Essential knowledge, skills, & attitudes of mentors and mentees for successful DNP scholarly projects

Evaluation and quality improvement of Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner scholarly projects

BACKGROUND

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education's accreditation standards require nursing programs to demonstrate that students acquire doctoral-level knowledge and competencies beyond that expected at the baccalaureate and/or masters levels. The purpose of this article was to describe a quality improvement (QI) project for Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner (NP) scholarly projects.

LOCAL PROBLEM

Nurse practitioner faculty inquired about whether students' scholarly projects were of the quality and rigor expected at the doctoral, rather than masters, level.

METHODS

This project was conducted as a QI initiative and was designated as such by the institutional review board. Methods were based on Deming Plan-Do-Study-Act QI process model.

INTERVENTIONS

Two doctorally prepared nursing faculty evaluated nine doctoral scholarly projects using the Roush DNP-PCAT instrument. This instrument evaluates 16 components, and key elements within each component, for completeness. The DNP-PCAT tool was evaluated for interrater reliability and content validity in an earlier study.

RESULTS

Strengths and weaknesses were identified using quantitative and qualitative data analyses. Floor effects were seen in strategic planning, ethical concerns, data collection, results, discussion, and limitations. Qualitative findings identified weaknesses across all 16 components. Findings were similar to the results reported in a prior study. Results were reviewed and action plans were developed to improve the rigor of scholarly projects.

CONCLUSIONS

The nursing faculty plan to incorporate routine evaluation of scholarly projects into their program evaluation. Other NP programs may benefit from instituting a similar process.

Journeying through the DNP project: A qualitative, descriptive study

BACKGROUND

As a requirement of doctor in nursing practice (DNP) programs, a final scholarly project is required. Little is known about the student experience initiating, implementing, evaluating, and disseminating the scholarly DNP project.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore descriptions of what it is like to move through the DNP project process, from the perspective of successful recent DNP graduates.

METHOD

Using purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling, 15 recent DNP graduates were recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Using a pragmatic, open coding approach with constant comparison, four researchers evaluated the transcripts and reduced the data three times by coding and categorizing, clustering responses so the essential theme emerged.

RESULTS

Nine categories were interpreted, and one overarching theme emerged: Journeying Through the DNP Project. A metaphor weaving together the categories is offered.

CONCLUSION

Faculty support, through communication and mentorship, is strongly encouraged. Rigor of projects needs to be enhanced. Student experiences may be improved by faculty establishing supportive student relationships and ensuring that faculty understand the differences between and among research, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and process improvement. The DNP student experience can be enhanced with program support and faculty mentorship and support.

Faculty perceptions of factors that indicate successful educational outcomes of medical students' research projects: a focus group study

BACKGROUND

A growing number of medical schools have individual scholarly projects as a component of their curricula. The fact that all students, and not only those with research interests, have to carry out a project puts high demands on the projects and their supervision. Evidence is lacking for how to produce scholarly projects with satisfactory outcomes. This study aimed to explore the observations of faculty teachers regarding factors that predict the educational outcomes of medical students' scholarly projects.

METHODS

Two focus group interviews were held with seven of the 16 faculty coordinators who were external reviewers of students' research projects. The audio-recorded interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. We employed a constant comparative approach to create categories firmly grounded in the participants' experiences. A successful project was defined as coordinators' perception that the stated learning outcomes were achieved, in terms of students' ability to demonstrate a scientific attitude.

RESULTS

Five categories emerged from the data: Supervision, Project setup, Student characteristics, Curriculum structure, and Institutional guidance. The supervisors' experience and availability to students were mentioned as key factors for successful outcomes. Further, a clear aim and adaptation to the time frame were stated to be project-related factors that were also supervisors' responsibilities. Important student-related factors were skills related to scientific writing, taking ownership of and managing the projects, and making use of feedback. Finally, the course requirements, support, and control accomplished by faculty coordinators played important roles.

CONCLUSIONS

Contributing factors to achievement of the learning outcomes were supervisors' commitment and experience, and the projects being suitable for the time frame and having a clearly stated research question. Furthermore, the students' prowess at scientific writing, adequate handling of feedback, and ability to assume ownership of the project contributed to the final outcome, as did adherence to curricular instructions.

Do We Nurture Our Young? Qualitative Conceptual Analysis of Worst and Best Mentorship Experiences Among Neonatal Advanced Practice Providers

BACKGROUND

There is increasing demand for neonatal advanced practice providers (APPs) and a shortage of neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs). In many neonatal intensive care units, neonatal physician assistants are trained and hired, as well as new graduate NNPs. Neonatal APPs are utilized as mentors in a regional neonatology program in the Pacific Northwest. As part of a long-term goal to develop an educational program for neonatal APP mentors, an initial survey was administered.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this survey was to raise personal insight and identify themes about 51 neonatal APP mentors' recollections of one's own worst and best mentorship experiences.

METHODS

The design used in this content analysis of survey responses included a phenomenological, qualitative approach. The participants received an online survey consisting of 2 questions asking them to describe their worst and best mentorship experiences. The blinded results were analyzed via content analysis by 2 coinvestigators.

RESULTS

Consistent themes about worst experiences include "Eat our young," "I am better than you," "Thrown under bus," and "Unwanted." Consistent themes about best experiences include "Validation," "Empowerment," "Positivity," and "Inclusion."

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Recommendations for successful neonatal APP mentorship based upon the recurrent themes include use of consistent, engaged, trained, and supported mentors, provision of on-time constructive feedback, avoidance of public criticism, private and public praise, focus on the learner, preparation for tasks, and semiautonomy, with adequate support.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

Absenteeism, recruitment, retention, and satisfaction data may be measured to determine whether structured mentorship programs are beneficial.

Promoting and Supporting a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program of Scholarship

BACKGROUND

Mentoring in the context of the faculty-student relationship can be one in which each benefits. Creative approaches are warranted to help discriminate the boundaries between the student and the teacher as a mentor, which are often ill-defined and blurred given the high-stakes summative assessments of performance.

METHOD

Six specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based (SMART) goals were established for a mentor and mentee relationship spanning a 2-year period based on a vision for building a program of scholarship. Weekly mentoring sessions were used to monitor progress toward goal attainment.

RESULTS

While completing the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, the mentee expanded professional networks, obtained funded fellowships, expanded knowledge and skills related to the substantive area of scholarship, and disseminated that work through professional presentations and publications coauthored with the mentor.

CONCLUSION

Cognizant of the boundaries between course-related products and professional presentations and publications, the goal-driven mentor-mentee relationship is transformational to both. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(9):526-530.].

DNP student mentorship: Empowering students and nurse practitioner organizations

NP organizations can complement academic programs by providing DNP students with experiential learning and mentorship. This article focuses on a regional NP organization that provided mentoring to DNP students who joined their leadership board. Students gained leadership, advocacy, policy, and advanced practice experience, and the organization experienced growth and innovation.