College of Nursing

Doctor of Nursing Practice

 

DNP Program Outcomes

At the completion of the program, the DNP graduate will:

Approved Doctoral Faculty 5/2010

DNP Aggregate Student Outcomes

Course Descriptions

N7200 Nursing Science (3) Pre/Co-requisite(s): Admission to a doctoral study in nursing
Course Description: This course examines the state of scientific knowledge in nursing research and advanced clinical practice. Students will analyze the development of major streams of scientific development in nursing and gaps that remain in understanding critical nursing and health-related phenomena, interventions, and outcomes. The course will address the interrelationships between nursing science and scientific developments in other disciplines from the perspectives of health outcomes, population health indices, and policy implications of scientific progress. Students will evaluate advances in biophysiological, psychosocial, sociocultural, health systems, and health economics research and their implications for nursing care and outcomes. They will collaborate in identifying gaps in the state of the science in high priority topical areas and gaps between recommended best practices and current clinical practice and health policy, and in determining next steps to improve nursing care and outcomes based on science.

N7220 Leadership in Practice (3) Prerequisites: None
Course Description: This course provides students with the opportunity to develop and refine critical leadership skills. Emphasis is on using models and theories that facilitate interprofessional collaboration to achieve optimal health outcomes. The focus is effective communication and leadership methods necessary to establish successful inter-professional teams. Students will enhance skills in verbal, written and electronic communication; team leadership; and creating and sustaining health related initiatives. Through advanced understanding of the inter-professional dimension of health care, students will facilitate collaboration and remove barriers to providing safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient centered care in a complex environment.

N7230 Epidemiology (3) Prerequisite: NURSE 6000 or equivalent within the last 5 years or consent of instructor
Course Description: This course introduces the fundamental principles and methods of epidemiology. Topics to be covered include the historical perspective of epidemiology, measures of disease occurrence and of association, clinical epidemiology, disease screening, causal inference, and analytic study design. Students will design epidemiologic studies, and utilize common statistical tests. Emphasis will be placed on case control studies, cohort studies, clinical epidemiology, and infectious disease epidemiology.

N7240 Health Informatics (3) Prereq: Consent of instructor
Course Description: This course explores information systems and computer technologies that can improve the health of individuals, families, communities and populations by optimizing information management and communication. Focus areas include the electronic medical record, technologies to improve patient safety, standards for privacy and security, tele-health systems to improve healthcare access to underserved populations, use of web-enhanced technologies for research translation, and strategies to provide data for decision making and evidence based databases. Emphasis is placed on developing competence in technology use for the purpose of program evaluation, establishing healthcare quality, and improving healthcare delivery to diverse populations in complex healthcare settings.

N7250 Frameworks for Health Care Delivery and Policy (3) Pre/Co-requisites:none
Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with a framework to understand the system through which health care is delivered and financed. The cultural and psychosocial contributors to health care and policy are discussed. The focus is to provide students with knowledge about complex health care systems, government and private reimbursement structures, quality and patient safety initiatives, legal mandates and policy issues affecting health care delivery.

N7260 Program and Practice Evaluation (3) Prereq: N7230 or consent of instructor.
Course Description: Includes principles and procedures for assessing the quality and effectiveness of programs, projects and materials related to planned interventions and systems changes in health settings. Using a logic model, practice and programs will be evaluated and presented to agencies. Values, ethical and political issues, particularly those relevant to race/ethnicity and gender will be emphasized.

N7270 Policy Application for Improved Health Outcomes (3) Pre/Co-Req: none
Course Description: Students learn how to effectively translate and disseminate knowledge from nursing and other health sciences to policy makers and stakeholders in order to form collaborations to affect change at various levels of the policy process. Topics to be covered include policy analysis, policy development, collaboration and negotiation specific to the policy process, building social and political capitol and garnering resources to assure effective policy implementation. Students will utilize population health data, policy analysis, and policy development skills to define, shape and implement culturally competent health policy.

