DNP Project Practicum - Handbook 24-25

874 American Pacific Drive

Henderson, NV 89014

(702-777-1737)

DNP PROJECT & PRACTICUM HANDBOOK

2024-25

Updated March 2024

Table of Contents

Mission and Vision ................................................................................................................................................... 3

DNP Program Outcomes .......................................................................................................................................... 3

Leadership Focus ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

DNP Practicum Information ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Practice Hours Transfer Policy (Appendix D) ............................................................................................................ 5

Practicum Logs and Hours for DNP Project Courses (761, 763, and 767) ................................................................ 6

DNP 764 and DNP 756 ............................................................................................................................................. 6

DNP Project Information .......................................................................................................................................... 7

DNP Project Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 7

Examples of DNP Projects ........................................................................................................................................ 8

DNP Project/Practice Site ......................................................................................................................................... 8

Assistance with DNP Practice Site ............................................................................................................................ 9

Affiliation Agreements ............................................................................................................................................. 9

Project Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

DNP Project Team .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Project Instructor Role ............................................................................................................................................. 9

Project Mentor Role ............................................................................................................................................... 10

Content Expert Role (Optional) .............................................................................................................................. 10

Student Role and Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................... 11

Additional Project Team Information ..................................................................................................................... 13

DNP Project Ethics and Human Subjects Protection .............................................................................................. 13

Institutional Review Board Process ........................................................................................................................ 14

DNPV 764: Leadership Practicum........................................................................................................................... 14

Practicum Activity Examples .................................................................................................................................. 15

Examples of DNP Project Topics from the CCNE White Paper................................................................................ 17

APPENDIX A: DNP Project Timeline ........................................................................................................................ 22

APPENDIX B: DNP Project Team Determination: Quality Improvement Project or Research form ........................ 23

APPENDIX C: DNP Project Frequently Asked Questions ......................................................................................... 26

APPENDIX D: Practice Hours Transfer Policy .......................................................................................................... 30

APPENDIX E: Practicum Experience Guidelines ...................................................................................................... 31

APPENDIX F: Project/Practicum Site Mentor Agreement ....................................................................................... 33

APPENDIX G: DNP Project Paper Template ............................................................................................................ 40

Updated March 2024

Introduction

The following handbook was developed to help guide you through the DNP project process and practice-

based experiences at Touro University Nevada (TUN). It contains the DNP Project background, definitions,

and procedures that are required for successful completion of your final project. This handbook also

contains necessary documents and templates that will need to be submitted throughout development and

completion of your DNP project and other practicum experiences.

Mission and Vision

Vision:

The vision of the Touro University Nevada School of Nursing is to foster the development of professional

nurses at all levels who excel in practice, research, education, leadership, and community service.

Mission:

The mission of the Touro University Nevada School of Nursing is to prepare graduates who demonstrate

outstanding nurse leadership at all levels who uphold the values, philosophy, and practice of the nursing

profession and who are committed to care for patients within an ethical, culturally diverse, and evidenced

based framework. The programs are student centered and serve society through practice, research,

education, leadership, and community service.

DNP Program Outcomes

The graduate will be able to:

1. Integrate, translate, and apply established and evolving disciplinary nursing knowledge and ways of

knowing, as well as knowledge from other disciplines, grounded in liberal arts, natural, social sciences in

pursuit of social justice and service to humanity.

2. Design and implement evidence-based, developmentally appropriate, holistic and equitable person-

centered care focused on the individual within multiple complicated contexts, including family and/or

important others (DEI).

3. Collaborate with both traditional and non-traditional entities from diverse communities to meet

population health needs by integrating health promotion and disease prevention strategies across the

care continuum.

4. Generate synthesize, translate, apply, and disseminate nursing knowledge to improve health and

transform health care outcomes.

5. Examine and evaluate processes and systems for continuous quality improvement across the care

continuum in a variety of settings considering both system effectiveness and individual performance.

6. Optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes by collaborating with inter

and intraprofessional teams and other stakeholders.

7. Effectively and proactively coordinate resources within complex systems of healthcare to provide safe,

quality, and equitable care to diverse populations.

Updated March 2024

8. Use and evaluate informatics and communication technologies to manage and improve the delivery of

safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best practice and professional and

regulatory standards.

