The University requires that each applicant for the Doctor of Nursing Practice

DNP Essay Instructions 

The University  requires that each applicant for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program submit an essay for review and analysis prior to program admission. The essay allows the reviewer to determine student preparedness for the DNP degree process, learn about the applicant’s thoughts regarding how the DNP will influence his or her professional practice, and identification of a problem that the applicant believes could be addressed through a DNP project. In addition, the reviewer can identify resources to assist the student in achieving scholarly writing and developing the identified problem.   

Essay Requirement  

Applicants must submit a 400- to 700-word, APA-formatted document. Be sure to use academic writing that is clear and logical. 

Given your role as a master’s prepared registered professional nurse, provide the following, using first-person point of view in your writing:   

• Describe your current nursing practice and how the DNP degree will influence that practice.  (~100 words)  
• Describe your career goals as they pertain to the completion of a DNP degree. (~100 words) 
• Describe the problem that you wish to focus on for your DNP applied project. (~200 -500 words).  
  • Provide specific examples in your practice area on why this is a problem. 
  • Please note that the topic focus should be population-focused rather than focused on providing direct patient care.  
  • Utilize the article A Guide to Developing and Defending Your Capstone Project when choosing your topic. It defines, discusses development, provides samples, discusses the components, and also provides project ideas.   
  • Include at least two professional, scholarly sources published within the last five years or less, that demonstrate the problem is not unique to your practice area. The problem should be specific rather than general in perspective. For example, a problem written as communication issues is a general problem and needs to be more specific such as intra-shift communication of Med-surg staff nurses.
  • Optional (not included in word count):  Describe a possible project that could be implemented that would address the problem.  Keep the project description clear and focused.