N7291 Clinical Scholarship 1 (3) Prereq: All DNP coursework or consent of instructor
Course Description: This experience provides additional opportunities for practice expertise development to create change in a targeted population and complex healthcare environments. Students will develop skills to assess and diagnose healthcare systems and identify evidenced-based strategies to improve health outcomes. Included in this experience is 150 hours of immersion in their population-focused scholarly project.

N7292 Clinical Scholarship 2 (3) Prereq: N7291
Course Description: This experience provides additional opportunities for practice expertise development to create change in a targeted population and complex healthcare environments. Students will develop strategies to implement evidenced-based strategies to improve health outcomes. Included in this experience is 200 hours of immersion in their population-focused scholarly project.

N7293 Clinical Scholarship 3 (3) Prereq: N7202
Course Description: This experience provides additional opportunities for practice expertise development with a targeted population in a complex healthcare environment. Students will evaluate evidenced-based clinical projects and health outcomes. Included in this experience is 200 hours of immersion in their population-focused scholarly project.

N7299 DNP Seminar (1-3) Prereq: All DNP required courses or consent of instructor.
Course Description: This DNP Seminar provides opportunity to synthesize and analyze knowledge within the context of the emerging DNP role. Analysis of practice issues may include reflective practice, collaboration health system technology ethics and policy
(Note: Continuous registration is required until DNP is completed.)

N7401 Research Institute 1 (2) Prerequisites: Admission to a doctoral study in nursing
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the process of becoming a research scientist or a translational investigator. Content will include the ethical and responsible conduct of research or clinical project, core elements, the emerging guidelines, relevant policies and procedures, and the impact to the researcher in day-to-day activities. This course also includes literature reviews, scholarly writing, technology in the research process, developing a program of scholarship and effective time management.

6/29/2010

DNP Student Academic Committees

DNP Comprehensive Examination Committee

This committee oversees the administration of the DNP comprehensive examination. The UMSL Graduate School policy indicates that 'The Comprehensive Examination Committee will consist of no fewer than three members of the UM-St. Louis graduate faculty appointed by the Graduate Dean upon recommendation of the unit.'

Working with your advisor, identify at least three members of the graduate nursing faculty to serve on this committee and ask the faculty members to agree to serve. This committee is formalized using the doctoral form D-1 which must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

DNP Clinical Scholarship (Dissertation) Committee

This committee oversees the implementation and completion of the clinical scholarship project (dissertation). The UMSL Graduate School policy indicates that 'The Doctoral Dissertation Committee shall consist of at least four members of the Graduate Faculty who can contribute their expertise to the dissertation study: the committee chair, and at least one other member from the unit. A recognized scholar from outside the university may serve as a member upon the recommendation of the unit and approval of the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean shall approve the committee membership and changes in the committee membership. This committee should include a practice mentor, preferably who works in the environment where the student's project will be completed. This committee is appointed by submitting doctoral form D-4 and the resume or curriculum vitae of the community member must be included at the time this form is submitted.

DNP Clinical Scholarship Policy

DNP Scholarship Committee Constitution

The DNP clinical scholarship project should involve an issue related to the assessment and/or implementation of a practice-focused problem or issue with the goal of improving health outcomes and health delivery. The relationship between the DNP student and their Clinical Scholarship Project Committee is designed to provide mentoring by this committee. This is quite different from the role of preceptors in the development of APN skills in providing care to individuals. The Clinical Scholarship Project Committee is composed of the chair, who is a member of the College of Nursing doctoral faculty, an advanced practice nurse, and two additional members. At least two members must be College of Nursing faculty and one may be external to the University. One committee member should be the student's practice mentor. This individual serves as the student's Practice Mentor and provides coaching, linkages, and facilitation related to the project. The UMSL Graduate School approves the committee. The Clinical Scholarship Project is developed by the student collaborating with members of the committee to define a specific project that addresses issues in the practice organization or in the care of groups of people.

DNP Clinical Scholarship Hours/Time

Each course in the clinical scholarship sequence includes estimates of the time required to complete the practice immersion activities in the course. Rather than describing these hours as 'precepted' clinical, they represent an immersion in practice to clarify that the focus is on a population, aggregate nursing practice, or an organizational issue rather than on one to one patient care.