9. Formulate and cultivate a sustainable professional identity, including accountability, perspective,

collaborative disposition, and comportment, that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values for service

to humanity.

10. Participates in activities and self-reflection that fosters intellectual pursuit, personal health, resilience,

and well-being; to cultivate nursing expertise and leadership.

Leadership Focus

TUN’s DNP program focuses on nursing leadership, preparing graduates for administrative and/or

leadership roles that focus on aggregates, populations, systems, or organizations through indirect care.

Students do not participate in direct patient care through their DNP education. DNP graduates bring

knowledge and expertise to identify systems and organizational level problems and develop evidence-

based health interventions. The ability to perform such activities requires competency in organizational

assessment techniques in addition to expert level knowledge of nursing and related biological and

behavioral sciences.

DNP Practicum Information

PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE IN THE DNP PROGRAM

Throughout the DNP Program at Touro University Nevada (TUN), students are required to enroll in 4

different courses that allow for opportunities to gain practicum experiences. An additional self-study

practicum course is available for students who have earned less than 472 post-baccalaureate practice

hours prior to this DNP program. The required hours per course are outlined below:

Course Title

Trimester (Accelerated

Track)

Trimester

(Standard Track)

Practicum Hours

Required

DNPV 761 DNP Project I

Trimester 1

Trimester 4

144 hours

DNPV 763 Project II

Trimester 2

Trimester 5

144 hours

DNPV 767 Project III

Trimester 3

Trimester 6

144 hours

DNPV 764 Leadership

Practicum

Trimester 2

96 hours

*DNPV 756 DNP Practicum

(not required for all

students)

After Trimester 1

1 credit= 48 hours

Number of credits

needed depends

upon MSN practicum

hours transferred

into the DNP.

Updated March 2024

In all practicum courses, students will engage with a Project or Practicum Mentor (PM) and key members

from the inter- and intra-professional team in various integrative-practice activities. The goal is to achieve

program outcomes and practice-based learning in preparation for nursing practice as a doctoral prepared

nurse leader. Students are required to pursue leadership practicum experiences that address the DNP

Essentials, the TUN DNP Program Outcomes, and lead to mastery of the advanced practice nursing

specialty of Scholar-Practitioner and Nurse Leader. During the DNP Project courses, students will carry out

a practice-application oriented DNP Project. The timeline for completing the DNP Project is in Appendix A.

Students are required to build diverse practicum experiences related to the DNP Essentials and program

outcomes. They should also apply scholarly evidence and other principles learned from didactic courses to

their practicum activities. The Practicum Experience Guideline (Appendix E) outlines acceptable and

unacceptable activities for practicum experiences.

Practice Hours Transfer Policy (Appendix D)

To be eligible for a doctoral degree in nursing, a total of 1000 post-baccalaureate practice hours are

required. This DNP program has 528 practice hours embedded in the curriculum; these hours are required

as a part of the DNP coursework. Note: practice hours will NOT accrue beyond the hours required in each

course. Example: 144 hours are required in DNP Project I. Student performs 200 practice hours. Only

144 hours will be counted toward degree completion.

Each student may have up to 472 practice hours endorsed from previous graduate work. Transfer practice

hours can be evaluated through various methods including:

1. An official letter confirming number of practice hours completed at the regionally accredited

institution the student attended. These hours may be completed during masters or doctoral

coursework in nursing.

2. Proof of national certification in an area of advanced practice nursing or certification in nursing

that requires a graduate degree in nursing and additional practice hours.

a. Students who meet these criteria are eligible for 472 transfer practice hours.

3. Transcript evaluation may be utilized as a method of practicum hour’s evaluation in the case that

the transcript provides the actual number of practice hours completed.

The student needs to supply evidence of practicum hour completion. To facilitate this process, an

assignment drop-box is in DNPV 760: Introduction to DNP. If no evidence of previous graduate practice

hours is received by the end of DNPV 760, students will need to complete the additional 472 hours via

enrollment in 10 credits of DNPV 756: DNP Practicum.

All students will receive communication from the Director of Graduate Programs regarding their practice

hours transfer evaluation by the end of Trimester 1.

