College of Nursing

Julie Honey, Dean, College of Nursing
Erin Shankel, Associate Dean of Graduate Nursing
Kathryn Dambrino, Director, DNP Projects and Practice Experiences
Meg Rowland, Director, FNP Clinical Experiences

Faculty: Steven Busby, Kathryn Dambrino, Jeannie Giese, Laura Gray, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi, Meg Rowland, Erin Shankel, Linda Wofford.

The graduate nursing program at Belmont offers the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree with two separate points of entry- either as a BSN prepared RN or as a master’s prepared RN. Those entering with a BSN may opt into the family nurse practitioner (FNP) track or leadership & innovation track. Students will complete a curriculum that combines core courses along with direct and indirect clinical experiences for a family nurse practitioner role and leadership or innovation practice experience hours, respectively. Those students entering as a master’s prepared RN complete a curriculum that builds on existing knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to gain expertise at a systems and population level. For students entering with an MSN in a specific APRN role who are not pursuing a DNP degree but would like to complete required coursework to be eligible to take the FNP certification boards exam, the post-APRN certification track is available.

Affiliation

Belmont University School of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Southern Council on Collegiate Education of Nursing. The master’s program is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington DC 20036, (202) 887-6791. In addition, the School of Nursing holds the charter for the Omicron Phi chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and is a member institution of the Nightingale Society.

Academic Policies

Academic Policies for DNP Programs

Progression toward Graduation

It is essential that students make satisfactory progress toward their degree in terms of consistency and performance. Unsatisfactory progress will result in the following actions:

Condition	Action
Two “C” grades	Academic Probation
GPA less than 3.0	Academic Probation
Three “C” grades	Dismissal
“F” grade in any course	Dismissal
Failure to enroll in a term	Inactive Status

If a student remains on Inactive Status for more than one year without the program director’s permission, the student must reapply for admission to the program.

Students on academic probation must raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 or higher within the next two semesters, and must earn grades higher than “C” in all future classes. If a student fails to meet these criteria the student is automatically dismissed from the program. Any student who is dismissed may apply for readmission, but only once.

Academic Policies for Post-Graduate APRN Program

Because the post-graduate APRN student has fewer courses and therefore fewer credit hours in which to achieve the required 3.0 GPA, the post-graduate APRN student should earn a minimum grade of B or higher in all courses. An earned grade of C in any one post-graduate APRN course will result in Academic Probation. Failure to achieve the required 3.0 GPA in the following semester will result in dismissal from the program.

Progression toward Graduation

Condition	Action
One grade of C	Academic Probation
GPA less than 3.0	Academic Probation
Two grades of C	Dismissal
Grade of ‘F’ in any course	Dismissal
Failure to enroll in a term	Inactive Status

If a student remains inactive for more than one year without the program director’s permission, the student must reapply for admission to the program.

Students on academic probation must raise their Belmont Graduate GPA to 3.0 or higher in the next semester. If a student fails to meet this criterion, the student is automatically dismissed from the program. Any student who is dismissed may apply for readmission, but only once.