National Organization Of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Research Articles

Collaborative framework to assess achievement of American Association of Colleges of Nursing and National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties patient-centered competencies using evolving case studies

BackgroundThe American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) emphasize the role of clinical reasoning in nurse practitioner (NP) competencies. Evidence-based clinical reasoning is vital to patient safety. Collaborative technology tools can aid in assessing progress towards achieving clinical reasoning competency. Purpose/aimsThe purpose of this article is to describe an electronic, collaborative learning framework to teach and assess second year NP students in systematically selecting and eliminating diagnoses and forming treatment plans. Design/methodsPost gap analysis, the collaborative learning framework was created. This visual, collaborative resource was scaffolded across two sequential advanced NP second year clinical synthesis courses and embedded with evolving case studies. Students identified pertinent positives and negatives from the history, physical, and diagnostic findings. Each student developed a unique differential diagnosis and plan of care and critiqued their peers. Result/findingsThe tool exceeded expectations. Faculty were able to visualize data, provide clarification on interpretation of data and pharmacology, and grade in small groups. ConclusionThe collaborative learning framework provided real-time visualization of students' work in clinical reasoning. It was easy to use and integrate into second year NP courses to meet learning objectives and assess clinical reasoning competency.

Nurse practitioner faculty attitudes about interprofessional education.

Nurse practitioner (NP) faculty attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE) can be barriers to the shift in culture and successful implementation of IPE into nursing curricula. A paucity of studies exist comparing faculty attitudes of IPE with different educational modalities. The purpose of this research is to compare NP faculty attitudes toward IPE between IPE experiences and educational modalities in NP academic programs. A quantitative cross-sectional comparative design was used. An electronic survey was advertised to approximately 3,000 members of the National Organization of NP Faculties by email blasts to assess their attitudes toward IPE in the academic setting. Participating NP faculty (n = 208) completed the survey, with a response rate of 6.9%. The results showed that NP faculty reported positive attitudes toward IPE (M = 4.33). Nurse practitioner faculty attitudes toward IPE and participation in IPE experiences were not statistically significant (p = .126). Nurse practitioner faculty attitudes toward IPE did not differ with the educational modality. The main effect of the NP degree program educational modality was not statistically significant, F(2, 172) = 0.74, p = .479. Nurse practitioner faculty are optimistic about IPE in multiple educational modalities but still have some reservations about how to implement IPE activities successfully. The NP faculty attitudes and barriers to IPE curricular development in all educational modalities must be addressed to prepare NP students to be competent collaborative practice-ready providers on graduation.

From provider to professor: Supporting nurse practitioner faculty through NONPF's Faculty Institute.

Over the past 15 years, the number of practicing nurse practitioners (NPs) has increased exponentially. This growth has been sustained by an increase in the number of schools offering NP preparation. Experienced NPs have assumed faculty positions in these schools. Although educational curricula prepare NPs to deliver high-quality patient care, it does not prepare graduates for academic roles in teaching, dissemination of scholarship, or service leadership to advance the profession. To address these gaps in NP faculty preparation, faculty development resources specific to NP education are needed. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) has stepped forward to fill this gap. The NONPF Faculty Institute was created in 2017, and it includes the annual Fall Conference, the Faculty Leadership Mentoring Program, the Webinar Series, and, most recently, the joint NPACE/NONPF New Faculty Development Program. This comprehensive focus on faculty development aligns with NONPF's mission to promote excellence in NP education and advance the NP role in health care. Programs in the NONPF Faculty Institute are specifically designed to address the distinct learning needs of NP faculty. They use "just in time" presentations and active learning strategies to provide NP faculty with easily accessible and targeted content and opportunities for direct application of new skills. The Institute's goal is to provide NP faculty opportunities to prepare themselves to meet the teaching, scholarship and service leadership expectations of academia, the learning needs of students, and advance the impact of NP practice on patient and health care system outcomes.

