Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Rounds: Acclimating Novice Students

Area of Science:

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

Background:

• Novice Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students face challenges with program requirements, quality improvement, and scholarly development.
• Experienced faculty mentoring is crucial for student acclimation and scholarly work.
• Effective strategies are needed to support DNP student integration and engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the DNP Student Rounds mentoring program.
• To evaluate its effectiveness in assimilating and engaging first-semester DNP students.
• To highlight its role in developing quality improvement and scholarship skills.

Main Methods:

• Implemented "DNP Student Rounds," a mentoring approach with four monthly 60-minute virtual sessions.
• Focused on quality improvement principles, networking, project topic identification, and team development.
• Conducted during the first semester for novice DNP students.

Main Results:

• Student feedback indicated increased engagement and faculty interaction.
• Faculty reported enhanced confidence in student project development and scholarship skills.
• The program positively impacted student assimilation and networking.

Conclusions:

• Routine mentoring in the first semester is effective for DNP student engagement and program success.
• The DNP Student Rounds model supports student integration and skill development.
• Improved educational processes prepare DNP graduates for leadership roles.