University of Detroit Mercy McAuley School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Clinical Practicum and Project Handbook 2014-2016
The McAuley School of Nursing (MSON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Clinical Practicum and Doctoral Project Handbook provides the policies and procedures specific to the DNP program. This handbook should be used in conjunction with MSON Graduate Handbook and the University of Detroit Mercy Graduate Catalog which provides detailed information regarding programs of study, course descriptions, and University Graduate Program policies and procedures. 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface 3 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Overview 3 Required Courses 4 DNP Course Descriptions 5 Academic Program Policies 7 DNP Program Plan 8 DNP Clinical Practicum 9 Mentoring Expectations 10 DNP Doctoral Project 14 Doctoral Project Committee 15 Doctoral Project Processes 16 Doctoral Project Evaluation 17 DNP Doctoral Project Committee Membership Form 18 DNP Clinical Practicum and Doctoral Project Hours Form 19 DNP Project Evaluation Form 21 2
PREFACE This document describes the current policies and procedures that are unique to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Detroit Mercy. The purpose of this handbook is to assist students in planning their studies, to provide students with the expectations for the clinical practicum and the doctoral project and to assist faculty in student advising and mentoring during doctoral study. The Handbook is an evolving document that is revised and updated periodically. It is important to note that expectations outlined in this handbook apply to students in the year in which they were admitted. It is designed to complement University policies and as well as the policies and procedures described in the Graduate Nursing Handbook. DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program builds on master s level education to provide an expanded level of unique knowledge and expertise in advanced practice nursing. The 36 credit post-master s program combines in-depth knowledge of nursing and the associated health sciences, information technologies, leadership and health related business competencies. With an emphasis on clinical practice, the program focuses on the advance practice nurses development as an expert clinician and leader to evaluate, innovate and transform nursing practice in today s complex health care system. The interdisciplinary curriculum features expert faculty from different disciplines and fosters a high quality teaching-learning environment. DNP PROGRAM OBJECTIVES Graduates of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program achieve the following terminal objectives: 1. Engage own professional role practice consistent with the competencies of the Doctor of Nursing Practice. 2. Formulate innovative theoretical and conceptual frameworks that ensure optimal health care quality and patient safety outcomes. 3. Translate evidence to produce innovative models of care that integrate informatics, health care technology, and interpersonal collaboration to affect population health, outcomes, and support health care policy initiatives. 4. Lead health care systems and policy innovation with a focus on preventative care, quality improvement and patient advocacy. 5. Integrate the Mercy and Jesuit traditions in providing culturally competent, compassionate, holistic and person-centered care with a commitment to human dignity in the contemporary world. 3
Required Courses for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program NUR 7000 Advanced Theory & Knowledge Development for Clinical 3 credits Nursing Practice ETH 7010 Ethical Issues in Advanced Nursing Practice 3 credits HLH 7100 Health Care Policy, Economics & the Law in Clinical Practice 3 credits NUR 7200 Epidemiology & Population Health 3 credits NUR 7300 Transformational Leadership & Innovation in Advanced 3 credits Clinical Practice NUR 7350 Business Management to Ensure Quality in Health Care 3 credits NUR 7400 Information Management and Decision Support 3 credits NUR 7450 Advanced Statistics for Clinical Practice 3 credits NUR 7500 Evidenced Based Nursing Practice: Theory, Design & Methods 3 credits NUR 7900 DNP Clinical Practicum 3 credits NUR 7920 DNP Doctoral Project 3 credits Elective/Directed Study 3 credits 4
DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS NUR 7000 Advanced Theory and Knowledge Development for Clinical Nursing Practice 3 credits NUR 7000 builds upon an introductory knowledge of nursing theory and the ability to analyze and evaluate the utility of selected theoretical models within nursing and other disciplines. This course integrates nursing science with knowledge from the biophysical, social and organizational sciences as the basis for doctoral level advanced nursing practice. Students will critically evaluate, compare and contrast relevant theoretical approaches for their utility in advanced nursing practice in their area of interest/expertise. Using theory as a guide, students will develop their theoretical model for clinical practice and demonstrate how that model can be used to design clinically relevant strategies aimed at improving health and/or health care in diverse settings. NUR 7200 Epidemiology and Population Health 3 credits This course provides an overview of fundamental topics in clinical epidemiology and now these concepts are applied in the measurement and evaluation of population health. The course explores foundational design, measurement and analytic techniques in the science of epidemiology. Students will review and critique epidemiologic literature to evaluate clinical practice based issues regarding disease surveillance, causation, genetic patterns, screening and social trends in population health at either the local, national or global level. NUR 7300 Transformational Leadership and Innovation in Advanced Clinical Practice 3 credits The course addresses the leadership role of the advanced practice nurse within healthcare organizations to affect change and ensure quality improvement, with a focus on inter- and intraprofessional collaboration. This course will explore critical topics in organizational and systems