The Impact of DNP Scholarly Projects on Healthcare Organizations

Abstract

Many DNP scholarly projects occur in healthcare organizations, often taking various forms based on specific academic requirements. Projects require site mentorship, project facilitation, and institutional review board resources. This article highlights the impact of DNP scholarly projects on healthcare organizations and provides a road map for success for healthcare leaders and site mentors.

Enhancing Organizational Review and Promoting Sustainability of DNP Student Projects

“…This may account for the lack of project sustainability. Reports suggest that assigning and engaging DNP-prepared mentors from within the organization has proven successful in aligning student interests with organizational objectives 11-14 . These mentors within the organization serve as facilitators, linking DNP students to various stakeholders critical for project success, including facilitating data extraction and establishing contacts with nonnursing departments such as informatics and finance 12,13 .…”

The DNP project

“…Students' work can be even more impactful if faculty, students, and academic practice partners work together on projects that have been identifi ed as potentially useful by healthcare system partners. 17,18 Th ese opportunities allow students to engage with the university's clinical partners to focus on a problem or issue being experienced at the practice level locally. Th rough academic and practice partnership projects, students may receive access to resources that they would not otherwise have for projects supported only by the DNP program.…”

“…Having academic and practice champions for each specialty track who meet regularly can lead to return on investment in relation to time and outcomes. 17 Additionally, it is important that college administrators understand the amount of time and resources required to guide students through research projects and perform them with sound rigor and value. At our college, during the students' last two semesters in the program, faculty are given a 1% distribution of eff ort workload allotment for each student with whom they are working on fi nalization of the work on their DNP project.…”

“…Students' work can be even more impactful if faculty, students, and academic practice partners work together on projects that have been identified as potentially useful by healthcare system partners 17,18. These opportunities allow students to engage with the university's clinical partners to focus on a problem or issue being experienced at the practice level locally.…”

“…Clinical staff and leaders may be more than happy to work with students, but they may not understand expectations, or there may not be a line of communication established for practice leaders to communicate offers of assistance. Having academic and practice champions for each specialty track who meet regularly can lead to return on investment in relation to time and outcomes 17…”