If a student has less than 472 practice hours for transfer, the student will be required to complete an

Alternate Curriculum Plan which will be evaluated and approved by the Director of Graduate Programs. To

facilitate completion of 1000 post-baccalaureate hours, this plan will include enrollment in DNPV 756: DNP

Practicum for additional practicum hour completion. Students are eligible to enroll in DNPV 756 at any

point after completion of the first trimester of coursework.

Please note that a total of 70 post-baccalaureate credit hours are required to obtain a DNP degree by the

Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education. This DNP Program is a minimum of 33 credit hours. As a

Updated March 2024

result, a student who graduated with an MSN with 36 credit hours or less may be required to take

additional credits.

Practicum Logs and Hours for DNP Project Courses (761, 763, and 767)

Students will be required to log their practicum hours spent in association with their project through the

required forms in Canvas. To complete the required logs in Canvas, students should utilize the document

located in each project course named “Practicum Hours Log”. This log should be used by the student

throughout the course to record activities as they occur and to obtain electronic signatures from their PM.

The “Practicum Hours Log” must be signed by the PM for approval of the hours at the end of each module.

Once the “Practicum Hours Log” is submitted in Canvas, students also make note of the hours they

completed via the module quiz. Hours recorded in the quiz must match the hours recorded on the paper

log.

Late or incorrect submission of practicum hours may result in loss of course points in accordance with

the syllabus requirements.

Each student should expect to complete approximately nine to ten hours each week for a total of 144

hours by the end of the course. Most students will achieve these hours through completing the activities

described in the “Practicum Hours Log” for each course module. If alternative activities are utilized, this

requires approval of the Project Instructor. Please see practicum hours guideline for additional

information regarding qualifying practicum hours. At the end of each module, the student must have all

required hours logged for that module, or a SIP will be issued. At the end of the trimester the student

must have 144 logged hours to receive a final grade in the course. Failure to complete these hours will

result in an incomplete grade for the course. This may result in a delay to degree progression.

DNP 764 and DNP 756

DNP 764 requires successful completion of 96 practicum hours. DNP 756 is an independent study course

that requires 48 practicum hours per credit the student registers for.

During DNP 764 and 756, Practicum Logs must be completed in accordance with the syllabus

requirements. The “Practicum Hours Log” must be signed by the PM for approval of the hours as required

in the syllabus. Once the “Practicum Hours Log” is submitted in Canvas, students should make note of the

hours they completed via the module quiz. Hours recorded in the quiz must match the hours recorded on

the paper log.

Late or incorrect submission of practicum hours may result in loss of course points in accordance with

the syllabus requirements.

For DNP 764, each student should expect to complete about 6 hours each week for a total of 96 hours by

the end of the course. Most students will achieve these hours through completing the activities described

in the “Practicum Hours Log” for each course module. If alternative activities are utilized, this requires

approval of the Project Instructor. Please see practicum hours guideline for additional information

regarding qualifying practicum hours. At the end of each module in DNP 764, the student must have all

required hours logged for that module, or a SIP will be issued. In DNP 756, the student must be making

progress towards their total hours each week, or a SIP will be issued. At the end of the trimester, the

student must have the required hours logged to receive a final grade in the course. Failure to complete

these hours will result in an incomplete grade for the course.

Updated March 2024

DNP Project Information

DNP Project Overview

The DNP project reflects the scholarly work completed throughout the DNP program. The project should

demonstrate the student’s competency in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)

Essentials (AACN, 2021). This work demonstrates that the DNP student has met and mastered the

Essential’s domains necessary to be a DNP prepared nurse leader.

Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice

Descriptor: Integration, translation, and application of established and evolving disciplinary nursing

knowledge and ways of knowing, as well as knowledge from other disciplines, including a foundation in

liberal arts and natural and social sciences. This distinguishes the practice of professional nursing and

forms the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.

Domain 2: Person-Centered Care

Descriptor: Person-centered care focuses on the individual within multiple complicated contexts, including

family and/or important others. Person-centered care is holistic, individualized, just, respectful,

compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate. Person-centered care

builds on a scientific body of knowledge that guides nursing practice regardless of specialty or functional

area.

Domain 3: Population Health

Descriptor: Population health spans the healthcare delivery continuum from public health prevention to

disease management of populations and describes collaborative activities with both traditional and non-

traditional partnerships from affected communities, public health, industry, academia, health care, local

government entities, and others for the improvement of equitable population health outcomes

Domain 4: Scholarship for Nursing Practice

Descriptor: The generation, synthesis, translation, application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge to

improve health and transform health care.