leadership that emphasizes the primacy of clinical work and the opportunity for nursing innovation to transform service delivery, improve health outcomes and ensure patient safety. Inter-disciplinary theories and practice of leadership will be explored at different levels of nursing practice: individual practice settings, health care organizations and the national health care system. Leadership, management and communication strategies to move interdisciplinary groups toward common goals and objectives will be examined. NUR 7350 Business Management to Ensure Quality in Health Care 3 credits This course builds upon the leadership and organizational change course to examine health care economics and the business of clinical practice as it relates to the delivery of quality health care services. The course will analyze the dynamic interplay between the driving forces of economics, health policy, quality improvement and standards of care in the delivery of health care services to maximize outcomes. Within a quality improvement framework, students will explore economic concepts and measurement tools to critically appraise a health care issue, design strategies to improve clinical outcomes and evaluate achievement of improvement goals including not only the outcome but safety, fiscal principles, efficiency and safety. 5
NUR 7400 Information Management and Decision Support 3 credits This course is designed to prepare the DNP student with essential knowledge and skills necessary to provide leadership in the design, selection, use and evaluation of technologies used in healthcare to promote efficiency, quality, improvement in health outcomes and knowledge generation. DNP students will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to create relational databases for their specific area of practice where data extraction and knowledge development can occur. This course will proved the DNP student with advanced understanding of the ethical and legal issues associated with the use of technologies within acute care settings, private industry, and web-delivered services. The DNP students will also be prepared to evaluate consumer health information. NUR 7450 Advanced Statistics for Clinical Practice 3 credits This course focuses on mastering strategies essential for evidence-based practice improvement. These strategies include critical evaluation of the research literature, statistical evaluation of program outcomes, and population based statistical decision making. The emphasis is on applications rather than statistical theory. NUR 7500 Evidenced-Based Practice: Theory, Design and Methods 3 credits This course focuses on the evidence-based practice process and the knowledge and skills necessary for translation of evidence into advanced clinical practice. Students will compare and contrast various forms of scientific evidence with emphasis on expanded research techniques, instrumentation, study designs and theories that are relevant for advanced clinical practice. Content will also emphasize critical appraisal skills necessary to ensure meaningful translation of scientific evidence into practice to ensure high quality care for clients that result in optimal outcomes. ETH 7010 Ethical Issues in Advanced Nursing Practice 3 credits This seminar explores the philosophic basis and derived theories of ethics and other implications for advanced clinical practice. Using ethical principles, students will examine a variety of clinical, research and practice management dilemmas that arise in the provision of advanced practice nursing services to individuals, populations and communities. Course content includes issues related to social justice, health care disparities, vulnerable populations, professional interactions, genetic screening and diagnostic testing, end of life, conflicts of interest, reproductive technology and scientific research agendas. HLH 7100 Health Care Policy, Economics and the Law in Clinical Practice 3 credits This course examines current policy, economic and legal issues in the regulation of advanced nursing practice and the US healthcare system. The course integrates the conceptual methodologies underlying health care policy development and implementation as well as the economic system supporting the financing of health care services in the US and the legislative statutes that affect the regulation of nursing practice in the delivery of health care services. The intent is to provide the DNP student with the skills to analyze, synthesize, advocate and implement health care policy in organizations, communities and wider public venues. 6
NUR 7900 DNP Clinical Practicum 3 credits (1 credit seminar and 2 credits clinical practicum 240 hours) In this capstone clinical practicum with seminar, students will integrate DNP role behaviors into clinical practice. A focus on transformational leadership in the practice setting to deliver advanced practice nursing services to individuals, families, communities, or systems is emphasized. Building upon formative coursework, students are expected to synthesize theoretical, empirical and clinical knowledge to analyze critical issues in current practice and initiate opportunities for improvement or innovation amenable to advanced nursing practice action. In conjunction with their designated faculty advisor, students will design a clinical practicum experience that permits achievement of the student s individual goals and program objectives with primary emphasis on the integration of DNP competencies directly into advanced nursing practice. Students will engage in weekly seminars, rotating leadership responsibilities to analyze practice based issues from the DNP perspective. NUR 7920 DNP Doctoral Project 3 credits. The DNP program culminates in the successful completion of a scholarly project that demonstrates synthesis of the student s work and lays the groundwork for future scholarship. The DNP doctoral project is a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from practice and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee. In this project, students will engage in scholarly inquiry to analyze, evaluate, or transform a relevant aspect of clinical practice. This substantive project should make a significant evidenced based contribution to existing nursing knowledge. The doctoral project may take on many forms but will be unique to the student s area of specialization and designed by the student in collaboration with their faculty advisor and clinical mentor. Examples of doctoral projects include: a program needs assessment with program development and evaluation, evaluation of an existing program, development of an assessment instrument/protocol, a cost/benefit analysis of program models, construction of a practice model or an innovation for clinical practice, database creation to track direct care assessment or outcome, implementation of an evidence based guideline for clinical practice or other scholarly project as approved. 7
