Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Tool Kit

Expectations for DNP Faculty

DNP program faculty hold the primary responsibility of meeting the intended program outcomes pursuant to the institutions accreditation standards.  Faculty are responsible for the evaluation of student outcomes that include the faculty, student, clinical preceptor, and practice mentor, as appropriate. Faculty are responsible to evaluate the appropriateness of the experience and setting of the practice immersion.  In addition, program faculty must ensure that the DNP student acquires the content and demonstrates the expected outcomes delineated in the The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021).  Program faculty will need to clearly communicate to the clinical preceptor and the practice mentor the level, the intended outcome objectives of the practice hours and practice experience as well as expected learner outcomes for the practice immersion of the DNP student.

Furthermore, the responsibility of the faculty includes the oversight of the design, implementation, and evaluation of DNP Project and associated experiences that are aligned to student and program outcomes.  Lastly, program faculty are responsible for evaluation of the practice site and the students’ experiences in addition to communicating objectives and learner outcomes.  Regular communication with the clinical preceptor and the DNP practice mentor is pivotal to ensure the curriculum is being effectively delivered and student outcomes are met. This necessitates rigorous oversight of scholarly DNP Projects by faculty.

Glossary

Impact: The force exerted by a new idea, concept, technology, or ideology.  Having influence or effect, e.g., The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice has had significant impact on the education of nurses (Dictonary.com, 2017a).

Implementation Science: The study of integrating research findings into healthcare practice and policy by understanding facilitators and barriers to the uptake of evidence (NIH, n.d.). The goal is to determine which factors promote the use of innovations in practice to the fullest extent and in the most effective way possible (National Implementation Research Network, 2015)

Improvement Science: A multidisciplinary applied science that seeks to improve healthcare processes and outcomes through quality improvement strategies such as innovation and rapid cycle testing in real-world environments (National Institutes of Children's Health Quality, 2017).