At JAANP, we publish a number of clinical quality improvement (QI) reports. Often, these are based on projects conducted during the course of a nurse practitioner's doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program. The journal is interested in publishing QI projects that are significant in their scope and quality and contain impactful and novel approaches to care. This editorial focuses on the views of a faculty member who works with DNP students. Dr. Justin Waryold is completing the 2022 editorial mentorship program at JAANP. He teaches in a DNP program and has guided and observed student projects. He offered to discuss his perspectives on the contributions of DNP projects to the growing body of nurse practitioner science.
As a faculty member working with doctor of nursing practice students, what do you identify as strengths that DNP students bring to the table?
From working with DNP students over the years, I have found that many possess different strengths to support the success of their DNP projects. However, all students have two strengths in common. The first is determination. The student often presents to the faculty what can be termed a "passion project." This is where students identify an issue that they feel needs to be addressed to promote a better outcome. This idea may originate from a quest to translate research into practice, or it may be founded in the spirit of generating new knowledge from practice to improve patient outcomes. Regardless of the reason, the determination to create a better outcome for the population in their practice is evident.
The second strength that I often see in how DNP projects are currently selected and managed is the accountability to the population they serve. Students often present their concerns to faculty and express how a change is needed to improve patient outcomes. As the faculty assist students in transforming their idea into an impact project, students continue to be responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation components. Taking that accountability helps cultivate opportunities to improve one's leadership and communication skills. Sharpening these skills allows these future leaders the opportunity to create system-wide change to improve patient outcomes directly or indirectly.
What weaknesses have you seen in selecting project topics and project plans?
In my experience, DNP students will sometimes present their initial concept to faculty with such passion that they have trouble providing background information as to why this is an issue. Students can identify the concern but may lack the understanding of what is needed to promote change that improves the quality of care of the population that they serve. Oftentimes, students underestimate the effort needed to create a change that may seem trivial. By identifying weaknesses, we cultivate opportunities and grow as individuals.
Another opportunity to help DNP students select topics is the scalability of the program's duration. Doctor of nursing practice programs differ from other doctoral programs because there is a finite end. On occasion, the project is so complex that it will outlive the length of the program. In situations such as this, faculty assists the student in identifying one aspect of the project that can be administered over the length of the program. Faculty may facilitate students with like interests in addressing a more multifaceted issue with each student taking a different aspect of the issue.
Are there priority areas you would identify for project topics or scope, and if so, why should these be priorities?
Determining priority areas depends on various aspects, such as geography, demographics, and the impacted population. As an academician, the priority area affecting NP practice is access to care. As NPs, we often partner with our patients to improve their quality of life; however, the opportunity to receive this expert care is not always accessible. Providing an opportunity to have a student involved in organizational transformation and policy change to promote the procession and eliminate barriers to care would increase the number of leaders who can design and decrease barriers to care.
How can we as faculty and experienced NPs make the projects meaningful to students as well as impactful for other NPs and clinicians?
Faculty and seasoned NPs can assist students in making their projects meaningful by being a partner and a mentor in their education. An African proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child. This proverb could be extended to include the professional development of new practitioners. As faculty and practicing clinicians, we are responsible for supporting our future providers by supporting and becoming communities of interest in seeing the student's completion-working together with the DNP student to help improve the outcomes of the patients that they serve.