Metacognition in nurse practitioner students: How nurse educators can best serve their students

AbstractThe dynamic and changing healthcare environment requires educators to prepare nurse practitioner students with more than knowledge and skills. Healthcare providers need to be prepared with enhanced skills related to critical thinking and decision making. Metacognition training has been used by many disciplines within and outside of healthcare to prepare individuals to work in an environment that has volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and delayed feedback (VUCAD). This retrospective exploratory study uses computerized strategic management simulation (SMS) data to address the question: What parameters of metacognition do master's level nurse practitioner (NP) students excel versus underperform? Elements of Presentation: Presentation will include SMS parameters linked with the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Core Competencies. In doing this, faculty can better assess students' individualized learning needs and tailor their academic education to address specific needs. Fifty‐nine master's level students completed SMS, measuring five unique parameters of metacognition (Crisis, Task, Strategy, People & Information Management). Students' mean and median scores were observed to be high range for crisis management; and moderate range for task management, strategy management, and people management. Conversely, mean and median scores were in the low range for information management. Knowledge gained from this study can be used for curriculum development and planning to ensure that the parameters of metacognition are demonstrated throughout the curriculum's content delivery, training exercises, and evaluation methods. Knowledge related to areas in which NP students score in the low range can be added to courses to assist students better.

Strategies to Move Entry-Level Nurse Practitioner Education to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree by 2025.

The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) has made the commitment to move all entry-level nurse practitioner (NP) education to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree by 2025. Although there are more than 250 DNP NP programs throughout the United States, many other NP programs have yet to transition to the doctoral level. Leaders representing licensure, accreditation, certification, education, and practice organizations attended a NONPF 2017 Summit to discuss the DNP degree as entry into NP practice. Summit participants strategized on building collective strengths and addressed barriers to implementation. A solution-oriented discussion with action items has been operationalized for the last 4 years. Four workgroups were created to address education, outcomes, capacity, and messaging related to moving all entry-level NP education to the DNP degree. Ongoing collaborative efforts are critical to facilitate advancing all NP education programs to the DNP degree by 2025.

The impact of telehealth objective structured clinical evaluations in intraprofessional nursing education: A mixed methods study

BackgroundTelehealth is an expanding modality of providing care. In 2018, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) released a white paper encouraging the inclusion of telehealth into nurse practitioner education. It is important for nursing students to gain experience with telehealth so that they are prepared to provide care via telehealth. ObjectivesThe purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of incorporating telehealth simulation into objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) in the family nurse practitioner (FNP) and bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs. SettingThis study was conducted at a public, liberal arts university in a rural area of the Southeast United States. ParticipantsThe FNP and BSN students participated in this study. The FNP program is a hybrid master's degree program, which has a two-year plan of study. The BSN program is a traditional campus-based program, which includes two years of upper-division nursing courses. MethodsThis mixed-methods study included a pre- and post-survey design utilizing both quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate undergraduate and graduate nursing students understanding of and comfort with telehealth and their perceptions of a simulated intradisciplinary telehealth OCSE experience. ResultsStudents' telehealth knowledge, skills, and confidence were improved after the telehealth OSCE experience. Directed content analysis of the responses revealed three themes: increased knowledge of telehealth, technical difficulties, and teamwork/communication. ConclusionsIt is beneficial for both undergraduate and family nurse practitioner students to have exposure to telehealth in their respective curriculums.

An integrated addictions nursing subspecialty to expand the opioid use disorder and substance use disorder workforce

