DNP scholarly projects: Unintended consequences for academic-practice partnerships.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Partnerships
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• The expansion of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs necessitates robust academic-practice partnerships.
• Challenges arise when students and practice sites lack adequate preparation and support for these collaborations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore issues within academic-practice partnerships for DNP scholarly projects.
• To present best practices for fostering equitable and mutually beneficial collaborations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of four case studies examining DNP scholarly project partnerships.
• Identification of key issues including autonomy, stewardship, burden, and project fidelity.

Main Results:

• Partnership failures can lead to unintended negative consequences.
• Specific challenges involve maintaining autonomy, practicing stewardship, avoiding unfair burdens, and ensuring project fidelity.

Conclusions:

• Effective academic-practice partnerships require careful navigation and support.
• Universities must resource programs to develop expert clinicians who translate research into practice.
• Best practices promote equitable collaboration and successful DNP scholarly projects.