Exploring the Role of Embedded Resilience Training in a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.

Doctor of nursing practice students' perceptions of professional change through the DNP program.

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Did the DNP kill the PhD? The relationship between PhD and DNP program enrollment and potential consequences for nursing.

Diving in: Using a "Shark Tank" approach to teach business skills to future DNP leaders.

Background: There are 433 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs nationwide and 87 new programs under development (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2024). Rapid implementation of DNP programs created a ripe environment for curricula variation and uncertainty regarding best practices. Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe the evolution and impact of a grassroots collaborative initiative of DNP faculty leaders from across the country that emerged from uncertainty in implementing AACN guidelines and expectations. This group, the National DNP Think Tank, includes DNP- and PhD-prepared faculty and practice-based colleagues. Methods: A shared vision to shape the evolution of DNP education while cultivating future nursing leaders underpinned the establishment of an open, nonjudgmental virtual forum dedicated to exploring topics, challenges, and solutions in DNP programs. Results: Collaborative dialogue catalyzed the inception of National DNP Conversations, quarterly webinars, a nationwide research initiative on DNP program practices, and sustained collaborative scholarly endeavors. Conclusions: The potential impact and value of think tanks is well documented (De Boer, 2015; Kuhn & Margellos, 2023). Efforts of this group are advancing the evolution of DNP education. Implications for Nursing: National DNP Think Tank members share their lived experiences, emphasizing the importance of professional relationships, critical elements of successful collaboration, and the role of national dialogues in shaping the future.

Barriers to integrating information technology content in doctor of nursing practice curricula.

Clinical Experiences for Doctor of Nursing Practice Students—A Survey of Postmaster's Programs

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs must assure that attention to safe quality healthcare is threaded throughout the curriculum and prepare students to lead quality improvement (QI) initiatives in healthcare systems. This article illustrates the integration of implementation science, QI methods, process and evaluation tools, and faculty enrichment as strategies to strengthen QI projects in a DNP program. A three-phased approach to implement strategies to strengthen QI projects in a DNP program and to enhance faculty engagement was undertaken. A needs assessment drove the development of strategies to strengthen QI in a DNP program. Outcomes of implementing strategies to strengthen QI in a DNP program showed rapid uptake of the concepts of QI process models into course content within the DNP curriculum. Strategies consisted of assessment of courses for gaps in QI content, faculty enrichment sessions on implementation science, QI processes and models, QI metrics and data analytics, embedding new content in the DNP program courses and the use of a rigorous evaluation tool for QI projects. When provided with QI mentors and tools, DNP students are prepared to lead QI initiatives in healthcare systems to improve the safety and quality of healthcare.

Doctoral degrees in nursing fall into two categories. The first is the researchfocused doctorate, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc or DNS); and the second is the practice doctorate or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Nurses who graduate from research-focused doctoral programs are or should be prepared to generate new evidence for the profession. Nurses who graduate from the practice-focused doctorate are or should be prepared to be experts in advanced nursing practice and leaders in applying the best evidence to improve nursing practice, whether it be clinical, academic, or administrative. The authors should indicate our bias upfront. We believe that the DNP degree is meant to prepare leaders to improve practice and thus the focus of the degree should be on implementing practice change that improves outcomes for patients, nurses, and/ or students. Thus there should be a strong evidence-based practice (EBP) component in the curriculum, and the capstone in these programs should be on evidence synthesis and/or practice improvement projects (which can also be administrative or educational in nature), not research. The DNP degree has continued to blossom since the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released their Position statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing in 2004. There are currently 153 DNP programs in the United States with an additional 160 nursing schools planning similar programs (AACN, 2011). Existing DNP programs follow either a clinical, educational, or administrative track to prepare leaders in each of these areas. All DNP programs are expected to include in their curriculum the seven Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice Nurses developed by the AACN (2006). Included in the Essentials is the edict that DNP graduates be able to . . . demonstrate refined assessment skills and base practice on the application of biophysical, psychosocial, behavioral, sociopolitical, cultural, economic, and nursing science as appropriate in their area of specialization (AACN, 2006, p. 16). The DNP degree was conceived as an educational program to prepare graduates to be experts and leaders in evidence-based practice. The DNP clinician is ideally prepared to improve healthcare outcomes by facilitating the translation of current, best evidence into clinical practice. The DNP is proposed by AACN as the terminal degree for advanced practice nurses. DNP graduates may continue to work in the same practice environments with other nurses with different educational levels as well as other health care disciplines. Many organizations are still trying to determine how to utilize the DNP graduate within their practice environments. With pending health care reform, the threat of reduced reimbursement for poor outcomes, and the ongoing shortage of primary care providers, it is crucial for current best evidence to be quickly translated into clinical practice to improve outcomes for the patients and communities we serve. In addition, many healthcare organizations are applying for Magnet status, a recognition program developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for high-quality nursing care. Magnet hospitals must demonstrate their contribution to generating knowledge, innovations, and improvements for the professions through the translation and application of existing evidence and by identifying areas where new research is needed (ANCC, 2011). Despite the Institute of Medicine's (2011) challenge for nursing to reconceptualize the role of nurses while developing innovative solutions to care delivery, many barriers to full implementation of evidence-based practice still exist. Nurses continually report lack of time as the most common barrier to applying evidencebased practice approaches to clinical practice (Bertulis, 2008; Brown, Wickline, Ecoff, & Glaser, 2009; Pravikoff, Tanner, & Pierce, 2005). Other barriers that have been reported include the difficulty accessing resources, poor computer skills, poor understanding of statistics and research technique, inadequate preparation to critically appraise research, lack of support from administration and other staff, and a disbelief that evidence-based practice can improve outcomes (Bertulis, 2008; Brown et al. …