DNP ACADEMIC PROGRAM POLICIES GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS The DNP degree prepares nurses at the highest level of clinical practice. This program requires the completion of a minimum of 36 credits post-msn, depending on prior coursework completed for the master s degree. Transcripts of nurses with a non-clinical master s degree in nursing, or an MSN from another school, or prior doctoral coursework (either PhD or DNP) will be evaluated for equivalence to the MSON DNP program and the DNP program plan adjusted in accordance with admission criteria, and graduate program policies and procedures. All post-msn DNP students must complete a minimum of 36 credits of approved coursework, of which at least 24 credits must be taken at the University of Detroit Mercy. A maximum of 12 credits may be transferred toward the DNP degree congruent with Graduate Catalogue policy. In the DNP program, graduate transfer credit will not be awarded for courses in which a grade of less than B (3.0) is earned. Doctoral level transfer credit earned more than six years before the degree is awarded will not be applied to the DNP degree requirements. A total of 1000 post BSN clinical hours is required for program completion. Up to 500 clinical hours may be granted for clinical hours completed in the MSN program. As described in the MSON Graduate Nursing Handbook, to continue progression in a graduate nursing program, the student must maintain an aggregate grade of B (a University GPA of 3.00). A grade below B- in any of the nursing courses represents unsatisfactory academic progress. Unsatisfactory academic progress may result in probation and/or dismissal as described below. DNP PROGRAM PLAN All students will develop a program plan with their faculty advisor. It is expected that advisors and students have ongoing conversations/meetings each semester during the program to review progress and discuss program plans, including practicum experiences and ultimately the final doctoral project. The program requires 27 credits of formative coursework, 3 credits of elective, 3 credits of clinical practicum and 3 credits of project work. Electives The DNP program plan requires 3 credits of elective coursework. Elective courses are intended to support coursework in the student s area of study. There are several options for the elective component of the DNP program plan. The selection of the elective course(s) should be discussed and approved by student s faculty advisor. Option 1: Students may select an elective course from existing offerings at the University of Detroit Mercy. Several graduate courses are available within the university in the area of business, law, psychology, education and the social sciences. The MSON offers electives in nursing education. Additionally, the consortium agreement between the DNP programs at UDM and Madonna University provides students access to three electives developed as part of the consortium. These electives include NUR 5110: Culturally Appropriate Care: Advanced Concepts, Theories and Practices, NUR 6210 Advanced Mental Health Nursing Competencies for the Non-Psychiatric Specialist; NUR 7250: Addressing Vulnerable Populations within a Social Justice Context: Implications for Advanced Nursing Practice. NUR 5110 and NUR 6210 are offered at Madonna University; NUR 7250 is offered at UDM. 8
Option 2: Students may select a course at another university that addresses content relevant to their clinical scholarship. The course selection must be discussed with the faculty advisor and approved as congruent with the student s plan for clinical scholarship. When exercising this option, students may use the Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Studies (MIGS) Program. The MIGS program enables graduate students of Michigan academic institutions to take advantage of educational opportunities at other institutions offering graduate degrees. Any graduate student in good standing in a master s, specialist or doctoral program at a member institution is eligible to participate with approval of the appropriate academic unit. Students on a MIGS enrollment pay tuition and other fees at the host institution. All credits earned under a MIGS enrollment are accepted by a student s home institution as if offered by that institution. This type of enrollment is limited to one term for master s or specialist degree student or two terms for doctoral degree students. Option 3: Students may also craft a 3 credit independent study (NUR 7950) with a faculty member at UDM to meet a specific need in relevant content or clinical inquiry methodology. The independent study plan must be approved by the sponsoring faculty and the student s faculty advisor. DNP CLINICAL PRACTICUM AND HOURS Post Master s DNP students must complete a total of 1000 post BSN clinical hours. Post Master s entry students are permitted by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) to be credited up to a maximum of 500 hours for mentored clinical experience during their master s program. As a minimum of 500 clinical hours are required for the APRN national certification exams (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist or nurse midwife), these hours will be awarded with admission to the program. The remaining 500 hours are completed throughout the coursework in the program and the completion of the doctoral project. For students with a non-aprn master s degree in nursing, individual transcripts and master s program requirements will be reviewed to determine the number of clinical hours awarded and