Doctor Of Nursing Practice Programs Research Articles

Informatics Competencies of Students in a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program: A Descriptive Study.

Health systems that apply artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming the roles of healthcare providers, including those of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) providers. These professionals are required to utilize informatics knowledge and skills to deliver quality care, necessitating a high level of informatics competencies, which should be developed through well-structured courses. The purpose of this study is to assess the informatics competency scale scores of DNP students and to provide recommendations for enhancing the informatics curriculum. An online informatics course was offered to students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to DNP program, and their informatics competency, which includes three subscales, was evaluated. Online survey data were collected from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022 using the "Self-Assessment of Informatics Competency Scale for Health Professionals." An analysis of 127 student responses revealed that students demonstrated competence in overall informatics competency and in one subscale: "applied computer skills (clinical informatics)." They showed proficiency in the "basic computer skills" and the "role" subscales. However, they reported lower competency in managing data and integrating standard terminology into their practice. The findings offer detailed insights into the current informatics competencies of DNP students and can inform informatics educators on how to enhance their courses. As healthcare institutions increasingly depend on AI applications, it is imperative for informatics educators to include AI-related content in their curricula.

Expert-Type Content Validity Applications to Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects.

Background: Developing rigorous doctor of nursing practice (DNP) projects continues to challenge faculty and doctoral students. To address project rigor, expert content validity methods have been applied to clinical projects. Students implement expert content validity processes to literature-based project components. Objectives: The objectives of this study are to describe some of the developmental phases of DNP projects during the courses of one DNP program and to explore one strategy for increasing the rigor of DNP projects, review details on expert-type content validity methods, and examine literature for projects implementing an alternate application of expert-type content validity and scoring approaches to components of DNP projects. Methods: Expert content validity methods are described for DNP projects, such as guidelines, teaching plans, support groups, and algorithms. They are used to judge components generated from initial content analysis strategies. Types of expert panelists and descriptions of scoring ranks on project components are presented to represent different expert content validity strategies. Results The steps are presented to support expert content validity processes. Conclusions: DNP projects challenge faculty and students to create systematically constructed quality improvement projects on important and interesting clinical problems. The expert context validity process is one approach of enhancing project rigor. Implications for Nursing: An outline offers steps to establish expert content validity for translational DNP projects.

Medications for opioid use disorder: An interactive educational program developed for the nurse practitioner curriculum.

Opioid overdose deaths remain a major public health concern in the United States and led to the recent changes in regulations that allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to prescribe buprenorphine without the previously required Drug Addiction Treatment Act waiver. Previously, waiver requirements included 24 hours of opioid use disorder (OUD) and medications for OUD (MOUD) training. Although this training is no longer required, NPs need education related to providing nonstigmatizing care to individuals with OUD and safe MOUD prescribing practices. A combination of online didactic modules, in-person simulation activities, and experiential learning was provided to psychiatric mental health NP (PMHNP) and family NP (FNP) students enrolled in a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. OUD was presented through a chronic care lens to normalize treatment and decrease stigma, and harm reduction principles were included to increase safe prescribing of MOUD. Fifty-six students completed the didactic training, 51 students participated in the simulation, and 11 students completed shadowing experiences with an experienced MOUD provider. Psychiatric mental health NP and FNP graduates of this DNP program have the knowledge and skills to provide MOUD to individuals struggling with OUD, thus potentially increasing access to care and decreasing overdose deaths.

Doctor of Nursing Practice and Its Application to School Nursing.

School nurses who are considering a terminal degree in nursing have two options, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD). There are several factors for school nurses to consider when determining which terminal degree is best suited for them. This article focuses on the relevance of a DNP degree to school nursing, by first reviewing the evolution of DNP programs and then pivoting to discussions by three school nurses on why they chose this terminal degree and the projects completed during their courses of study. A main focus of a DNP project is to gather, analyze, synthesize, and translate research into practice, often operationalized as quality improvement (QI) in clinical settings. School nurses, practicing independently from other healthcare professionals while often managing large workloads, stand to benefit from obtaining or working with a nurse prepared at this level.

Celebrating over 20 years: Outcomes from the first doctor of nursing practice program.

The first Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program was opened at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing (UKCON) in 2001. As the CON celebrates 20 plus years of DNP education, leaders decided to do an assessment of the accomplishments and outcomes from the work of graduates. The purpose of this study was to delineate the achievements, outcomes and perception of the impact of graduates from the UKCON DNP program and assess the correlations of specific "perception of impact" variables. DNP graduates from 2005 to 2021 (n=348) received an email about the study and a link to the survey. Ninety graduates who resided in 14 states responded. Over 84% of participants indicated that their DNP degree helped them stand out as a leader. Participants reported that having a DNP education increased their knowledge and expertise in multiple areas, including how to lead, to influence, and to improve outcomes within their organizations. Narrative feedback related to top achievements since graduation included career advancement/promotion (n=22), improving patient care quality/implementation of evidence-based initiatives (n=21), and becoming a better leader (n=19). This study illustrated the broad return on investment and the quantification of value that a DNP education brings, both to practice and academia.

