional nursing degree that offers numerous career opportunities.

  • Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) focus on system-level changes that promote optimal health, well-being and health equity for individual patients and across populations. FNP's diagnose and prescribe treatment, counsel patients and collaborate with health professionals. They work in various settings, including outpatient clinics, urgent care/emergency rooms, hospitals and specialty clinics.
  • Nurse Educators lead healthcare as faculty, deans and administrators in universities and colleges. They train nursing staff in hospitals and community settings and conduct educational health missions in the United States and globally.
  • Nurse Leaders advance healthcare through innovation and system transformation. They work as chief nursing officers, patient care directors, nursing directors and healthcare lobbyists.

BSN to DNP Program

By the Numbers

93.3%
Job Placement Rate for 2021
100%
of students passed the FNP Certification on the first attempt since program inception
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50 Years of Nursing Excellence

Program Details

All Belmont DNP degree students complete a core curriculum. Students then choose between two tracks, either the Family Nurse Practitioner (APRN/FNP) track or the Health Care Leadership Track.

Examples of core courses include:

  • NUR 5140 Advanced Pharmacology
  • NUR 5710 Clinical Information Systems
  • NUR 6220 Health Care Policy
  • NUR 6100 Population Health and Epidemiology
  • NUR 6210 Leadership & Management of Organizations & Systems
  • NUR 6240 Health Care Education of Diverse Populations

The Belmont University Graduate Program Course Catalogs outline study plans and course descriptions.

Family Nurse Practitioner (APRN/FNP) Track Program of Study
Health Care Leadership Track Program of Study

All DNP students engage in clinical research and scholarship projects that seek to discover innovative quality improvement solutions and system-level strategies to address social determinants of health and reduce care disparities.

In the spirit of the Belmont University Mission to develop diverse leaders of purpose, character, wisdom and transformational mindset, eager and equipped to make the world a better place, we want to extend a warm welcome to you and introduce you to our program.

As a Belmont University Nursing Student, you will join a community of scholars and leaders committed to improving healthcare and enhancing patient outcomes. You will think critically about patient care, collaborate in interdisciplinary teams and engage in clinical reasoning. You will improve the lives of patients and communities in underserved and underrepresented populations. As a Belmont Nurse, you will make the world a better place.

We look forward to supporting your journey and welcoming you to the most trusted profession in the world.

Dr. Julie Honey, DNP, APRN, FNP, PNP-PC
Interim Dean of Nursing, Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing

  • All Belmont DNP students complete a signature experience – a dynamic blend of didactic and experiential service learning that nurtures professional identity and skill development through exposure to the cultural and psychosocial dimensions of population health.
  • Students will practice cultural humility, leadership, shared decision-making and systems analysis to participate in quality improvement that promotes health by building long-term capacity.
  • DNP students will participate in interprofessional teams to explore multifaceted practice and systems issues through applying best practices in community engagement and evidence-based health promotion.
  • DNP students may choose to participate in local and global service and learning opportunities throughout the program of study.

Belmont’s College of Nursing receives applicants for admission and most applicant credentials for graduate nursing programs exclusively through the Nursing Central Application Service (Nursing CAS). Applications are considered on a rolling basis until all spaces in the entering class are each program are filled.

Candidates are encouraged to begin the application process as soon as possible. Selected candidates receive an invitation to interview with members of the graduate faculty.

  • A BSN from a nationally accredited nursing program (CCNE or ACEN [Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, formerly NLNAC])
  • An active, unencumbered Registered Nurse License in the state of TN (or the ability to obtain one before program orientation)
  • Minimum GPA Preferred: 3.5
  • Application & Essay
  • Two Letters of Reference
  • Interview (as invited)

Post-Admission Requirements

Following acceptance, the below requirements are necessary before enrollment.

  • $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit by a specific deadline after acceptance, applied to your first semester’s tuition.
  • Final official transcript of coursework that was in progress at the time of your application, sent directly to Belmont
  • Documentation of licensure or certification information, as requested
  • A background check, as directed by the School of Nursing, with favorable results
  • Required immunizations
  • Proof of health insurance coverage
  • Program Orientation

If these requirements are not satisfied, admission to the program may be rescinded.

Additional Requirements for International Applicants

  • International applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting official TOEFL scores (minimum of 550 PBT or 80 iBT) or by successful completion of ELS Language Center Level 112.
  • International applicants with college-level coursework from foreign institutions must have their transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service such as World Education Services or Joseph Silny & Associates.
  • To be issued an I-20 for the desired entry term, international applicants must be admitted by June 1 to begin enrollment in the fall.

The Belmont Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) offers loan forgiveness for DNP graduates who commit to either nursing faculty or full-time preceptor role after graduation. Ask us more about this opportunity!

CCNE Accredited LogoThe Baccalaureate, Post-graduate APRN and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Belmont University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, (202) 887-6791.

Belmont University College of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the National League for Nursing and the Southern Council of Collegiate Education for Nursing. The program is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Belmont University College of Nursing is designated as a NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.

In addition, the College of Nursing holds the charter for the Omicron Phi chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Click here for full accreditation and state licensure information

Jeneth Aquino

Alumni Testimonial

"I was a little hesitant transitioning from being a nurse to a nurse practitioner, but the program prepares you so well that when you get out, you know your stuff (as my patients say). It is the personalized approach that you will never get in any online education is what makes Belmont unique. The Belmont faculty will always be a part of my nursing journey wherever this career will take me."

Jeneth Aquino, MSN Class of 2010, DNP Class of 2022

Nurse Practitioner at Vanderbilt Interventional Radiology Department

Alumni Testimonials

Shelby Pawlowski

Shelby Pawlowski '21 | Murfreesboro Medical Clinic

"Belmont’s Graduate Nursing Program provided me with a rich learning experience that fostered my growth both academically and personally. The small cohorts and in-person academic experience were my favorite aspects of the program allowing for the formation of authentic relations and meaningful discussions."

 

Request Information

Contact Us

Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing

Sarah Caylor
Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions
(615) 460.6722

Schedule a Call

Email Sarah