DNP Palliative Care
book_2 Learning Mode: ResidentialCurriculum
Our program focuses on caring for individuals with life-threatening, progressive illness, emphasizing respect for patients’ and families’ beliefs, values, and choices. Additionally, students will identify a problem in palliative care and address it with evidence-based practice and quality improvement principles.
MUSC Post-Master’s DNP in Palliative Care prepares students to:
- Become a leader among advanced practice nurses. Meet all requirements to sit for the Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN) exam, including both didactic and clinical hours.
- Demonstrate expertise in advanced nursing practice roles based on mastery of a specialized area of knowledge relative to palliative care derived from a strong scientific foundation.
- Evaluate local community and national palliative and hospice care resources for their relevance as an adjunct to care in the management of chronic and advanced pediatric illnesses.
- Integrate professional, legal, moral, and ethical standards into practice and care of patients on a palliative care trajectory
There are two areas of study for the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Post-MSN program, which are Advanced Practice Nursing and Lifespan in Palliative Care.
Advanced Practice Nursing
| Year 1, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| NRDNP850 | Organizational Theory & Healthcare Management | 3 |
| NRDNP860 | Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics | 4 |
| NRDNP873 | Scientific Underpinnings IV | 3 |
| Semester Total | 10 | |
| Year 1, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRDNP858 | Evidence-based Practice, Quality & Safety | 3 |
| NRDNP846 | Frameworks for Leadership | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 1, Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26) | ||
| NRDNP862 | Practice Inquiry & IRB | 3 |
| NRDNP830 | Applied Healthcare Economics & Finance | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 2, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 5 |
| NRDNP836 | Informatics in Healthcare Delivery | 3 |
| Semester Total | 8 | |
| Year 2, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 5 |
| NRDNP708 | Advanced Health Policy & Advocacy | 3 |
| Semester Total | 8 | |
| Curriculum Minimum Total | 38 | |
| Year 1, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
| NRPHD708 | Advanced Health Policy & Advocacy | 3 |
| NRDNP846 | Frameworks for Leadership | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 1, Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26) | ||
| NRDNP860 | Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics | 4 |
| Semester Total | 4 | |
| Year 2, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
| NRDNP836 | Informatics in Healthcare Delivery | 3 |
| NRDNP873 | Scientific Underpinnings IV | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 2, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 2 |
| NRDNP858 | Evidence-based Practice, Quality & Safety | 3 |
| Semester Total | 5 | |
| Year 2, Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26) | ||
| NRDNP830 | Applied Healthcare Economics & Finance | 3 |
| NRDNP862 | Practice Inquiry & IRB | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 3, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
| NRDNP850 | Organizational Theory & Healthcare Management | 3 |
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 3, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 5 |
| Semester Total | 5 | |
| Curriculum Minimum Total | 38 | |
Lifespan in Palliative Care
| Year 1, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| NRDNP850 | Organizational Theory & Healthcare Management | 3 |
| NRDNP860 | Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics | 4 |
| NRDNP873 | Scientific Underpinnings IV | 3 |
| Semester Total | 10 | |
| Year 1, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRDNP846 | Frameworks for Leadership | 3 |
| NRDNP858 | Evidence-based Practice, Quality & Safety | 3 |
| NRDNP874 | Palliative Care Management I | 3 |
| Semester Total | 9 | |
| Year 1, Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26) | ||
| NRDNP830 | Applied Healthcare Economics & Finance | 3 |
| NRDNP875 | Palliative Care Management II | 3 |
| NRDNP862 | Practice Inquiry & IRB | 3 |
| Semester Total | 9 | |
| Year 2, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
| NRDNP836 | Informatics in Healthcare Delivery | 3 |
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 5 |
| Semester Total | 8 | |
| Year 2, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRPHD708 | Advanced Health Policy & Advocacy | 3 |
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 5 |
| Semester Total | 8 | |
| Curriculum Minimum Total | 44 | |
| Year 1, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
| NRPHD708 | Advanced Health Policy & Advocacy | 3 |
| NRDNP846 | Frameworks for Leadership | 3 |
| NRDNP874 | Palliative Care I | 3 |
| Semester Total | 9 | |
| Year 1, Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26) | ||
| NRDNP860 | Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics | 4 |
| NRDNP875 | Palliative Care II | 3 |
| Semester Total | 7 | |
| Year 2, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
| NRDNP873 | Scientific Underpinnings IV | 3 |
| NRDNP836 | Informatics in Healthcare Delivery | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 2, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRDNP858 | Evidence-based Practice, Quality & Safety | 3 |
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 2 |
| Semester Total | 5 | |
| Year 2, Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26) | ||
| NRDNP862 | Practice Inquiry & IRB | 3 |
| NRDNP830 | Applied Healthcare Economics & Finance | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 3, Fall B (8/25/25-12/12/25) | ||
| NRDNP850 | Organizational Theory & Healthcare Management | 3 |
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 3 |
| Semester Total | 6 | |
| Year 3, Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26) | ||
| NRDNP890 | Residency | 5 |
| Semester Total | 5 | |
| Curriculum Minimum Total | 44 | |
Additional Clinical Hours & Courses
Additional palliative care clinical hours may also be added dependent on individual student goals/needs with the course NRDNP 876.
Graduate students can elect to add Nurse Educator courses to include:
- NURSM615 Methodology of Online Teaching, 3 credit hours
- NURSM703 Instructional Processes, 3 credit hours
- NURSM713 Curriculum Design & Development, 3 credit hours
- NRPHD800 Mentored Teaching, 3 credit hours