the number of hours to be completed in the doctoral program. Field experiences to enable achievement of the DNP essentials are embedded across the program to support development of the DNP competencies. The clinical practicum course (NUR 7900) provides opportunity for students to plan experiences that merge the DNP essentials with their personal scholarly goals. In the seminar that accompanies this course, students will integrate DNP role behaviors into clinical practice. A focus on transformational leadership in the practice setting to deliver advanced practice nursing services to individuals, families, communities, or systems is emphasized. Practicum experiences must be discussed and approved by the faculty advisor and course faculty. The faculty will assist the student with determining the practicum plan. Students will use their mid-curricular DNP self assessment to guide the selection of experiences. Practicum experiences can be completed in a variety of community agencies or with a selection of mentors. Experiences outside of the student s place of employment are encouraged, but students may complete this within their place of employment as long as the experience permits achievement of the competency or the student s individual goals. Student experiences are supervised by the respective faculty in the courses where they occur. 9
Hours spent conducting the Doctoral Project as they relates to MSON program objectives and achievement of the DNP Essential Competencies (2006) also contribute to meeting the required 1000 clinical hours. Students will track hours in the practicum experience and project work using the DNP Practicum and Project hours tracking form. The DNP practicum is considered a collaborative endeavor that involves mentors, the student and faculty. Each has a specific role to advance the DNP student s knowledge and skills in practice. MENTORING EXPECTATION The Mentor s Role and Expectations The primary role of the mentor is to provide the DNP student with a unique practicum or organizational level experience to achieve the defined objectives as identified by the student. A successful practicum experience is achieved through the student mentor faculty relationship in which each member of this educational team contributes to the student s learning experience. The general expectations of mentors are to: 1. Serve as a mentor and role model for the DNP student. 2. Identify and discuss with the DNP student identified learning needs to meet objectives. 3. Direct the overall practicum experience based on objectives provided by the student in collaboration with the DNP faculty and mentor. 4. Meet with the DNP student prior to discuss details and logistics of the experience including dates and times. 5. Serve as a host, sponsor, teacher, and role model for the student at the practicum site. 6. Assess the nature of particular experiential opportunities that will enable the student to meet their learning objectives. 7. Assist the DNP student to meet their learning objectives and experience newly learned skills to build confidence. 8. Direct and support the critical analysis of guidelines and/or standards of care and determine how guidelines or standards should be implemented or adapted to unique situations. 9. Support the DNP student to refine interpersonal skills and promote effective communication with patients and colleagues. 10. Provide feedback to the UDM DNP faculty regarding the extent to which the DNP student achieved the outlined objectives at the beginning of the experience using the evaluation form. 11. Demonstrate attitudes and qualities consistent with the ethics of the health professions. 12. Immediately report to the UDM DNP faculty any student behaviors that influence or threaten the safety of populations or place the practicum site at risk. 13. Notify UDM faculty when the DNP student demonstrates minimally acceptable performance. Students and mentors are expected to collaboratively complete student evaluation forms. 10
The DNP Student s Role and Expectations DNP students should enter their practicum course with a general idea about their goals for the practicum including the DNP competencies they want to bolster, their specific area of interest and the focus of their DNP project. DNP students are responsible for being self directed in identifying their initial and ongoing learning needs and seeking learning opportunities to address their needs. A successful practicum experience is achieved through the student-mentor faculty relationship in which each member of this educational team contributes to the student s learning experience. The general expectations of students in the practicum experience are to: 1. Develop realistic, meaningful learning objectives in collaboration with DNP advisor, course faculty and mentors to meet course requirements and advance the student s knowledge and skill in their identified learning needs and their specialty focus area. 2. Identify mentors and experiential learning opportunities focused on achieving defined learning objectives. 3. Select mentors on the basis of their qualifications to support achievement of the student s learning objectives. 4. Ensure that the DNP advisor and course faculty approves the mentor arrangement and learning objectives before beginning practicum hours. 5. Meet with the mentor prior to the practicum experience to discuss details and logistics of the experience including dates and times. 6. Provide the practicum site with the necessary licensure, insurance and health or educational information as requested. 7. Schedule and complete practicum hours at the convenience and availability of the mentor. 8. Exhibit a professional demeanor at all times in the practicum setting including: a. Professional dress with UDM School of Nursing identification badge b. Respectful to all people encountered in the practicum setting including mentors, faculty, staff, patients, families, and colleagues. 9. Express appreciation to mentors for their dedication, mentoring, and teaching at the end of the mentored experience. 10. Document practicum hours and experiences. 11. Complete the DNP Mentor Evaluation Form Student and the Site Evaluation Form Student and submit to course faculty. The DNP Faculty s Role and Expectations DNP course faculty members are responsible to oversee the DNP student s practicum experience. DNP faculty work closely with students and mentors to support the student s achievement of their specific learning objectives. DNP course faculty facilitate application of theoretic concepts to practice, assist with identification of appropriate practicum sites and mentors, and establish collaborative relationships with mentors. The general expectations of faculty in the practicum experience are to: 11