Medication-assisted treatment 24-hr waiver training for opioid use disorder: Lessons learned.

This study reports our experience in implementing and evaluating medication-assisted treatment (MAT) training. MAT training includes immersion into practice and integration of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). During 2019-2021, MAT training was offered to students in Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. Feedback on our training program was obtained through required Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services surveys and focus groups after training sessions to assess the quality of training, materials, instruction, and impact and usefulness of training. In addition, after completion of training, surveys were emailed to those who graduated in 2020 and 2021. Surveys included demographic questions and qualitative responses to assess MAT training quality, clinical application time, and how comfortable graduates felt regarding their knowledge, skills, and attitude toward treatment. Integrating training modules from the beginning of the nursing program over several semesters facilitating students with multiple exposures to training materials and offering clinical experiences solidified students' knowledge into practice. Most students were satisfied with the training and felt the training was effective in integrating new knowledge related to MAT. More importantly, it improved students' negative attitudes toward people with OUD and students' desire to pursue being an OUD MAT provider after graduation. The continued assessment and curriculum development of MAT training in nursing programs is crucial in fighting the opioid overdose epidemic. This expansion in interested MAT providers may contribute to improving access for underserved patients seeking MAT treatment with an increase in available providers.

Integrating Writing Throughout the Curriculum in Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs: A Collaborative Model for Success

Historically, faculty in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs have noted poor student writing proficiency, which is associated with substandard oral and written communication skills, analytical reflection, and professional role attainment. Few studies have investigated incorporating integrative collaborative model Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) strategies in DNP programs. This study evaluated the efficacy of this model on the writing proficiency of students in their final year of the DNP program. This mixed-methods study examined how a collaborative model using WAC strategies affects DNP project value and rigor, writing proficiency, and student satisfaction. Student writing proficiency improved significantly, resulting in statistical improvement in DNP project value and rigor. Students viewed the collaborative model favorably when using the incorporated WAC strategies. A collaborative WAC model used by nursing faculty, writing resource centers, and a research librarian effectively improved the writing skills of DNP students. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(4):241-248.].

DNP preparation of primary care nurse practitioners and clinical outcomes for patients with chronic conditions

BackgroundMany professional nursing organizations have proposed that the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the most appropriate entry-level degree for nurse practitioners (NPs). There have been no studies to date examining the impact of DNP preparation on quality of care or patient outcomes. PurposeTo examine differences in emergency department utilization and hospitalizations among patients with chronic conditions cared for by Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)- and DNP-prepared primary care NPs. MethodsWe use survey data from over 1,000 primary care NPs in 6 states linked to Medicare claims data. Using regression models, we controlled for various patient, NP, and practice characteristics that might confound the relationship. ResulsWe find that patient outcomes are not statistically different between patients attributed to MSN- and DNP-prepared primary care NPs. DiscussionThese findings suggest that there remains little evidence that DNP education has led to significant improvements in patient outcomes. ConclusionsFurther empirical analysis related to the clinical outcomes other than health care utilization of the DNP degree is warranted. Future studies might consider examining (a) NPs in settings other than primary care, (b) practice-wide or system-wide outcomes, (c) other measures of care quality, and (d) impact of DNP program content.

Impact of Formal Education Regarding Breaking Bad News on Self-Efficacy

Background: Breaking bad news in a clinical setting can lead to a negative experience for the healthcare provider when delivered inappropriately. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practice Innovation Project seeks to discover if healthcare providers who receive formal education in breaking bad news to patients have increased self-efficacy in breaking bad news compared with healthcare providers not formally educated in a DNP Program. This comparison was analyzed using a pre-test/post-test format. Purpose: The purpose of this DNP Practice Innovation Project is to improve the healthcare provider's self-efficacy in breaking bad news to a patient through an educational module outlining the SPIKES protocol, ultimately improving the experience for the healthcare provider. Methodology: Participants included students enrolled in the DNP program in the Saint Mary's College Department of Nursing Science. The SE-12 self-efficacy tool measured the participants' self-efficacy utilizing a pre-test/post-test method that measured self-efficacy before and after the presentation of the educational module. The data from the pretest and posttest were analyzed using a two-tailed paired samples t-test. Results: The result was significant, suggesting the difference in the mean overall score of the SE-12 pretest and the mean overall score of the SE-12 posttest was significantly different from zero. The mean overall score of the SE-12 pretest was significantly lower than the mean overall score of the SE-12 posttest. Conclusion: This study established how education about breaking bad news can lead to an improved experience for the healthcare provider, ultimately improving health outcomes.