DNP Clinical Scholarship Projects

The DNP clinical scholarship project should focus on a goal of practice inquiry or quality enhancement. It is an opportunity to partner with an organization to improve nursing care. Or the DNP clinical scholarship project might involve developing a protocol and deciding how to implement and evaluate it. The project may consist of a pilot study, program evaluation, QA/QI project, practice evaluation, a research utilization project, substantive involvement in a larger project, or other project involvement. In general, students are encouraged not to implement their projects at their sites of employment, although there may be times when the student and Clinical Scholarship Committee feel this is acceptable or even optimal under individual circumstances.

The following are examples of potential projects:

  1. A student works at an institution and they want to begin an "Ask a Nurse" line. The DNP student develops the protocol for this project, implements the program, and evaluates how the program works.
  2. A CNS works in an emergency department and wants to know why screening for domestic violence is not being done. She identifies the barriers to implementing the policy and develops a program to improve screening rates.
  3. A nurse anesthetist conducts a chart audit to determine compliance with clinical practice guidelines and develops a mechanism to improve compliance rates.
  4. A primary care NP notices that many in her practice do not adhere to the current guidelines regarding watchful waiting for otitis media cases. She determines why some providers don't comply with the guidelines and implements a practice-wide initiative to ensure consistency between providers.
  5. A student develops a policy to solve a practice's issues surrounding coverage on call when there are only two providers in the practice. This policy is implemented and evaluated.

12/15/10

DNP Clinical Scholarship Project Outline

The purpose of the DNP Clinical Scholarship Project is to provide tangible evidence of the student's academic growth, derived from the immersion experience, which demonstrates the student's growth in knowledge and expertise. The final project will provide a forum to assess the student's ability to systematically analyze current evidence, develop or support a project, evaluate practice models, and disseminate information.

Projects may vary, depending on the student's area of interest. The project may consist of a pilot study, program evaluation, QA/QI project, practice evaluation, a research utilization project, substantive involvement in a larger project, or other project involvement. The following criteria are designed to provide a framework for the project deliverables, but project details will be finalized in collaboration with the student's faculty advisor.

  1. Project proposal
    1. Identify the project purpose
      1. Identify the issue and rationale for the project
      2. Provide baseline data to support the issue
      3. Describe the importance/significance of the issue to health care and nursing practice
      4. Epidemiologic relevance to population health outcomes
    2. Comprehensive review of the current literature
    3. Describe your project design
      1. What do you intend to do
      2. Are others involved? Stakeholders, team members?
      3. Anticipated barriers/challenges to plan
      4. Identify any potential ethical issues/concerns
      5. Prepare for IRB approval and HIPAA compliance
    4. Define your outcomes, including identification of evaluation tools
    5. Identify necessary resources
      1. Time, money, materials
      2. Who needs to know about/approve your plan and how will you obtain approval?
      3. Project timeline
    6. Plans for application in practice
  2. Final evidence of project completion
    1. Update of the literature review to integrate new and emerging evidence
    2. Describe your project activities/methods
      1. Deviations from the proposed plan and rationale
      2. Identify barriers and challenges
        1. How did they impact your project?
        2. How did you address these barriers and challenges?
    3. Discuss project outcomes
      1. Data
      2. Cost/benefit analysis
      3. Ethical concerns?
    4. Application to practice
      1. Can this project be integrated into practice on a larger scale?
      2. Discuss the project's target population/demographic
        1. Are results applicable to the larger population?
        2. What, if any, adjustments would be needed for the project to be implemented successfully with other populations?
    5. Discuss what you learned about the role of the DNP in developing, implementing and evaluation of the project
    6. Describe how this project, and your DNP education, has influenced practice

June 2009 

DNP Comprehensive Examination Policy/Guideline

For the DNP program, the purpose of comprehensive examination is to provide a mechanism for the student's comprehensive examination committee to appraise the students 'readiness' to complete the clinical scholarship project. The clinical scholarship project is described in the Clinical Scholarship Project Policy/Guideline.

