DNP843 DNP Scholarly Project III (2 cr.)

Prerequisite(s): DNP808 , DNP809 , DNP813 , DNP840 , DNP841 , and DNP842  
The DNP Scholarly Project is the culmination of the nurse anesthesia Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum. Successful completion of the final Scholarly Project will provide verification that the student has achieved competency in the scholarship skills relevant to the DNP Degree. 

The DNP Scholarly Project is completed over a series of three courses that span three semesters of the program. Each of the courses include faculty support from a DNP faculty project chairperson and resources to guide students through the steps of completing the DNP Scholarly Project. Scaffolded assignments in each course will contribute to the completion of the project work, manuscript, and final presentation. Grades for the DNP Scholarly Project courses will be based on the assignments due during each course, along with an evaluation of individual SRNA’s scholarly and professional behaviors throughout the project continuum. Each student is responsible for completing equal parts of the project including the dissemination. Students will complete a self-assessment as well as an assessment of each team member, which contributes to the final grade for each DNP Scholarly Project course. Over the three DNP Scholarly Project courses, the following will be completed:

Refinement and continued development of the DNP Scholarly Project: system evaluation; identification of project stakeholders/facilitators/barriers; development and refinement of a mission statement or purpose statement, aims, and objectives for the project; identification and application of a theory and framework for project work; evaluation of social determinants of health that could be impacted by the project and identification of strategies to eliminate barriers to project implementation; development of the project design; planning for statistical analysis; development and distribution of surveys/assessments; continued communication and engagement with stakeholders, system change needs, and educational interventions that may be part of the project work. Students will gain an appreciation for the role of the IRB and complete all mandated Human Subjects CITI training. The IRB application is completed, and IRB approval is obtained either through SMUMN’s IRB or the clinical site IRB, depending on clinical site-specific policies and processes. Once IRB approval is obtained, students may move forward with implementation of their project plan. 

Analysis of the project includes, but is not limited to: analyzing survey results, working with statistics personnel to ensure that appropriate statistical analysis is performed, conducting meetings for follow up or clarification of results, and generating conclusions from the results of data gathered. Students must evaluate social determinants of health that were unexpectedly created or impacted by project implementation.

Conclusion and dissemination of the project work includes, but is not limited to: discussing how the outcomes of the project will impact the population/practice area in which the project was conducted, sharing this information with relevant stakeholders and project participants, and identifying future implications of the project. Students must comment on social determinants of health that were revealed or impacted by the project throughout their work. Each student will participate in formally presenting their DNP Scholarly Project findings during an in-person podium Final Project Presentation. DNP faculty project chairs, clinical site advisors, first year students, and other relevant stakeholders may be in the audience to critique each presentation and provide feedback. These presentations will provide students with an opportunity to explain their project, as well as articulate an understanding of the processes necessary to successfully execute a DNP Scholarly Project. Students will prepare a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, and submit the manuscript to the SMUMN library repository. Students will prepare a poster presentation, podium presentation, or both for dissemination at a schoolwide, state, or national meeting at the discretion of the DNP faculty committee.

Student Learning Objectives

These student learning objectives encompass the entire scholarly project, which is completed over three courses (DNP841 Scholarly Project I, DNP845 Scholarly Project II, and DNP843 Scholarly Project III). Not every student learning objective will be completed in this course, but they will be completed by the end of the scholarly project courses. Upon completion of the scholarly project, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Implement an established timeline for completion of the project.

2. Employ advanced inter and intra-professional collaboration skills with numerous key stakeholders to improve health outcomes.

3. Demonstrate leadership through the development of innovations that incorporate aspects of change theories.

4. Demonstrate leadership in the translation of best evidence into practice to improve healthcare quality, safety and outcomes.

5. Define social determinants of health impacted by the project and identify strategies to eliminate barriers to project implementation.

6. Develop a scholarly work in the form of a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

7. Deliver an oral presentation of the final project before a Scholarly Project Committee and peers.

8. External dissemination through the development of a poster and/ or oral presentation for delivery at a state or national meeting.