Strategies to advance DNP scholarly project rigor

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Scholarly Practice

Background:

• Concerns exist regarding the variability and rigor of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) projects.
• Contributing factors include inadequate faculty development, non-standardized evaluations, and poor dissemination structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present innovative strategies implemented at one university to enhance the scholarship and rigor of DNP projects.
• To evaluate the impact of these strategies on DNP project quality and outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of section-specific manuscript rubrics.
• Establishment of a Scientific Review Committee (SRC) for project evaluation.
• Introduction of an oral defense process and a project repository for scholarly work.

Main Results:

• Preliminary faculty observations indicated a rise in student work quality, with fewer manuscript revisions needed.
• Over 60% of projects were approved by the SRC on the first submission; 95% of manuscripts were housed in the repository.
• All students with completed projects successfully defended their work, and faculty noted value in collaborative learning and mutual growth.

Conclusions:

• The implemented strategies successfully improved the quality and rigor of DNP projects.
• These innovations foster high-quality scholarship and increase recognition of DNP contributions.
• Addressing limitations such as faculty workload and site restrictions is crucial for further optimization.