Integrating Telehealth: Curricular Mapping to New Standards in Nurse Practitioner Post-baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs

Owing to the increased use of telehealth as a widely accepted means of providing patient care and the movement toward competency-based education, implementation of telehealth teaching, learning, and evaluation strategies into the graduate nursing plan of study is evolving quickly. This report uses Rutledge’s “4Ps of Telehealth” framework to provide resources for faculty to incorporate telehealth knowledge, skills, attitudes, core telehealth competencies, and evaluation practices into the bachelor of science nursing to doctor of nursing practice program curriculum based on the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies. Formal preparation of students ensures future nurse practitioners are able to provide proficient, effective care through telehealth upon graduation.

Innovative DNP Evaluation Tools

Background: Innovative strategies are crucial for addressing essential faculty knowledge for teaching and advising Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students, especially during the phase of time-sensitive scholarly projects. Challenges of diverse educational and experiential background of faculty may contribute to inconsistent student advisement and learning. Lack of clear expectations creates barriers to student learning. Methods: Published reports and faculty input were used to develop evaluation tools utilized in DNP project courses. The tools allowed for clear expectations of faculty instruction and advising, student work, and fostered student growth. Results: Rubrics developed for DNP project courses facilitated diverse student learning needs. Evaluation tools, informed by national guidelines, were developed to guide DNP faculty and student success, resulting in consistent evaluation of student scholarly work and attainment of the DNP Essentials Conclusions: Student evaluation tools that reflected the national guidelines facilitated student learning and assisted faculty instruction and advising. These rubrics have positioned our college for the transition to competency-based doctoral education. Implications for Nursing: The tools shared in this article could be adapted to fit other DNP programs aligning critical elements of students' attainment of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the DNP degree in the move toward competency-based education in the newly revised Essentials (2021).

DNP: Research or not - That is the question.

For decades the DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) degree has been referred to as practice focused whereas the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) has been identified as research focused. The time has come to revisit that classification. Although the PhD has remained unchanged in its focus to prepare nurse researchers, the DNP has steadily evolved over time. Graduates of DNP programs are tasked with applying evidence-based practice research findings to the real-world environment thereby reducing the gap between research and practice. This process has been termed translational science which has evolved into translational research. If, in fact, translational research is a recognized form of research methodology, and the DNP graduate is skilled in this form of research, then the DNP should be redefined as both a practice and research degree.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice help desk: An innovative approach to developing evidence-based practice competency and providing DNP project support.

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.

Recommendations for evolving a doctor of nursing practice program.

As Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs have evolved within the nursing profession and nursing academia over the last 20years, pedagogy and curriculum in DNP education have also continued to evolve. Educational innovation requires continuous assessment to ensure quality and efficacy are maintained. Using the Knowledge to Action (KTA) framework, we adapted the knowledge regarding best practices in a DNP program to fit our College of Nursing needs, our community of learners, and sustain this process improvement by implementing programmatic changes that enhanced the quality and rigor of the DNP program. A newly formed task force identified barriers and opportunities including lack of DNP-prepared faculty, changes needed to the scholarly project paper, revision of the DNP curricula, and a need for a mentor group model to replace the traditional committee structure. Recommendations to strengthen DNP programs include choosing a process model or framework to serve as a guideline for program evaluation and improvement, create a faculty-led task force that continuously monitors program elements, and conduct annual mini retreats to facilitate faculty discussion and review of program elements.

Dissemination of doctor of nursing practice project findings: Benefits and challenges associated with publishing in healthcare journals

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs require a project to improve outcomes in a health care setting. However, dissemination methods vary. This evaluation examined benefits and challenges associated with submitting project manuscripts to a peer-reviewed health care journal in a DNP program with this requirement. Benefits and challenges were assessed with surveys completed by 85 DNP program alumni and 28 DNP mentors and by interviewing 5 faculty who teach in the DNP program and 5 editors of nursing journals. Benefits of completing a manuscript included sharing knowledge to improve health care outcomes and enhancing nursing scholarship. Among alumni, 81% reported manuscript development was beneficial and 69% published their work. Most students, most faculty, and all editors endorsed the requirement with alternatives for projects lacking rigor or innovation. Challenges included need for faculty involvement and editorial/statistical resources. Despite challenges, there are benefits of publishing rigorous and innovative DNP work.

Innovative Team Approach for Achieving DNP Program Competencies for Distance Learners During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Doctor of nursing practice (DNP)-prepared nurses must be competent in organizational and systems leadership, advanced clinical skills, and initiation of policy and programmatic changes. Students develop competencies in the DNP advanced practice and nurse administrator specialty tracks through online didactic and in-person practicum experiences within various settings. The COVID-19 pandemic created a barrier to in-person practicum experiences and an urgent need for flexible practicum opportunities. In response, faculty developed, implemented, and evaluated an innovative pedagogical strategy utilizing a team-based case study assignment to facilitate achievement of DNP program competencies for distance learners in these specialty tracks.