1. Serve as a mentor and role model for DNP students. 2. Ensure institutional affiliation agreements (if required) and individual mentor agreements are established (if required) for student practicum experiences. 3. Collaborate with DNP student and mentor as needed to establish realistic, meaningful learning objectives to meet course requirements and student s identified needs. 4. Provide documents that describe the mentoring and practicum experience. 5. Use appropriate teaching methods to help the student negotiate the practicum experiences so that the student meets learning objectives and has confidence to experiment with newly learned skills 6. Be available to mentor for questions, problems, and concerns throughout the practicum experience. 7. Provide consultation and/or support for mentor when needs or problems are reported. 8. Supervise and evaluate student achievement of learning objectives. 9. Demonstrate attitudes and qualities consistent with the ethics of the health professions. 10. Complete the Practicum Faculty Supervision Form to document faculty supervision of practicum experiences. 11. Provide mentors with the AACN DNP Essentials. Processes for Selecting and Approving Mentors Individuals who serve as mentors for graduate students in the post masters DNP program must meet the following qualifications: 1. Formal education and professional experience as required for the professional role and practice area; preferably an earned graduate degree or its equivalent in a specialty area of practice. 2. State licensure as required for the professional role and practice area if applicable. 3. Practice expertise derived from practical and theoretical preparation for individuals in practice roles. 4. Administrative or management expertise derived from practical and theoretical preparation for individuals in administrative or public health positions. 5. Commitment to assist students to develop unique aspects of a particular role and meet defined learning objectives as established by the program of study Course faculty (in conjunction with the faculty advisor) approve all mentors, practicum sites, and student learning objectives for the practicum experience to ensure achievement of students learning needs and course and program objectives. Evaluation of the Practicum Mentors are asked to evaluate student s achievement of their individual learning objectives at the end of the practicum experience. Students are also responsible to evaluate the mentor and the practicum site at the completion of the experience. These forms are in the mentoring handbook. Faculty collect data to also evaluate the practicum experiences 12
CLINICAL AGENCY REQUIREMENTS Students completing practicum experiences in other institutions, health centers or private offices must meet the clinical requirements established by the individual organization. This may include but is not limited to proof of licensure and certification, negative PPD test, criminal background checks, drug testing, fingerprinting, proof of immunizations, current influenza vaccination, etc. ACE PASSPORT Requirements The MSON utilizes the ACE PASSPORT (www.acepassport.org) system to certify educational and healthcare institutions that students have completed certain requirements prior to the start of their clinical placement. This is a web-based online learning system and provides the vehicle for centralized record keeping of the HIPPA, OSHA, and Blood Borne Pathogens requirements that all of the health systems in Southwest Michigan require. The ACE PASSPORT System is also a centralized record keeping system for the student's demographic information and student's immunization, CPR, and TB results. All students will be required to register and pay for the ACE PASSPORT System once a year. All students will complete the Mandatory exams on the ACE PASSPORT System prior to clinical. Dates for completion will be announced and failure to complete these mandatory requirements prior to the designated date by which students have been notified will result in the administrative withdrawal from the course by the Office of the Associate Dean. Students cannot enroll into the ACE PASSPORT System until all documents have been submitted to Cheryl Walker and uploaded into the system. Once you are uploaded, you will receive an email which will enable to register and complete the mandatory exams. Not all DNP practicum experiences will require enrollment in the ACE PASSPORT systems. It is the purview of each respective organization. GUIDELINES FOR CLINICAL PRACTICUM CONDUCT While participating in any program activity outside of the University of Detroit Mercy campus, such as clinical offices, hospitals, colleges or universities, or care settings, students should present a professional, business casual, appearance. The program identification/name tag MUST be worn while at any practicum site. In addition to the UDM name tag, the clinical agency may issue an identification badge that must also be worn at all times while on those sites. DNP students must also consistently demonstrate professional behaviors with interacting with community stakeholders, organizational leaders, professional health care providers, or individual patients or patient groups. This includes consistently demonstrating concern for the welfare of patients and embodying professional respect and collaboration with working with interprofessional colleagues. Students may become intimately involved with projects that support agency goals and initiatives. All interactions should be treated with the utmost confidence. Confidential documents should not be removed from the clinical agency. At all times, the graduate students will uphold the Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA). http://nursingworld.org/mainmenucategories/ethicsstandards/codeofethics.aspx 13
