MASTER RESOURCE OUTLINE

 

Course Title: NRSG 675 DNP Scholarly Project

Credits: 3 (lab) repeated for a total of 6 credits (270 DNP hours)

Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring

Prerequisites: N604, N605, N608, N610, N611, N613, N615

Corequisites: none

Degree: DNP

DNP Essentials: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII

Program Objectives: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, IX

 

Course Description:

The DNP Scholarly Project uses content accumulated in previous coursework to discover, apply, and synthesize advanced nursing knowledge to improve health outcomes. Students identify, gather, and analyze appropriate data relevant to a clinical practice issue/deficiency and explores best practice to consider where gaps exist. In the second semester, students collaborate with relevant agency stakeholders to evaluate relevant project outcomes (patient outcomes, cost outcomes, and patient and provider satisfaction). Students disseminate project outcomes to relevant agency stakeholders and the broader profession. Students will successfully defend their project and finalize their written work for ETD submission.

 

Catalog Description:

Students will design and propose a scholarly project that exemplifies the discovery, application, synthesis of advanced nursing knowledge to improve health outcomes. Upon committee approval, students implement, evaluate, and disseminate through a formal oral and written defense.

 

Course Objectives:

  1. Analyze appropriate evidence to identify a relevant practice issue amenable to improvement.
  2. Synthesize literature relevant to the practice issue identified.
  3. Propose improvement project, including outcomes measures, to address identified issues.
  4. Implement a quality improvement process.
  5. Analyze project outcomes in context with relevant literature, the agency culture, and internal and external health care trends.
  6. Provide formal dissemination of project outcomes to agency stakeholders and university audience.
  7. Submit abstract for professional poster or podium presentation.
  8. Submit final project to Grad School for open access publication.

 

Recommended Content:

  • Examine and identify an appropriate theoretical framework(s) to plan and implement process improvement project.
  • Collect internal anecdotal and quantitative data to identify a local practice problem that is amenable to improvement.
  • Apply for IRB approval or formal exemption.
  • Complete a comparative analysis assessing local practice against what is identified to be best practice.
  • Synthesize knowledge from previous coursework into the development of a rigorous project.
  • In collaboration with relevant agency stakeholders, conceptualize the quality improvement plan and subsequent evaluation. Once approved, the plan is implemented.
  • Formally propose the project
    • Identify agency approvals and other steps needed for project progression.
    • Develop plan for data collection and analysis based on identified need and purpose.
    • Identify appropriate data sources.
    • Determine instruments to be used in data collection.
  • Implement a quality improvement process.
  • Complete first two chapters (Ch. 1 Intro and background and Ch. 2 Review of literature) of project proposal.
  • Chapter 1: Intro and Background
    • Internal/local (data, cost analysis) and some external data (e.g., national prevalence, national/local benchmarks)
    • Problem and purpose
  • Chapter 2:  Review of Literature
  • Chapter 3:  Methods (after the fact)
  • Chapter 4:  Results
  • Chapter 5: Discussion
  • Successfully complete public project defense.
  • Submit final project to Grad School for open access publication

 

Project Planning:

  • Data collection and analysis
  • Identifying a problem
  • Fishbone analysis
  • Identifying purpose
  • Setting goals
  • Establishing timeline
  • Getting buy in and support
  • Team communication
  • Content variable and based on identified student needs

 

Suggested Course Activities:

  • Complete fishbone diagram
  • Online discussions of theory and theorists
  • Meet with and shadow local DON or QI Specialist
  • Online discussions
  • Student/faculty Team meetings
  • Agency team meetings
  • Formative project evaluations
  • Identify appropriate tools for identification of stakeholders, evaluation tools, anticipated outcomes, etc.
  • Writing exercises
  • Brief writing podcasts, discussions
  • 1 or 2 multi day large public gatherings for public defense.
  • Poster display of project at defense?
  • Submit abstract for professional poster or podium presentation.
  • Evaluate project outcomes.
  • Analyze project outcomes in context with relevant literature, the agency culture, and internal and external health care trends.
  • Provide formal dissemination of project outcomes to agency stakeholders
  • Complete chapters (Ch. 3 Methods Ch. 4 Results/Finding and Ch 5 Discussion) of ETD product

 

Approved by GAAC: 4/5/19

Approved by Faculty:  5/2/2019