Developing advanced practice nurse writing competencies as a corequisite for evidence-based practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Academic Writing Skills
• Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Background:

• Writing competency is crucial for Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in evidence-based practice (EBP).
• APN roles require strong writing for policy development and communication of best evidence.
• Suboptimal writing skills can hinder APNs in higher education, faculty roles, and EBP competency development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate a peer-supported writing intervention for APNs.
• To develop low-cost, high-impact strategies to embed in APN educational programs to improve writing skills.
• To assess the effectiveness of the Read Aloud innovation for enhancing APN writing.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was conducted within a Doctor of Nursing Practice program for APNs.
• The study implemented and evaluated a peer-supported writing intervention, specifically the Read Aloud innovation.
• Peer feedback focused on the hierarchy of paragraph sentences, emphasizing the quality of the leading sentence.

Main Results:

• The structured Read Aloud innovation, with peer feedback, effectively improved APN writing.
• Emphasis on sentence hierarchy within paragraphs led to enhanced clarity and brevity.
• The Read Aloud strategy proved easy to implement, even for faculty less confident in traditional writing instruction.

Conclusions:

• Peer-supported writing interventions, like the Read Aloud innovation, are effective for improving APN writing skills.
• Integrating such strategies into APN education can bolster confidence and competence in scholarly writing.
• Elevating writing competency development is essential for APNs to succeed in advanced roles and academic pursuits.