DOCTORAL PROJECT The DNP program culminates in the successful completion of an individual scholarly project that demonstrates synthesis of the student s work and lays the groundwork for future scholarship. The DNP doctoral project is a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee. In this project students will engage in scholarly inquiry to analyze, evaluate, or transform a relevant aspect of clinical practice. This substantive project should make a significant, evidenced based contribution to existing nursing knowledge. The doctoral project may take on many forms but will be unique to the student s area of specialization and designed by the student in collaboration with their doctoral committee. The project should contribute to and provide evidence of the student s achievement of the DNP program objectives and DNP essential competencies. While a project may not capture all of the program objectives or DNP competencies, competencies that address leadership, collaboration, advocacy, quality improvement and evidence based advanced nursing practice are likely to be central to most projects. Examples of doctoral projects include: a program needs assessment with program development, evaluation of an existing program, development of an assessment instrument/protocol, a cost/benefit analysis of program models, construction of a practice model or an innovation for practice, database creation to track direct care assessment or outcome, implementation of an evidence based guideline for clinical practice, or other scholarly project as approved. A systematic approach is used in the developing and completing the project. Ideally, students should be using the DNP coursework to develop expertise in an area of practice that will lead to and inform the doctoral project. It is expected that the project is conducted in accordance with ethical principles. Lastly, project findings or primary deliverables are disseminated professionally and publically. DNP Project: Continuous Enrollment To facilitate timely completion of the DNP program and the DNP project, students are encouraged to establish their DNP project committee within the first year in the program and use each academic course to concurrently develop and implement the project. Students are required to complete a minimum of 3 credits of the Doctoral Project course to fulfill graduation requirements. For the majority of students, the DNP project course is the last course in the 36 credit program. Beginning with cohort 5 in Fall 2014, students that have not completed the project in the final semester of the program plan are required to demonstrate continuous enrollment of 1 credit in the DNP project course for fall and winter semesters until project completion. For students that anticipate that the project will not be completed in the final semester of the program plan and require part time status (enrollment in 5 credits) for financial aid, the student may choose to register to 2 credits of project in one term and register for the remaining 1 credit of project in the subsequent term to fulfill the 3 credit requirement. If not completed by the end of subsequent term, the student is expected to maintain continuous enrollment for each subsequent fall and winter terms. 14
DOCTORAL PROJECT COMMITTEE The doctoral project is developed, reviewed and evaluated by a doctoral project committee. The doctoral project committee shall consist of a minimum of three members, one of whom may be external to the student s home academic unit. Ideally, all three members of the committee should be doctorally prepared but a master s prepared member is permitted in the case this committee member has expertise in a clinical topic or method relevant to the student s project or is a representative from the stakeholder organization in which the student is conducting his/her doctoral project. Two of the committee members must be members of the McAuley School of Nursing (MSON) or the College of Health Professions (CHP). The third committee member can be faculty from a different academic unit of the University of Detroit or external to UDM, ie faculty at another university or a professional colleague with relevant clinical or content expertise (ie physician, chief executive officer, director of quality improvement, informaticist, statistician, etc). From the time of admission in the program, students should begin identify faculty and other professional experts who may contribute to their summative doctoral project. Committee Member Roles Doctoral Project Chair. The Project Committee Chair must be a doctorally-prepared faculty member of the MSON. The faculty selected for chair should have content or clinical expertise to oversee the project from inception to completion. The chair will assist the student in the selection of committee members. Doctoral Project Committee Member - Project Reader. The doctoral committee project reader is a doctorally prepared faculty member of the MSON or CHP. This member agrees to foster student progress and evaluate the doctoral project. The reader will be selected by the student in consultation with the committee chair. The reader s role is to ensure that the level of scholarship is consistent with a clinical doctorate. Ideally, the reader has a congruent clinical or research interest with the project s focus. Doctoral Project Committee Member Clinical Consultant. The doctoral committee clinical consultant contributes relevant clinical or content expertise to the student s project. This committee member can be a faculty member at UDM or another university, a professional colleague (ie physician, psychologist, informaticist, statistician, executive leader) or a representative/stakeholder from the organization in which the student is conducting the project. A doctoral degree is preferred; a master s prepared member is permitted. The consultant will participate in forming the project, evaluating student progress and the final project. Responsibilities of the Committee The project committee is responsible to approve the proposed clinical project, supervise the project development and implementation and evaluate the written and oral project report. Two of the three committee members must agree on the project s success status (pass, fail). Changes in Committee The doctoral project may change before the final committee is established. No written approval is required. However, once the project has begun and a committee change is necessary, a formal written request for approval must be submitted to the DNP program coordinator for consideration. 15