Domain 5: Quality and Safety

Descriptor: Employment of established and emerging principles of safety and improvement science.

Quality and safety, as core values of nursing practice, enhance quality and minimize risk of harm to

patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.

Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships

Descriptor: Intentional collaboration across professions and with care team members, patients, families,

communities, and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and

strengthen outcomes.

Domain 7: Systems-Based Practice

Descriptor: Responding to and leading within complex systems of healthcare. Nurses effectively and

proactively coordinate resources to provide safe, quality, equitable care to diverse populations.

Domain 8: Information and Healthcare Technologies

Descriptor: Information and communication technologies and informatics processes are used to provide

care, gather data, form information to drive decision making, and support professionals as they expand

knowledge and wisdom for practice. Informatics processes and technologies are used to manage and

improve the delivery of safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services in accordance with best

practice and professional and regulatory standards.

Updated March 2024

Domain 9: Professionalism

Descriptor: Formation and cultivation of a sustainable professional nursing identity, accountability,

perspective, collaborative disposition, and comportment that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values.

Domain 10: Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development

Descriptor: Participation in activities and self-reflection that foster personal health, resilience, and well-

being, lifelong learning, and support the acquisition of nursing expertise and assertion of leadership.

A major assessment of learning in this program is accomplished through completion of the DNP Project.

All TUN DNP students must complete an integrated evidence-based DNP Project that demonstrates a

leadership practice (non-research) focus. The DNP final project is an application-oriented, scholarly

document exemplifying the concept of the scholar-practitioner. Project topics may vary with student

preference. DNP Projects at TUN should utilize methodology consistent with a quality improvement or

evidence-based practice project. This project is developed sequentially throughout the three trimesters of

the DNP program.

Examples of DNP Projects

DNP projects are advanced practice focused and are meant to improve a population, health care system,

or community. Typically, projects emanate from the student’s clinical or professional nursing practice.

Projects must be completed at a single site and involve collaboration with an organization. The DNP

project must be performed in a nursing leadership practice setting. Practice settings may include but are

not limited to hospitals, outpatient clinics, outpatient surgery centers, community health and public

health. Academic settings such as a school of nursing may be approved in some circumstances. The project

should be an evidence-based practice innovation that creates a change process. The DNP project should

also include evidence of evaluation through the generation and analysis of data.

The AACN (2015) states that all DNP Projects should meet the following criteria:

• Focus on a system or population

• Should be centered on changes that directly or indirectly impact healthcare outcomes

• Demonstrate a plan for future sustainability

• Provide an evaluation of the outcomes

• Serve as a foundation for future nursing practice scholarship

Common areas of DNP projects include:

• Quality improvement projects

• Evidence-based practice

• Program development

• Development of new policies or revision

• Practice change initiative

• Implementation and evaluation of a technological innovation to enhance or evaluate care

DNP Project/Practice Site

Throughout the DNP Program at TUN, students will enroll in 4 different courses which allows for

opportunities to gain practicum experiences. These courses include Leadership Practicum (96 hours), DNP

Project I (144 hours), DNP Project II (144 hours), and DNP Project III (144 hours). Students are responsible

for establishing a practice site for the DNP Project by week 4 of DNP Project I and will use same practice

Updated March 2024

site to complete practice hours in DNP Project II and III (See Appendix F). A variety of practice settings are

allowed, including healthcare organizations, community centers, acute care facilities, long term care

facilities, prison systems, school systems, corporations (addressing employee health), non-governmental

organizations and public health organizations. DNP Project sites cannot include academic centers dealing

with nursing students at any level.

Students enrolled in the Leadership Practicum course may utilize the same practice site and agreement

established for their DNP Project or they may utilize a new site if they choose. Students are asked to verify

that a practice site has been established for this course during trimester two (See Appendix F).

Assistance with DNP Practice Site

At times, students may have difficulty establishing a practice site. To assist with this situation, TUN

maintains a current nationwide list of established affiliation agreements that may be utilized as practice

sites for DNP students. If a student wishes to view the list of current affiliation agreements in a specific

state, please request this list from the Practicum Placement Specialist. TUN cannot guarantee placement

at a practice site.