IntroductionIn the U.S. approximately11.4 million misused prescription pain relievers; 2.1 million had an OUD in 2017. The Addictions Nursing Subspecialty was created to address this epidemic by expanding a workforce trained in OUD/SUD screening, treatment, and prevention. A curriculum was developed that included integrated/telehealth health care settings in medical and mental health provider shortage areas during their last nine months of training. Courses were developed and taught by aninterprofessional team of university faculty and informed by evidence-based guidelines/clinical competencies for effective OUD/SUD screening/prevention, assessment, treatment, and recovery. Courses were also offered as electives for nursing, clinical-counseling, social work, and other health science disciplines emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare.ObjectivesExpand the OUD/SUD trained workforce in areas with high OUD/SUD mortality rates and high mental health provider shortages emphasizing team-based integrated care and telehealth settings.MethodsProgram curriculum was informed by evidence-based guidelines/clinical competencies for effective OUD/SUD screening/prevention, assessment, treatment, and recovery using integrated care. Competencies included: Core Competencies for Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care that have been set forth by the Center for Integrated Health Solutions, telehealth competencies outlined in the recommended competencies by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), and Core Competencies for Addictions Medicine by the American Board of Addictions Medicine.ResultsApproximately 11 students enrolled in courses received additions integrated/telehealth health care settings. Students responded positively to evaluations regarding timely feedback, unique approach (i.e. intrative content, short videos and discussions).ConclusionsThe Addictions Nursing subspecialty will continue to be offered allowing enrollment for nurses twice a year.

Development and implementation of an e-visit objective structured clinical examination to evaluate student ability to provide care by telehealth.

The provision of care through telehealth is emerging as a strategy to meet the challenges of a changing health care system; however, educational experiences associated with telehealth are limited in nursing curricula. In 2018, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) recommended incorporating telehealth modalities in nurse practitioner education, including clinical skills assessment. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been used as formative and summative evaluations of health science students since the 1970s to assess application of didactic learning in clinical practice. Although few studies have investigated integrating OSCEs, virtual simulation, or telehealth in distance education, those that exist demonstrate significant improvement in clinical decision making. This article describes the development and implementation of an OSCE at a large Midwestern university delivered via web conferencing to evaluate online family nurse practitioner (FNP) students' abilities to deliver care using telecommunication technology. An e-visit notification listing the types of symptoms available for treatment by telehealth served as a content list. Students completed a 15-minute e-visit assessing and managing the care of a standardized patient presenting with a recent onset of dysuria. The video conference included the FNP student, standardized patient, and faculty evaluating in real time using a rubric incorporating NONPF competencies for telehealth. Structured group debrief, an integral part of the learning process in clinical simulations, followed the e-visit OSCE using free conference calling. Faculty and student feedback and evaluations of this summative OSCE implemented for three cohort groups (103 students) positively reflect the importance of preparing students for practice in a transformed health care system.

Determining nurse practitioner core competencies using a Delphi approach.

Competency-based education (CBE) has been recommended for nurse practitioner (NP) education. To implement CBE, existing NP core competencies need to be reduced in number and refined. This study refined and reduced redundancy in the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) NP core competencies through the consensus of experts in NP practice. This study used the current NP Core Competencies (NONPF, 2017), the Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006), and the Common Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Doctoral-Level Competencies (AACN, 2017a) because these documents are the competencies-accredited NP programs commonly used in curriculum development. The primary aim of this study was to refine and reduce redundancy of these competencies; a secondary aim was to ensure that the final competencies were clear and measurable. A Delphi approach was used to reach consensus among an expert panel who reviewed the core competencies via an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate median and interquartile ranges; content analysis was conducted with qualitative data. Consensus was reached after 3 rounds and resulted in 49 final core competencies. This study provides the NP community with a manageable list of relevant, clear, and measurable competencies that faculty members can use to implement CBE in their programs.

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties: A 40-year history of preparing nurse practitioners for practice.

This article provides a historic view of the development and accomplishments of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF). The authors explore the history leading up to the formalization of NONPF, noting the major factors leading to the creation of NONPF. Since its inception in 1980, NONPF has led efforts to provide resources to nurse practitioner program faculty, create standards and guidelines for quality programs, and most recently work to develop measurable competencies. This article tracks the achievement of the organization by decade and provides an education, practice, and policy context that informed and inspired the activities of NONPF.

Practice Standards for the Emergency Nurse Practitioner Specialty.