Project Formation STEPS IN THE DOCTORAL PROJECT PROCESS Identify a Topic for the Project. Ideally during the progression of coursework, student begins to identify a general area of interest for the doctoral project and use their work in specific courses to develop different dimensions of this topic. Students should begin to identify faculty that may have expertise to support their proposed work. The faculty advisor should also be consulted for suggestions of potential committee chairs. Select Committee. Students should interview and meet with potential committee member to discuss their ideas and ensure the faculty or professional is amenable to service on the committee. Once selection is complete, the student should submit the Committee Composition form to the Chair for signature and to the DNP program coordinator for final approval. The original should be place in the student s file and copies distributed to the chair, all committee members and the student. Schedule First Meeting. The student should convene the committee to discuss the proposed project and determine the proposal development. The recommended components of the written proposal should include a Title Page, Introduction with Problem Statement, Background and Significance, Review of Evidence surrounding the Clinical Practice Issue, Identification and Definition of Variables, Purpose of the Project, Methods (Design, Sample, Measures or Outcomes, Intervention (if applicable), Budget (if applicable) Data Collection, Data Analysis, and References. The specific components of the proposal may be adapted to meet the purpose of the project. For example a clinical inquiry proposal may look slightly different than a quality improvement or program development and evaluation proposal. Decisions on the proposal format will be made by the project committee. A timeline for completion should also be presented as part of the proposal. The proposal should be written in APA format. Write and Defend Project Proposal. The student should work closely with the Committee Chair and Clinical Consultant during the development of the project proposal. The written project proposal is then disseminated to the committee members for review and a proposal defense meeting is scheduled within 2-3 weeks of the distribution of the paper. The proposal defense is a powerpoint presentation summarizing the main components of the project. Once the proposal is approved as acceptable by all committee members, the student may begin project implementation. A student who does not successful complete the doctoral project proposal may present a revised proposal for a second time (no earlier than 6 weeks and no later than 26 weeks) and if necessary, a third time anytime within an additional 26 week period. Failure to pass on the third attempt may result in dismissal from the program. Project Implementation Phase Human Subjects. In this phase of the project, students will need to meet the required human subjects or quality improvement approval processes of the University of Detroit Mercy and if applicable, the clinical agency in which the project is conducted. Students will need to meet the Human Subject requirements of both organizations (ie Modules on Research ethics, Data security, Confidentiality, etc). Projects can begin ONLY after all required approvals are received from the university and appropriate agencies. 16
Discuss and Determine Authorship with chair and committee members. While not required, often student will include committee members who contribute significantly to the development and mentorship of the project on submitted publications. It is recommended you discuss this issue when forming the committee. Conduct Project. During this phase, the student will work in close contact with the committee chair and clinical consultant member to carry out the project activities. Develop Written Product for Presentation and Defense. The summative written output of the doctoral project is summative report of the work. The final written project should include the project proposal plan and an account of the project implementation, data analysis with results and outcomes, cost/benefit analysis if applicable, conclusions and implications for nursing practice, policy or future research. The final written product should be presented using the template agreed upon by the project committee that best captures the design of the student project. Recommended DNP Project Formats Reports of Randomized Controlled Trials Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement http://www.consort-statement.org/index.aspx?o=1065 Reports of Non-Randomized Educational, Behavioral and Public Health Interventions Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Non-randomized Designs (TREND) statement http://www.cdc.gov./trendstatement Reports of Observational Studies Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement doi:10.1371/journal.pmed0040296 Reports of Quality Improvement Interventions or Programs Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) http://www.squire-statement.org Reports of Qualitative Research Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist Tong, A., Sainsbury, P. & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research: A 32 item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal of Quality in Health Care. 19(6), 349-357. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzm042 Reports of Systematic Reviews Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) http://www.prisma-statement.org/ Develop and Publically Present Project Findings. When the committee chair believes the student s project is approaching completion (ie the written paper is complete), the student schedules a meeting to assure that all members agree that it is ready for presentation. When all members agree, the Public Presentation is scheduled. Conducted by the student s committee, the final public presentation is open to the general university community and is publicized to the entire College of Health Professions. 17