Affiliation Agreements

Touro University Nevada does not require affiliation agreements for DNP Practicum Experiences.

However, the practice site may require an affiliation agreement with Touro. If the site requires an

agreement, it is the responsibility of the student to obtain the agreement. In compliance with these

standards, each student must submit a signed waiver or agreement in the designated week of the

appropriate courses. Should a site require an affiliation agreement, please contact your course lead faculty

or Project Instructor for more details on this process.

Project Resources

In completion of a successful DNP project, students will be required to seek out various internal and

external resources in their professional community. In some cases, delays in the project timeline may

occur when a specific resource is unavailable or difficult to obtain. Project due dates may be adapted as

needed to allow for student progression where appropriate.

DNP Project Team

The student will work with their project team throughout their DNP Project. This project team will consist

of two doctoral-prepared nurses including the Project Instructor (PI) (an assigned TUN faculty member)

and the Project Mentor (PM). The PM is selected by the student and should not a faculty member at TUN.

The PM should be a doctoral-prepared nurse, licensed in the same state as the project is being conducted.

If the PI and/or the PM do not have expertise in the area of the DNP project, it is strongly recommended

that an additional Content Expert (CE) be consulted as part of the project team. The content expert must

possess expertise in the project topic, have obtained a master’s degree or higher, and does not need to

have a registered nurse license. Below are qualifications, roles, and responsibilities of each role.

Project Instructor Role

The Project Instructor (PI) has primary responsibility over grading the student’s project submissions and

guiding the student in DNP Project decisions. The Project Instructor also coordinates the “Project Team

Determination” which is used to determine if the student’s project falls in the jurisdiction of TUN IRB as

research. In rare circumstances, students may be required to submit a full TUN IRB application. Under

Updated March 2024

these circumstances, the Project Instructor will be listed as the “Principal Investigator” on the IRB

application. Students are encouraged to reach out to their PI with questions regarding the DNP Project at

any time they feel necessary. The Project Instructor also serves as the student’s academic advisor during

their enrollment in the TUN DNP program.

The PI agrees to:

• Always maintain open communication with the PM and Student.

• Offer to schedule virtual meetings with the Project Mentor and Student at least once per session

and as needed at other times.

• Support the student and the Project Mentor through availability and responsiveness to identified

issues.

Project Mentor Role

All students must have a Project Mentor. The Project Mentor will work with the student throughout their

academic career at TUN to help them gain practical experience in a nursing leadership practice

environment as well as guide the student in the DNP Project experience. The Project Mentor must meet

the criteria listed in these guidelines (See Appendix F).

When selecting a Project Mentor, consider the following guidelines:

1. The individual should possess an adequate content understanding related to the DNP topic

and/or practice setting. The individual is not required to be employed at the project site. The PM

serves in a mentor role and may assist to:

• Gain access to practicum experience.

• Troubleshoot issues that arise during the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the

project.

• Provide encouragement and support during the DNP project.

• Share expertise regarding the project topic where appropriate.

• Ideally, you will choose someone that can provide mentorship throughout the entire

program.

2. The PM must have an earned doctoral degree (PhD, EdD, DNP).

3. The PM should be responsive and available to provide signatures to validate practicum experience

hours completed at the site at the completion of each module.

4. The PM must have a current unencumbered RN license in the state where the DNP Project will

occur. Compact license is acceptable provided both the student and the PM are authorized to

practice in the state where the project will take place.

5. The PM is not responsible for grading work and is not considered a TUN faculty member.

6. The PM may not be the student’s workplace supervisor.

7. The PM must possess adequate technology skills to read and respond to emails, and to

communicate with the DNP student in a timely fashion.

8. The PM must provide a copy of their curriculum vitae (CV) or resume for review by the course

instructor and inclusion in an assignment submission for the applicable week in the project course.

The CV must reflect adequate leadership experience and a doctoral level education.

9. The PM may not be a first or second degree relative of the student.

Content Expert Role (Optional)

Each student can identify individuals with practice expertise and/or stakeholders pertaining to their DNP

Scholarly Project topic. An individual serving as a content expert needs adequate content understanding in

Updated March 2024

the area related to the DNP project and agrees to mentor the student throughout the program and

provide guidance with development and implementation of the DNP Project, under supervision of the

project team.

