Immersion Hours
The evidence of 1000 Immersion hours is required for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Aspen University. Students 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, and home 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 the paperwork necessary for the immersion site and preceptor agreements. The OFE can be reached at: ofe@aspen.edu.
Many students may complete their immersion hours in their place of employment; however, an on-site preceptor 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 Chair, 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 chair's guidance. The supervised immersion activities will be reported to the Faculty Mentor Chair 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 Chair supervises the student in conjunction with the preceptor and the Faculty Mentor Chair evaluates the student and student’s work and assigns the grades to the student.
The DNP Project courses each have three required teleconferences which give allow the Faculty Mentor Chair to hear about project progression from the preceptor and student, the opportunity provides opportunities for the student, preceptor, and Faculty Mentor Chair 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 direct care, attendance of courses, classes, seminars, conferences, meetings, webinars, and interviews. For any potential immersion activity consideration, the student will need approval from the Faculty Mentor Chair.
* A possible maximum of 500 immersion hours previously completed and verified may be banked and used towards the 1000 total DNP immersion hour requirement near the end of the program. For consideration, please complete the Verification Form located in the appendices Additional Forms section. 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.