THE EMERGENCY NURSE PRACTITIONER (ENP) specialty in the United States has grown rapidly since its origins during the 1980s following the establishment of the emergency medicine specialty. Initially, ENPs were prepared on the job with direct mentoring by emergency medicine physicians. Since then, in

Leading DNP Professionals: Practice Competencies for Organizational Excellence and Advancement.

The doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) role is quickly emerging across the United States in numerous practice settings, especially in hospitals, outpatient services, and academic institutions. There is now a need for guidelines to evaluate the enactment of the standards used to create DNP education and practice, competencies expected in practice, and the outcomes and value created by this role. This article presents a DNP Performance Demonstration and Impact template created on the basis of the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing), NONPF (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties), and AONE (American Organization of Nurse Executives) standards to assist leaders in evaluating DNP performance from a standards-driven perspective.

Helping Students Get Published: Tips from Journal Editors

Helping Students Get Published: Tips from Journal Editors

Exploring conceptual and theoretical frameworks for nurse practitioner education: a scoping review protocol.

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE The objective of this review is to examine conceptual and/or theoretical frameworks that are relevant to nurse practitioner education. The specific review question is: What conceptual and/or theoretical frameworks are available that are relevant to the structuring of nurse practitioner education? INCLUSION CRITERIA Types of participants This review will consider studies that include nurse practitioners in any specialty or the education of nurse practitioners in any specialty at the graduate or post-graduate level. Phenomena of interest In this review, we will consider documents that describe or evaluate frameworks, maps or conceptual structures for NP education at the graduate degree or post-graduate degree level. Literature that presents a framework for the graduate education of students in other health care disciplines at the university level will also be considered for inclusion. Frameworks for utilization in other jurisdictions (e.g. Provincial and Territorial regulatory frameworks) and metrics that assist in measuring, describing and organizing key concepts required for nurse practitioner education will be examined. Outcomes of interest for this review will include framework components in either narrative or illustrative form. Context This scoping review will consider studies that have been conducted in the provision of graduate level education of students in health care disciplines. Specific contextual focus will be directed to identify frameworks for educational programming for nurse practitioner students. Frameworks for curriculum development and/or delivery in other disciplines will also be considered.

Nurse practitioner faculty research: Results from the 2012 National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Survey.

To better understand the research capacity and productivity of nurse practitioner (NP) faculty, a study was conducted to describe the types of research that have been and are being completed by National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) members. A web-based survey was developed with input from members of the NONPF Research Special Interest Group and the NONPF Board. This 23-question survey included demographic, academic degree, NP population focus, and research-related questions. Three e-mails were sent to NONPF members over a 10-week period of time (late December 2012 to early February 2013). Respondents (N = 344) in the sample were Advanced Practice Registered Nurses with either a Masters, Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNS or PhD as their highest academic degree. Study results demonstrated that current NP faculty research includes a wide breadth of clinical areas studied, types of methodologies used, variety of funding mechanisms, and successful publication records. Because NP faculty conduct a wide array of research on clinically relevant topics, and demonstrate successful funding and publication track records, they are poised to continue to be leaders in healthcare research.

Development of the transformational advanced professional practice model.

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a professional practice model (PPM) for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). A literature review was conducted on PPMs. Simultaneous review of authoritative resources, including The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) and the Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education (LACE) Consensus Model, was performed. An expert panel was established to validate the transformational advanced professional practice (TAPP) model. APRNs are relied upon by organizations to provide leadership in the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective health care while improving access and eliminating preventable morbidities. Existing models fail to fully capture the professional scope of practice for APRNs. The TAPP model serves as a framework to guide professional development and mentorship of APRNs in seven domains of professional practice (DOPP). To meet the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for the future of nursing, APRNs should practice to the fullest extent of their education and training. Providing clarification regarding the DOPP of the APRN role is needed to standardized professional practice. The TAPP model is an inspiring blueprint that allows APRNs to model the way by delivering comprehensive health care in seven DOPP.