After discussing with a faculty member the students' interest in having the faculty serve as their advisor, students' complete the UMSL Graduate School form D-2 to formally appoint their advisor. Students then confer with their advisor to determine who should be asked to serve on their comprehensive examination committee. The student completes the UMSL Graduate School form D-1 to formalize this agreement. Comprehensive examination committees must be comprised by a minimum of three graduate faculty members (including the advisor), preferably College of Nursing faculty.

Students work with their advisor and comprehensive examination committee members to write section 1 of the College of Nursing DNP program document 'Clinical Scholarship Project.' This section of the project outline provides a framework for the clinical scholarship project plan and it is available in the UMSL College of Nursing Doctoral Student Handbook.

When the advisor and student are satisfied that the objectives of that assignment are complete, the student emails the written section 1 to all members of the comprehensive examination committee. Once all members of the comprehensive examination committee have approved of the proposed project, the student prepares a power point presentation summarizing the students' plans and rationale for the project. The student schedules a comprehensive examination committee meeting and invites other College of Nursing faculty and students (especially doctoral students) to attend. Following the presentation of the proposal, those in the audience are invited to ask questions and the student responds to these questions.

The public is then excused and the student meets with the comprehensive examination committee to respond to other questions and to discuss the next steps. The student is then excused and the committee meets to determine whether the project is ready for implementation or whether additional work needs to be completed. Additional work may include revisions to the clinical scholarship proposal and/or additional formal coursework.

If the comprehensive examination committee determines that the student is ready to proceed with implementation of their project, the student completes UMSL Graduate School form D-3, application for candidacy. When the Graduate School Dean approves the application for candidacy, the student may now use the title DNP(c).

The comprehensive examination may be repeated only once within the following six months.

DRAFT 6222010

DNP Clinical Scholarship Project

The purpose of the DNP Clinical Scholarship Project is to provide tangible evidence of the student's academic growth, derived from the immersion experience, which demonstrates the student's growth in knowledge and expertise. The final project will provide a forum to assess the student's ability to systematically analyze current evidence, develop or support a project, evaluate practice models, and disseminate information.

Projects may vary, depending on the student's area of interest. The project may consist of a pilot study, program evaluation, QA/QI project, practice evaluation, a research utilization project, substantive involvement in a larger project, or other project involvement. The following criteria are designed to provide a framework for the project deliverables, but project details will be finalized in collaboration with the student's faculty advisor.

  1. Project proposal
    1. Identify the project purpose
      1. Identify the issue and rationale for the project
      2. Provide baseline data to support the issue
      3. Describe the importance/significance of the issue to health care and nursing practice
      4. Epidemiologic relevance to population health outcomes
    2. Comprehensive review of the current literature
    3. Describe your project design
      1. What do you intend to do
      2. Are others involved? Stakeholders, team members?
      3. Anticipated barriers/challenges to plan
      4. Identify any potential ethical issues/concerns
      5. Prepare for IRB approval and HIPAA compliance
    4. Define your outcomes, including identification of evaluation tools.
    5. Identify necessary resources
      1. Time, money, materials
      2. Who needs to know about/approve your plan and how will you obtain approval?
      3. Project timeline
    6. Plans for application in practice
  2. Final evidence of project completion
    1. Update of the literature review to integrate new and emerging evidence
    2. Describe your project activities/methods
      1. Deviations from the proposed plan and rationale
      2. Identify barriers and challenges
        1. How did they impact your project?
        2. How did you address these barriers and challenges?
    3. Discuss project outcomes.
      1. Data
      2. Cost/benefit analysis
      3. Ethical concerns?
    4. Application to practice
      1. Can this project be integrated into practice on a larger scale?
        1. Discuss the project's target population/demographic
          Are results applicable to the larger population?
        2. What, if any, adjustments would be needed for the project to be implemented successfully with other populations?
    5. Discuss what you learned about the role of the DNP in developing, implementing and evaluation a project
    6. Describe how this project, and our DNP education, has influenced your practice.

June 2009