Journeying through the DNP project: A qualitative, descriptive study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs
• Scholarly Projects

Background:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs require a scholarly project.
• The student experience throughout the DNP project lifecycle is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of recent Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates during their scholarly project process.
• To gain insights into the initiation, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination phases of the DNP project.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing semi-structured interviews with 15 recent DNP graduates.
• Purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling methods were employed for participant recruitment.
• Data analysis involved pragmatic open coding and constant comparison by four researchers.

Main Results:

• Nine distinct categories emerged from the data analysis.
• An overarching theme identified was "Journeying Through the DNP Project."
• A metaphor was developed to encapsulate the interconnected categories of the DNP project experience.

Conclusions:

• Strong faculty support, including communication and mentorship, is vital for DNP students.
• Enhancing the rigor of DNP projects is recommended.
• Improving faculty understanding of research versus improvement projects can enhance student experiences.