Transforming rank criteria for contemporary nursing academia: The journey to recognizing practice-based scholarship

The faculty demographic in schools of nursing is changing with the inclusion of more Doctor of Nursing Practice [DNP] -prepared faculty than ever before. This may create a dissonance between the preparation of the DNP faculty and the school's requirement for rank and promotion. Such was the case at our College of Nursing after creating a new strategic plan, where one pillar of this plan was to become a national leader in practice-based scholarship.

In examining our rank and promotion criteria, it was evident that there was poor alignment between this strategic goal and the process by which we recognize excellence in our faculty.

This article describes the process we used to undertake a complete revision of our rank and promotion criteria, including descriptions of the outcomes and an evaluation of the process.

This activity resulted in a more transparent and equitable process for our faculty.

These criteria could be used by other schools who are interested in promoting practice-based scholarship.