Cultivating Nurse Leaders: Integrating Policy Analysis Projects in Doctor of Nursing Practice Programmes

To present the process of establishing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) policy analysis project option at one nursing school, offering examples of diverse student and graduate analyses to guide other institutions.

Nurses are skilled patient advocates, and their advocacy forms a crucial foundation for influencing health policy. This, in turn, enhances population health and addresses health disparities, particularly for vulnerable groups. DNP students are educated to use innovative methods to integrate current evidence to inform practice and policy, yet some nursing schools lack resources to support comprehensive DNP policy analysis projects.

The article presents a case example of how one institution developed a pathway and instructional support to formally offer DNP students the option to perform a DNP policy analysis project.

Essential elements to support students' successful completion of a DNP policy analysis project include adequate faculty expertise in health policy and a structured institutional framework. Residency activities must deepen a student's understanding and knowledge about policy and the health problem trying to be solved with policy. Clear documentation of these unique residency activities is crucial. There is a strong emphasis on the need for clear communication and guidance between programme faculty, programme mentors and students. DNP policy analysis projects enrich students' knowledge, skills and networks, fostering future policy leaders and facilitating collaboration with clinical experts across diverse research fields.

Nurturing DNP students completing policy analysis projects is vital for translating evidence into practice, developing future nurse policy leaders and ensuring health equity and access to quality healthcare.

DNP policy projects can positively influence nursing practice and policy. Expanding upon previous DNP students' policy analysis projects also provides a unique opportunity to build and broaden nursing's impact on policy development.