This article examines development opportunities for faculty teaching in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. Although faculty development for DNP programs is similar to that of other academic programs, faculty may need different strategies for teaching, scholarship, and service because DNP programs focus on translation of science into practice, systems-level changes, clinical scholarship, and the highest levels of advanced nursing practice. Faculty and student collaboration across DNP and PhD programs provide new approaches for translating research into practice and generating practice questions in need of further scientific development. Specific faculty development strategies for facilitating this collaboration are essential. Capstone projects pose special opportunities for faculty development due to the integration of these projects within diverse practice environments, with differing expectations, regulations, and pacing compared with research. Linking new care delivery models with health informatics is expected to facilitate rapid translation of research and development of improvements in practice.

The 2021 American Association for Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials for Professional Nursing Education identifies evidence-based practice (EBP) as a core concept meant to be integrated across curricula. Integrating EBP in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs is challenging because of barriers including persistent confusion between research, EBP, and quality improvement; low faculty confidence and competence in their EBP skills and mentoring; increased faculty workload with growing program enrollments; and limited opportunities for students and faculty to practice EBP skills. The aim of this initiative was to implement and evaluate an innovative education strategy to build DNP students' and faculty's EBP competency and confidence while mitigating barriers faced by DNP programs. A DNP Help Desk was created and implemented at a large, Midwestern college of nursing with participation and support from EBP experts. Student and faculty participation were tracked, and perceptions of the help desk were evaluated. Opportunities to evolve the help desk were identified and implemented. Outcomes included a self-reported increase in student and faculty confidence and EBP competency, increased integration, and utilization of EBP in project work, elevated DNP project quality, and decreased demands on DNP project advisors. Engaging in innovative strategies aimed at increasing EBP competency and confidence may lead to increased EBP engagement and positive outcomes for students, faculty, and DNP programs.

AACN published a clarifying document in 2015 to guide Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs' DNP Scholarly Projects. This publication provided specific and general guidance; however, areas of inconsistent interpretation remained. The variability of best practices for DNP projects sparked the idea for a national survey to explore how projects are being carried out and to determine if the varied approaches align with AACN's 2015 recommendations. This nationwide study's purpose was to describe DNP Scholarly Project processes and to determine alignment with AACN's 2015 DNP project recommendations. A descriptive survey was deployed to DNP programs across the country. National DNP project practices were identified as well as gaps in alignment with AACN recommendations. The results of this study provided a national snapshot of how DNP programs are executing DNP projects. Rich dialogue and ongoing exploration about DNP project best practices continue because of this work.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs Across the United States: A Benchmark of Information

St. Luke's International University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill collaboration project to develop the first DNP program in Japan.