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Lessons Learned in Successfully
Mentoring BS-DNP toward
Scholarly Projects
Dianne Fuller, DNP. MS. FNP-C
Associate Professor (Clinical)
University of Utah College of Nursing
Director, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner DNP Program
DNP Program History
Only University offering DNP in Utah
2007 began Post- Master’s DNP
◦ 32-36 credits
4 semesters
Executive format
◦ Total MS-DNP graduates - 80
◦ Current students enrolled - 26
◦ Incoming cohort – 26
2008 began BS-DNP
BS-DNP Program History
2008 Master’s entry no longer offered in APRN
Exception Psych-Mental Health
First BS-DNP cohorts accepted into Primary care and Acute care
Now DNP only in 7 APRN BS-DNP specialty programs
◦ Family Nurse Practitioner
◦ Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
◦ Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
◦ Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
◦ Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
◦ Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
◦ Nurse Midwife
BS-DNP Specialty Programs
All Programs are full time
Credit Range
◦ 81 – 88 semester credits
Length of programs
◦ 3 years including summer semesters
Working Students
◦ 99.2 % of DNP students work at least part time
◦ 38% of students receive CoN financial assistance
Current students in all BS-DNP programs: 144
◦ Total Graduates: 28 in first BS-DNP cohort
◦ May 2012: 34 graduates
◦ Fall 2012 Incoming cohorts: 57
Benchmarks
MS-DNP graduating in anticipated time frame
◦ 1st cohort 30%, many lessons learned
◦ 2nd cohort to present ~90%
BS-DNP
◦ 1st cohort 75%
◦ 2nd cohort, defenses scheduled 4/16, 98% on schedule
Certification Board Pass Rate
◦ 97% (varies slightly in different specialties)
Dissemination of Project
◦ Publication
◦ Public Presentation
Contribution to Nursing
Types of Projects
◦ Evidence-based clinical practice
◦ Translation and application of research
◦ Policy
◦ Leadership
Examples
CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED
Program of Study
Barrier and Solution
Program of study structure - late introduction
of specialty courses
◦ Year 1 core
◦ Year 2 specialty and clinical
◦ Year 3 advanced specialty, clinical and project
Redesigned program of study
◦ Integrate specialty courses into year 1
Allows application of essentials throughout courses
Provides students early exposure to clinical content
Committee
Barrier & Solution
U of U is research institution with strong PhD
program
◦ Began with PhD committee model Chair +2
Many members had PhD expectations
Reorganized committee structure
◦ Chairs are either DNP or PhD with clinical focus
Content Experts
Two - experts in a portion of project
Many community or national experts
Examples
Barrier
From Student Perspective Student Concerns
◦ Student’s perception of “dilution” of clinical
goals with scholarly work
“We want to be NPs not just scholars”
Addressed
◦ Add concept of successful communication to
“scholarly”
◦ Make all scholarly assignments meaningful
◦ Integration of specialty courses earlier in
program
Institutional Issues
Faculty issues
◦ Scholarly projects very time consuming
◦ Inadequate faculty numbers for 1:6 ratio
FTE required with current approach to projects
Each faculty given .1 FTE to chair student through two semesters
Expecting 56 students in upcoming cohort
Need 2.8 FTE each of two semesters of BS-DNP scholarly projects
Faculty numbers to staff this need = pressure Minimal use of adjunct faculty
Major Barrier to Scholarly Project
Programs credit load
◦ did not easily allow additional courses specific to scholarly project
Scholarly project
◦ Lack of student preparedness to choose topic
◦ Late introduction of final project assignments in curriculum
◦ Primary care BS-DNP students have difficulty with identification of project idea
These students enter with acute care frame of reference
Scholarly Project Solutions
Planting the Seed for project ideas
◦ Introduction of project concept at interview,
orientation and first semester course
◦ Include all faculty (specialty and core) in
understanding of philosophy of final scholarly project
◦ Encourage all papers to be exploration of project
ideas
Introduce scholarly project assignments
earlier
◦ Without adding courses
Preparation for Scholarly Project
Incorporate scholarly project assignments into
practicum experience
Integrate clinical and scholarship
4 or 5 semesters of clinical experience
Differs in specialties
Assignments related to final scholarly project
◦ Designed to stimulate consideration of project topics
Preparation for Scholarly Project
First semester of Practicum, with guidance from
Program Director (PD)
◦ Specific assignments incorporated into Practicum
Identify 3 broad topics – PD feedback helps narrow
Synthesize 1evidence based article on each topic
Relate how articles refine and inform possible
projects
Narrow to one topic by end of semester
Identify clinical question related to chosen topic
Develop draft problem statement
Preparation for Scholarly Project
Second semester of practicum (one semester before scholarly project begins)
◦ Draft of objectives for scholarly project
◦ Beginning conceptualization of plan for implementation of project
Focus on the “So What”
◦ Development of ideas for dissemination
◦ Further literature review
Include annotated bibliography of 6 relevant peer reviewed articles from peer reviewed journals
DNP Scholarly Project
Occurs in last two semesters
◦ Each student defends proposal mid first semester
Allows progression with IRB when needed
◦ Defense is public, 15 min with 5 min. question
Judged by all chairs and program directors
Completed semester last semester
◦ Final defense – 2nd semester of scholarly project
◦ 20 min with 5 min. questions
Time constraints related to number of student
Scholarly Project
Must meet AACN recommendations
◦ Result of Scholarly Inquiry
◦ Uses essentials to improve practice or patient
population outcomes
◦ Must have clinical focus
All students must hire professional editor
Our next steps
New Approaches
◦ Group projects
Hope for increased impact
◦ Providing general themes
To concentrate student effort
◦ Increased interdisciplinary work
Engineering, architecture, hospital quality and safety
◦ Poster defenses
With smaller written product
Other ideas?
