Immersion Hours
The evidence of 1000 Immersion hours is required for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Aspen University. Student’s may complete these supervised hours in a variety of settings, including acute care facilities, assisted living facilities, sub-acute and ambulatory care organizations, healthcare service support organizations, such as insurance companies, pharmaceutical organizations, care coordination services, clinics, home-based care facilities.
Students are required to have a DNP Immersion Approval Letter prior to engaging in immersion hours. Students will work directly with the Office of Field Experience (OFE) to complete paperwork necessary for the immersion site and preceptor agreements. The OFE can be reached at ofe@aspen.edu.
Many students complete their immersion hours in their own place of employment; however the on-site preceptor (supervised by the Faculty Mentor) will be a doctoral prepared professional with career experience in healthcare leadership, be affiliated with the site and have knowledge of the student’s Project topic. The on-site preceptor, in conjunction with the Faculty Mentor, will supervise and verify the immersion activities, though the student may complete certain activities independently and not in the presence of the preceptor but still under the preceptor and faculty mentor’s guidance. The supervised immersion activities will be reported to the Faculty Mentor for verification by means of the immersion hours log that the preceptor must sign, and the student must submit to ProjectConcert as evidence of immersion hours completion. Furthermore, the Faculty Mentor supervises the student in conjunction with the preceptor and the Faculty Mentor evaluates the student, student’s work and assigns the grades to the student.
The DNP Project courses each have three required teleconferences which gives the Faculty Mentor to hear about project progression from the preceptor and student, the opportunity for the student, preceptor and Faculty Mentor to ask questions and receive clarification and the opportunity to monitor, report, and assess the immersion activities for appropriateness and approval. Immersion activities will vary, per the site and student’s project topic and need. Activities may include attendance of courses, classes, seminars, conferences, meetings, webinars and interviews, researching, and active professional shadowing. For any potential immersion activity consideration, the student will need approval from the Faculty Mentor.
* A possible maximum of 500 immersion hours may be banked and used towards the 1000 total DNP immersion hour requirement near the end of the program in DNP852A/B. For consideration, please complete the Verification Form located in the appendices. The remaining immersion hours will be completed during the DNP Project courses. Students receiving prior immersion hours are required to complete their DNP Project and the time required will need to meet the 1000 total DNP immersion hour requirement as well as the requirements needed to complete their DNP Project in its entirety, regardless of banked hours.