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

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education prepares graduates to lead clinical improvement and innovation across practice settings. Advanced clinical knowledge, leadership skills, and the development of quality/safety competencies uniquely prepare the DNP program graduates to drive organizational change. Adding business and financial competencies to the skill set of DNP graduates strengthens the impact and value of their role on financial, quality, and operational outcomes. The Organizational Systems and Healthcare Financing course in a DNP program was redesigned to engage learners using an innovative approach to teach business and financial principles. This paper aims to (a) describe a novel "Shark Tank" approach whereby students develop and "pitch" their business proposals to a panel of healthcare executives; (b) share examples of impactful change projects by student teams; (c) report DNP course and program evaluations including students' satisfaction and perceptions of value and knowledge gained in business principles; and (d) report opportunities for bidirectional mentorship, faculty recruitment, and succession planning. The success of this innovative team-based approach for teaching business/financial skills better prepares future DNP leaders and has implications for other DNP programs. Using this teaching strategy created opportunities for faculty recruitment, succession planning, and bidirectional mentorship of DNP-prepared nurse leaders.

Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges: Using Remote and Hybrid Simulation Designs in DNP Programs.

Simulation is a critical component of nursing and medical education used to teach skills and assess student performance. In March 2020, faculty members—including the authors—at the Grace Center for Innovation in Nursing Education at the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Edson College) simulation programs at Arizona State University quickly responded to the crisis presented by COVID-19. Within a few days, all nursing simulations were transitioned from a predominately in-person design to fully online. Maintaining simulation activities throughout the first several months of the pandemic allowed students at Edson College to meet clinical assessment objectives. This transition, implemented in 2 phases, included a detailed plan of action for all Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) nurse practitioner objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs). The challenges required innovative planning and flexibility while maintaining the integrity of the OSCE and simulation experience. The methods implemented out of necessity are now an important part of the authors’ curricular toolbox, providing options for continued and future educational practice. This paper details the simulations designed and implemented in 2 DNP programs: the family nurse practitioner and acute care pediatric nurse practitioner programs.

Bibliometric analysis of the Doctor of Nursing Practice dissertations in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

To examine the distributed characteristics and explore the research themes of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) dissertations during the past two decades. A descriptive statistical and visualization bibliometric analysis was conducted. Doctor of Nursing Practice dissertations submitted between January 2005 and June 2021 were collected from the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to calculate the distribution of the DNP dissertations by granting institution and the published year of publications. The VOSviewer 1.6.13 was used to explore the bibliometric networks and research priorities of the DNP dissertations. A total of 4989 DNP dissertations from 90 universities were included in this study, all from the United States. The number of DNP dissertations showed an upward trend, with steady growth from 2005 to 2014 and rapid growth after 2015. The DNP studies focused on five areas: health care management in clinical nursing, advanced practice in nursing education and health education, public health problems, mental health care for adolescents and nurses and the older people care and long-term care. Parallel to the numerical increase in DNP dissertations is a steady expansion in the range of research topics and scopes, which is aligned with specific specializations of the DNP. Many are interdisciplinary and employ techniques imported from the fields of public health, psychology and social sciences, resulting in nursing educators and practitioners continually broaden their subject perspectives. Knowing where, when and why DNP research trends developed will help nursing educators to further develop DNP education and optimize DNP programs in the future, such as paying more attention to the nursing practice. Moreover, this study will inspire DNP students and researchers to expand their subject perspectives and broaden the research scope to solve nursing practice problems based on interdisciplinary theories and methods.

Sustained impact of an academic-practice partnership

Academic-practice partnerships foster innovation and transition to nursing practice in healthcare systems. The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of a public-private academic-practice partnership for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education designed to transform a large healthcare system's nursing workforce and model of care. The conceptual framework is organized around Rogers's (2003) principles of diffusion of innovation in organizations. A logic model illuminates how inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes resulted in sustained impact for graduates, the college and the healthcare organization. Partnership outcomes include education of baccalaureate and master's-prepared employed nurses (n = 95) in a DNP program for advanced practice nursing (APN) roles in the healthcare system; dissemination of scholarship; and revision of the healthcare system's research approval process. Sustained impact includes advancement of DNP-prepared graduates to complex leadership and practice roles; development of new programs and advanced practice roles based on scholarly project findings; expansion of population-specific patient programs; and extension of continuum- and access-to-care models in the healthcare organization. Recommendations include continuing development of academic-practice partnerships for transition to practice and advancement of roles and levels of champions to achieve sustained impact of academic-practice partnerships in healthcare organizations.