Facilitating faculty knowledge of DNP quality improvement projects: Key elements to promote strong practice partnerships

Impact of Preceptors: Doctor of Nursing Practice Alumni Perceptions

BACKGROUND

Proliferation of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs has increased the demand for quality preceptors. This program evaluation project was developed to identify alumni perspectives of their precepted experience. DNP graduates offered insights that could be a future foundation for further exploration of the essential nature of the preceptor role in the DNP student experience.

METHOD

Individual interviews of graduates (n = 30) were conducted anonymously via Zoom (Zoom Communications, Inc.) using a semistructured question format. Data were analyzed using the six phases of thematic analysis process described by Braun and Clarke (2006).

RESULTS

An overarching theme was that preceptors are essential to DNP education. Participants discussed finding and compensating preceptors, as well as preceptor expectations and relationships with students.

CONCLUSION

High-quality preceptors are essential to DNP education. Alumni described a deep appreciation for preceptor expertise. Research is needed to further investigate graduates' insights and recommendations. [J Nurs Educ. 2025;64(2):115-120.].

Differentiation and Integration of Research, Evidence-Based Practice, and Quality Improvement

BACKGROUND

Substantial discrepancies exist in how research, evidence-based practice (EBP), and quality improvement (QI) are taught to nursing students across academic levels. As nursing education programs adopt the new The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and move toward competency-based education, prelicensure and advanced nursing students will need to demonstrate research, EBP, and QI competencies; therefore, faculty must possess the knowledge and skills to teach these paradigms' differences and integration.

METHOD

An evidence-based approach that builds on the literature and our experience as nurses and educators was used to develop this educational innovation.

RESULTS

An innovative representation in table and figure format of the differences and interdependence of research, EBP, and QI is presented herein.

CONCLUSION

These documents clarify the evolving differences, similarities, and synergies as a framework for faculty development. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].

Quality improvement in the implementation science paradigm in professional programs: scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To map knowledge regarding Quality Improvement in the implementation science paradigm in graduate nursing education in professional programs.

METHOD

This is a scoping review, conducted from October to December 2021, following the assumptions established by the Joanna Briggs Institute and the PRISMA-ScR protocol.

RESULTS

18 studies were selected. Being, 7 articles (38.8%) about the implementation strategies and development of Quality Improvement projects for graduate nursing students. The included studies emphasize Quality Improvement as a methodological strategy capable of capturing a problem in practice, to be solved without losing scientific rigor, and emphasize the importance of obtaining Quality Improvement skills in professional programs.

CONCLUSION

Implementation science and Quality Improvement projects advance professional programs to improve and develop quality health care.

Strategies for developing faculty confidence and competencies to mentor quality improvement DNP projects

DNP faculty who mentor students in quality improvement (QI) DNP projects often lack essential knowledge of QI principles. The purpose of this article is to guide DNP programs in developing confident and competent faculty mentors for QI DNP projects, facilitating DNP student success. At a multi-campus practice- and research-intensive university, strategies employed to teach College of Nursing faculty essential knowledge of QI principles comprise structural and process components. Structural supports standardize faculty workload, promote potential for collaborative scholarship, and provide instructional and resource support for faculty mentors. Organizational processes facilitate identification of practice sites and meaningful projects. A College of Nursing and university Institutional Review Board collaboration established policy to guide human subjects protection regarding DNP project activity, streamlining and standardizing the process. Library support mechanisms, access to ongoing faculty QI training and resources, and faculty feedback processes to improve QI faculty development are ongoing and sustained. Peer coaching provides continued support for faculty development. Initial process outcomes indicate that implemented strategies are well-received by faculty. The transition to competency-based education provides opportunities to create tools to measure multiple student quality and safety competencies highlighted in Domain 5 of The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and inform future directions for faculty development essential to support student success.

The Impact of DNP Scholarly Projects on Healthcare Organizations: A Road Map for Success

Many DNP scholarly projects occur in healthcare organizations, often taking various forms based on specific academic requirements. Projects require site mentorship, project facilitation, and institutional review board resources. This article highlights the impact of DNP scholarly projects on healthcare organizations and provides a road map for success for healthcare leaders and site mentors.

Mentoring students in doctoral nursing programs: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Academic mentorship usually involves an ongoing, supportive relationship between experienced academics and research candidates, and is fundamental to establishing and nurturing scholarship and the skills for dealing with the changing demands of the academic environment. Mentoring is a valuable strategy for the development of students enrolled in doctoral nursing programs (Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing - PhD, Doctor of Nursing Practice - DNP, Doctor of Nursing Science - DNS, and Doctoral Education in Nursing - EdD).