Inclusion of disability-related content in nurse practitioner curricula

To examine the integration of disability-content in a national sample of nurse practitioner curricula. Responses of National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) members to an online 34-item survey designed to assess disability-related content included in nurse practitioner (NP) curricula; populations of people with disabilities addressed; models of disability; and resources used to teach about disability, facilitators and barriers to inclusion of disability, and respondents' assessment of the adequacy of coverage of disability in their programs. A survey used previously to assess integration of disability content in undergraduate nursing programs was modified to make it relevant to NP curricula. Nursing faculty and people with disability validated the survey to ensure its completeness and sensitivity to the disability community. Participating programs represent 111 (33.6%) NP programs. Lack of disability-related content reported by NP faculty in the majority of programs suggests that there is considerable room for improvement in efforts to address this often vulnerable population. Because people with disabilities can be found in any setting where health care is provided, all NPs need to be prepared to care for people with disabilities across the life span. Strategies need to be developed and implemented to increase the awareness of NP faculty about the health issues of people with disabilities and integration of disability-related content without disrupting existing overloaded NP curricula.

Faculty practice: What do the data show? Findings from the NONPF Faculty Practice Survey

This article reports on the findings of the NONPF (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties) Faculty Practice Survey regarding promotion and tenure. Relevant issues related to tenure for practicing faculty are identified and discussed. Faculty practice has become an increasingly important and complex issue for academic institutions in relation to promotion and tenure. The purpose of this article is to examine the role and patterns of practice among tenured and nontenured faculty in academic nursing institutions and the variables associated with faculty promotion and tenure in these institutions. MethodA survey was mailed to the membership of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties to examine the differences between practicing faculty who were tenured and those who were nontenured and to identify predictors of tenure. A 50% response rate (N = 452) was obtained.Findings indicate that only 37% of the practicing faculty were tenured, and more than half (51%) reported that practice was not considered in promotion and tenure decisions at their institutions. The predictors of tenure included practice being considered in promotion and tenure and support for practice at the school of nursing level. Data on reasons faculty practice are also presented. Recommendations for including practice in promotion and tenure guidelines are discussed as well as the ramifications of administrative support for practice.

Evaluation of the clinical hour requirement and attainment of core clinical competencies by nurse practitioner students

The purpose of this study was to analyze the national practice of fulfilling 500 clinical hours as a requirement for graduation from nurse practitioner (NP) programs at the master's level and to compare this standard to a comprehensive approach of evaluating attainment of clinical competencies. The National Organization of NP Faculties (NONPF) and specialty accreditation bodies publications were used for references to clinical hour and core competency requirements for graduation from NP programs. Data from one university from student documentation on a commercial electronic tracking system were also analyzed. Data analysis revealed that the 500 clinical hours correlated to populations, skills performed, required levels of decision making, and expected diagnoses. However, assurance that these clinical hour requirements translated to exposure to all core competencies for entry into practice could not be established. A more comprehensive approach to the evaluation of student core competencies by implementing one or more performance-based assessments, such as case-based evaluations, simulations, or objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), as a strategic part of NP evaluation prior to graduation is proposed. This change is viewed as critical to the continued success of NP programs as master's level education transitions to direct BS to DNP educational preparation for advanced nursing practice.

Quality and safety in graduate nursing education: Cross-mapping QSEN graduate competencies with NONPF's NP core and practice doctorate competencies

To ensure that nurse practitioners are prepared to deliver safe, high-quality health care, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) publishes documents that outline the expected competencies for nurse practitioner (NP) practice (Domains and Core Competencies of Nurse Practitioner Practice and Practice Doctorate Nurse Practitioner Entry-Level Competencies). Having participated in the development of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies for graduate education, NONPF convened a task force to compare NONPF competencies with QSEN competencies for graduate education. This paper reports the first step of that cross-mapping process, comparing NONPF competencies with the QSEN knowledge objectives. Overall findings indicate close congruence across the 2 sets of competencies; however there are areas in which gaps are noted or for which clarification is required.