Scaling Up Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Processes for Large Student Cohorts

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Systems Management

Background:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs expanded admissions to include Master's and Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates.
• This led to a significant increase in annual student enrollment, from 12 to over 100 students.
• A critical need arose to redesign the DNP Project process for large student cohorts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To redesign the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project process to effectively manage large student cohorts.
• To develop a scalable structure, processes, and outcome measures for the DNP Project.
• To create a sustainable faculty workload model accommodating increased enrollment.

Main Methods:

• A task force was established to design the DNP Project structure and processes.
• Three sequential DNP Project courses were redesigned for implementation.
• An innovative faculty workload model was developed and approved.

Main Results:

• The redesigned DNP Project courses were successfully implemented.
• The new structure accommodates large student cohorts and is scalable.
• An approved faculty workload model supports the program's expansion.

Conclusions:

• Effective training for DNP students enhances engagement with the healthcare system.
• DNP-prepared nurses can implement and evaluate actions to improve patient care and outcomes.
• This approach expands the skills of DNP-prepared nurse leaders.