Qualifications:

• Hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in a related field to the DNP Project topic from a

regionally accredited University and have adequate knowledge and/or expertise related to

the DNP scholarly project.

• A content expert may be a specialist or stakeholder from any discipline relating to the

student’s DNP Project.

• A content expert should submit a CV or resume that reflects expertise in the project topic

area of the student’s DNP Project. This document should be provided to the student who

will submit it through Canvas for review by the Project Instructor.

Responsibilities:

• Support the student throughout the program or sessions they agree to participate. It is

preferred that the Content Expert commit to working with the student throughout the

program.

• Meet in person or virtually with the student and the Project Team as needed throughout

the student’s academic career at TUN.

• Mentor the student towards successful completion of the identified DNP scholarly project,

under the supervision of the Project Team.

• Coach, support, and mentor the student towards success as necessary, including obtaining

necessary site approvals in the identified practice setting.

Student Role and Responsibilities

The Student agrees to:

• Utilize the time of the project team effectively and efficiently through effective

communication and respect.

• Meet in person or virtually, with the Project Team at least as needed throughout the

student’s academic career at TUN.

• Make consistent progress towards completion of the DNP Scholarly project and to keep

the Project Team updated on their progress through submission of appropriate weekly

Practicum logs and communication with all parties on an as needed basis.

• Complete all project course assignments in a timely manner.

• Reach out to the Project Instructor and/or Project Mentor with questions and for support

as needed.

Updated March 2024

DNP Project Team

Team Member

Roles and Responsibilities

Required Qualifications

Project Instructor

• Grades the student’s project

submissions.

• Is listed as the principal

investigator for projects requiring

IRB oversight.

• Answers questions related the DNP

Project.

• Assigned Faculty Member

Project Mentor

• Signs weekly practicum logs on

appropriate form once per module

(4-5 times per trimester) to

validate practicum experience

completion.

• Collaborates with the student

throughout their DNP program.

• Helps the student gain practical

experience in a nursing leadership

practice environment.

• Coach, support, and mentor the

student towards success as

necessary, including obtaining

necessary site approvals in the

identified practice setting.

• Meets in person or virtually with

the student and the Project Team

as needed throughout the DNP

Project process.

• Must be able to provide

mentorship throughout the entire

program.

• Must be available to assist with

the practice component of the

program, which centers on

completion of DNP project.

• Must possess an adequate content

understanding related to your DNP

Project topic area.

• The PM must have an earned

doctoral degree (PhD, EdD, DNP).

• The PM may not be the student’s

supervisor.

• The PM must possess adequate

technology skills to read and

respond to emails, and to

communicate with you in a timely

fashion.

• The PM must provide a copy of

their curriculum vitae (CV) or

resume for review by the course

instructor and inclusion in your

assignment submission for the

applicable week in the project

course. The CV must reflect

adequate leadership experience

and a doctoral level education.

Content Expert

(optional)

• Provides practice expertise on the

student’s DNP Project topic.

• Provides guidance in the

development and implementation

of the DNP Project, under the

supervision of the Project Team.

• Meets in person or virtually with

the student and the Project Team

as needed throughout the DNP

Project process.

• Hold a minimum of a Master’s

degree in a related field to the

DNP Project topic from a regionally

accredited University.

• Must possess adequate knowledge

and/or expertise related to the

DNP Project Topic.

• Will need to submit a CV or

resume that reflects expertise in

Updated March 2024

DNP Project Team

• Coach, support, and mentor the

student towards success as

necessary, including obtaining

necessary site approvals in the

identified practice setting.

the project topic area of the

student’s DNP Project.

Student

• Utilizes the time of the project

team effectively and efficiently

through effective communication

and respect.

• Meets in person or virtually, with

the Project Team at least as

needed throughout the students’

academic career at TUN.

• Make consistent progress towards

completion of the DNP Scholarly

project.

• Communicates with the Content

Expert, Project Mentor and Project

Team on their project progress.

• Acceptance into Touro’s DNP

program

Additional Project Team Information

The Project Instructor utilizes course rubrics to evaluate and grade each project submission. Project

approval is determined by achieving a passing grade of 830/1000 (83%) or higher in the course. In the case

that the grade on a final attempt of a project paper is determined by the Project Instructor to be less than

passing (83%), the student’s paper will be independently examined by a second DNP faculty member to

ensure equitable grading. School of Nursing policy #1430 outlines the procedure for this process.

