Mentorship, teamwork, and the doctor of nursing practice capstone project: a personal perspective.

Abstract

Sometimes we experience miracles in our personal and professional development. This column is about my own personal, educational, and professional miracle that came about because of a change in the strategies to support students through their doctor of nursing practice (DNP) education at New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN). When I initially entered the DNP program at NYUCN, students were expected to complete independent improvement projects in the agency where they worked. Although students were assigned a committee chair when we reached our first of three capstone seminars, we did not have a designated mentor from Day 1 of the program. Furthermore, our course assignments in evidence-based practice (EBP) and quality improvement methods were not geared to our individual capstone projects. The requirement to carry out an independent project in my own agency, without the support of a mentor, was a major barrier during my first attempt at implementing my DNP project. The challenges I experienced resulted in my taking a leave of absence from the program and questioning my ability to succeed.When I heard that the approach to DNP education at NYUCN changed to a team-mentored approach, I thought that this would be a good opportunity for me to try again. As outlined explicitly by the advancing research and clinical practice through close collaboration (ARCC) model, having a mentor enabled me to eliminate or mitigate barriers by improving my belief in EBP and strengthening my confidence in my ability to implement EBP (Fineout-Overholt, Levin, & Melnyk, 2013; Levin, Fineout-Overholt, Melnyk, Barnes, & Vetter, 2011 ). I have been inspired by the often neglected arts of mentorship and teamwork, which are being restored at the NYUCN.MENTORINGMentoring is a process between two people (the mentor and the mentee) who are committed to growth of the mentee. The concept has its origins in the concept of apprenticeship, when the older, more experienced person passed down knowledge of how a task was performed. In Greek mythology, Odysseus, when setting out for Troy, entrusted the education of his son Telemachus to his friend, Mentor: Tell him all you know, said Odysseus (Homer, 1965). Academic mentoring typifies the apprentice model of education where a faculty member not only imparts knowledge but also provides support and offers guidance on academic as well as nonacademic issues, not the least of which may entail personal challenges (Eby, Allen, Evans, Ng, & DuBois, 2008).The ARCC model provides a tested framework for EBP mentors to actualize their role and to positively impact sustainable health care outcomes. A key component of the ARCC model is that of an EBP mentor, typically an advanced practice nurse (Levin et ah, 2011). EBP mentors assist nurses and other clinicians in honing their EBP knowledge and skills, in implementing EBP projects to improve patient care and outcomes, and in implementing strategies to overcome barriers in the health care environment to build a culture of EBP (FineoutOverholt et ah, 2013; Levin et ah, 2011). The mentorship component/role of the ARCC model, originally conceived as one for the advanced practice nurse in his or her work with clinical staff, has been applied to the faculty-student relationship at NYUCN.An important starting point for mentor-mentee relationships is the establishment of a contract of expectation between mentor and mentee, agreement on a communication plan, and formulation of a clear time line for the mentee's project completion. The overarching goal is to prepare DNP graduates who are committed to patient-centered EBP because it relates to their ability to provide access to high-quality, cost-effective health care. Creation of expectations, openness of communication, and celebration of milestones provides a part of the structure and process needed for DNP students and their faculty to be successful in the mentor- mentee relationship. …