Accelerating Improvement of a Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Proposal Course Using Quality Improvement Methods.

Abstract

Transition from traditional research-based to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) projects led students and faculty in our program to express confusion and anxiety about proposal requirements and project planning. This demanded an improvement approach to engage students and faculty. Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were used to accelerate improvement in the first DNP project course. Strategies targeted both students and faculty mentors and included tools and resources to assist with course and project navigation. Voice of the customer feedback and lessons learned were used to plan for improvement in the next cycle. After four PDSA cycles, student evaluation of course quality was favorable and scholarly writing and feasibility improved. Student comments about course anxiety and confusion decreased and faculty mentors' confidence improved. A quality improvement strategy is a successful approach for continued course improvements and can role model quality improvement approaches expected in DNP project work. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(5):306-311.].