PURPOSE

To report mentorship experiences among doctoral nursing students and academic mentors, identify positive and negative attributes of mentors and the relationship between mentors and students, and assess the benefits and barriers of mentoring.

METHODS

Relevant empirical studies published until September 2021 were identified using PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus electronic databases. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies published in English language which reported on mentorship among doctoral nursing students were included. Data were synthesized into a scoping review with findings presented as a narrative summary.

RESULTS

The review included 30 articles, mostly from the USA, which reported on the mentoring relationship, experiences, benefits, and barriers of mentoring for the student and the mentor. Students valued mentor attributes such as being a role model, respectful, supportive, inspiring, approachable, accessible, a content expert and a good communicator. Benefits of mentoring included enhanced experience of research endeavours, scholarly writing and scientific publication, networking support, improved student retention, timely completion of the project, and career readiness, as well as developing one's own mentoring skills for future mentoring of others. Despite the identified benefits, there are a number of barriers related to mentoring including access to mentorship support, limited mentoring skills among faculty, and lack of compatibility between students and mentors.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlighted students' expectations versus their reality of mentoring, which suggested areas for improvement in mentoring doctoral nursing students, in particular the need for mentorship competency, support, and compatibility. Additionally, there is a need for more robust research designs to understand the nature and characteristics of mentorship programs for doctoral nursing students and to assess the expectations and wider experiences of mentors.

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.

Willing But Not Quite Ready: Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Research in an Academic Healthcare System

OBJECTIVE

To describe nurses' research knowledge, attitudes, and practices within an academic hospital system.

BACKGROUND

Hospitals are investing in research resources to meet Magnet® goals and advance the science of nursing, but nurses' specific needs for support are not well characterized and may vary by setting.

METHODS

We conducted an anonymous online survey of RNs at an academic hospital system in 2019-2020 using the validated Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Research Survey.

RESULTS

Respondents (N = 99) indicated high willingness to engage in research-related tasks but low or moderate knowledge of and ability to perform them. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of research increased with level of education, although gaps between willingness to engage versus knowledge and ability persisted even among doctorally prepared nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Research support for clinical nurses should leverage enthusiasm for research and focus on developing and applying specific practical skills, even among nurses with advanced degrees.

Understanding faculty perspectives of supports and barriers to interprofessional collaboration within a clinical scholars program: A qualitative study

AIM

This study explores the faculty perspective of an interprofessional clinical scholars program to identify recommendations for strengthening team collaboration between academia and clinical practice.

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional evidence-based practice, pairing higher education and clinical practice, is a critical part of nursing education.

DESIGN

This qualitative study consisted of two phases of participant engagement, in both data collection and data analysis.

METHODS

Specifically, faculty participated in a focus group discussion followed by a card sort of initial codes.

RESULTS

The major themes identified are Unifying the Team and Navigating Layers of Challenge, encompassing concepts of teamwork and programmatic context that supported or disrupted interprofessional collaboration. This study affirms the importance of role clarity, connectedness, intentionality and continuity within clinical teams. Moreover, faculty identified barriers to teamwork based on workload, leadership turnover and constraining environmental forces.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations for effective teamwork in an interprofessional setting will strengthen future collaboration between higher education and clinical settings.

Practice and Quality Improvement Leaders Survey of Expectations of DNP Graduates' Quality Improvement Expertise

BACKGROUND

Input from practice leaders will improve how doctor of nursing practice (DNP) education is meeting the needs of the employer and improving patient outcomes.

PURPOSE

This article describes the expectations practice leaders have of new DNP graduates' ability to contribute to quality improvement (QI) efforts within health care organizations.

METHODS

A survey of practice leaders and QI experts investigated the importance and use of QI knowledge and skills. Practice leaders were also asked about the expectations of DNP graduates at the time of hire.

RESULTS

The results of this study support the need for nurses pursuing a DNP in advanced nursing practice to have education and training beyond their area of specialization, specifically in QI methods and tools.

CONCLUSIONS

Faculty need to provide DNP students education that includes concepts in QI and leadership to meet the expectations of future employers and the needs of a complex and changing health care system.

Strategies for Strengthening Quality Improvement Projects in a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

BACKGROUND

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.

OBJECTIVE

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.

METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSIONS

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.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

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.