Preparing faculty to lead doctor of nursing practice projects: A faculty development pilot project

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Translational Science
• Healthcare Research

Background:

• Faculty require enhanced skills for leading Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) projects.
• Mentorship is crucial for developing expertise in DNP project leadership.
• Existing training may not adequately address faculty needs in complex project phases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a mentoring program aimed at increasing faculty confidence in leading DNP projects.
• To identify specific areas where faculty need skill development for DNP project success.
• To assess the impact of the mentoring intervention on faculty self-perceived competence.

Main Methods:

• A confidence assessment of six key skills was administered to faculty.
• A mentoring program incorporated didactic and experiential learning components.
• Intervention timing aligned with student progression through DNP project courses.

Main Results:

• Faculty self-identified needs in translation science, methods, statistical choices, and analysis.
• Overall confidence improved in four of six assessed skill areas.
• Statistically significant improvements were noted in Project Analysis (p < .041) and Project Dissemination (p < .046).

Conclusions:

• The pilot mentoring program demonstrated potential for enhancing faculty skills in DNP project leadership.
• Targeted educational strategies are necessary to address faculty needs in advanced research methodologies.
• Further assessment is warranted to refine faculty development programs for DNP project mentorship.