In the public presentation, the student formally presents the clinical issue, scope of the problem/concern/issue, the project design, results/outcomes of the project. The presentation should also discuss impact of the project on policy, health or fiscal outcomes, and the implications for advanced nursing practice. Once the public lecture is complete, the audience has the opportunity to ask questions. The audience is then excused and the committee then meets individually with the student to discuss the project. The committee chair has primary responsibility for approval of the final project, but the doctoral project committee members must read, approve and sign the final project product. A minimum of two of the three committee members (one being the chair) must agree that the final product is acceptable. Once the DNP Doctoral Project Completion Form has been signed and dated by all committee members, the student will attach a copy of the final written product. These items must then be submitted to the DNP program coordinator. The student should provide a copy to all committee members and keep one for their own records. PROJECT EVALUATION The project is graded pass/fail. The project is evaluated by the project committee with the chair retaining responsibility for approval. Two of the three committee members (one being the chair) must agree on the project s success status as either pass or fail. UDM ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY/CHP HONOR CODE As described in the MSON Graduate Nursing Handbook, all curricular work in the DNP program should be conducted in accordance with the UDM Graduate Nursing policies on academic integrity. 18
University of Detroit Mercy McAuley School of Nursing Doctoral Project Committee Form Student Name: ID Number: Project Topic: The doctoral project is developed, reviewed and evaluated by a doctoral project committee. The doctoral project committee shall consist of a minimum of three members, one of whom may be external to the student s home academic unit. Ideally, all three members of the committee should be doctorally prepared but a master s prepared member is permitted in the clinical consultant role where this committee member has expertise in a clinical topic or method relevant to the student s project or is a representative from the stakeholder organization in which the student is conducting his/her doctoral project. Two of the committee members must be members of the McAuley School of Nursing (MSON) or the College of Health Professions (CHP). The third committee member can be faculty from a different academic unit of the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) or external to UDM (faculty at another university, professional colleague with relevant expertise or an institutional representative). Committee Member Roles & Qualifications Doctoral Project Chair. The Committee Chair must be a doctorally-prepared faculty member of the MSON. The faculty selected for chair should have content or clinical expertise to oversee the project from inception to completion. The chair will assist the student in the selection of committee members. Doctoral Project Committee Member - Project Reader. The project reader is a doctorally prepared faculty member of the MSON or CHP. This member agrees to foster student progress and evaluate the doctoral project. The reader s role is to ensure that the level of scholarship is consistent with a clinical doctorate. Ideally, the reader has a congruent clinical or research interest with the project s focus. Doctoral Project Committee Member Clinical Consultant. The clinical consultant contributes relevant clinical or content expertise to the student s project. This member can be a faculty member at UDM or another university, a professional colleague or a representative from the organization in which the student is conducting the project. A doctoral degree is preferred; a master s prepared member is permitted. The consultant will participate in forming the project, evaluating student progress and the final project. Committee Chair: Project Reader: Clinical Consultant: Signatures: MSON Faculty Chair: Date: DNP Program Coordinator: Date: 19
DNP Practicum and Project Hours Tracking Form Name: TO# Master Level Mentor Practice Based Hours A maximum of 500 hours can be awarded for APRN national certification. For students with a non-aprn master s degrees in nursing, individual transcripts and master s program requirements will be reviewed to determine the number of clinical hours awarded and the number of hours to be completed in the doctoral program. APRN Certification: Specialty: Certification Date: Hours: Other Advanced Nursing Practice Preparation Specialty: Mentored Clinical Experience Hours: Specialty: Mentored Clinical Experience Hours: Source Date Activity DNP Essential APRN Certification Previous Master s Work Course XXX DNP Project Program Objective Hours 20
Source Date Activity DNP Essential Program Objective Hours 21
University of Detroit Mercy McAuley School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Doctor of Nursing Practice Doctoral Project Evaluation Form Name of Student: Date: Project Title: Part I: Evaluation of Written Product: Article for Publication S= Satisfactory NR = Needs Minor Revision U = Unsatisfactory Component Criteria Evaluation S NR U Format Document conforms to the format established by the selected journal Written The final written product Communication is clearly written with no Quality grammar, punctuation or spelling errors. References are Practice Innovation or Improvement appropriately cited The final written product provides background information with literature synthesis to support the practice innovation or improvement The project purpose is amenable to doctoral level nursing practice The methods/design or approach used for the project are ethically sound and congruent with the project purpose and relevant contextual factors (i.e., setting, population) The findings, results or project outcomes are accurately interpreted and reported Implications, recommendations or contributions to nursing practice are clearly articulated Comments 22