DNP Project Ethics and Human Subjects Protection

All DNP Projects are subject to the highest standards for human subject protection, confidentiality, and

ethical practice. Each student should work with their project team and any regulatory officials at their

project/practice site to ensure the highest standards for human subject protection, confidentiality, and

ethical practice.

At TUN, DNP Projects should not utilize research of discovery methodology. Quality improvement or

evidence-based practice designs does not require IRB oversight at TUN. Determination forms are located

in designated courses to ensure that research of discovery methodology is not utilized in DNP Projects.

In the rare circumstance that a student’s project is determined to require IRB oversight at TUN, all

appropriate policies and procedures must be followed. Students whose projects meet criteria for IRB

exemption determination application or full IRB application submission will be required to submit such to

the IRB for review and official determination. Criteria for each of these applications are explained in detail

on designated IRB forms. The School of Nursing and DNP Project team will support any decisions and/or

recommendations of the TUN IRB Committee in this regard.

Students are also subject to any regulatory requirements of the practice/project site including the

possibility of additional IRB application(s) or Quality Improvement Review committees within the host

Updated March 2024

organization. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of such regulations and be compliant with

these standards.

Institutional Review Board Process

During DNP Project II, a Project Determination form (Appendix B) should be completed and submitted to

the project team via Canvas for review. The Project Determination form will be utilized to determine if the

project methodology warrants official IRB application submission through the TUN IRB committee or if the

project is a “quality improvement” or “evidence-based practice” methodology and therefore will not

require IRB oversight. Projects must also be registered to the TUN Research Committee. Students should

be aware that IRB approval processes may result in significant delays in implementation timelines.

Students should stay in close communication with the Project Team members throughout this process to

arrange for necessary timeline extensions.

DNP projects will not be registered with a TUN research registration number or with TUN IRB. However,

students will be required to address basic principles of ethics and confidentiality in alignment with the

American Nurses Association Code of Ethics throughout their DNP Project. Further, specific steps taken to

address issues of confidentiality and ethics should be clearly outlined in an appropriately labeled section

of the DNP Project Paper. Specific approvals regarding confidentiality and ethics principles in quality

improvement projects will be addressed on an individual basis by the project team. All necessary

approvals must be in place before project implementation occurs.

If the agency where the project will be implemented requires separate IRB approval, the student should

initiate this process. Send any documents to the project instructor and submit them as appendices to your

DNP Project submission where appropriate. All IRB approvals, agency agreements, and final approval from

the DNP Project Team must be in place prior to starting project implementation.

Full IRB Review

If a student’s DNP Project is subject to full IRB review, delays may occur in the project timeline. In this

situation, provided the student has completed all necessary applications in a timely fashion, the student

will be permitted to continue in the DNP Program course of study. In this situation, at the end of DNP

Project III, if the student’s project is not complete the student will be granted an “Incomplete” to allow the

project to be completed to satisfaction. Incomplete grades are subject to the regulations of the TUN

University Catalog.

DNPV 764: Leadership Practicum

DNPV 764: Leadership Practicum is a structured course that requires the completion of 96 hours of various

practice activities in a 16-week timeframe. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain a practice site and a

practicum mentor for this course that allows for a diversity of practice experiences. Students submit

paperwork to authorize practicum experiences during week 1. Specifically, the student’s personal nursing

license, the practicum mentor’s RN license and CV/resume, evidence of need/or no need for affiliation

agreement, rationale for selecting the practicum mentor, and a signed Practicum Mentor agreement

(Appendix F).

Updated March 2024

Practicum Activity Examples

Students should utilize the Practicum Experience Guideline (Appendix E) to determine appropriate

practice activities for all practice-based courses. The following list provides examples of appropriate

practice-based activities that may be completed in this DNP Program.

Practice Activity Description

Example

Employ inter- and intra-

professional collaboration with

members of the healthcare team.

Attend meetings with agency/organizational/community leaders for

the exploration, definition and discussion of the DNP Project

problem or other identified practice issues pertaining to a specific

practice-based course.

Attend agency/organization/community committee meetings to

evaluate a practice protocol, guidelines, or process improvement

project(s).

Attend agency/organization/community planning meetings to

determine goals and approaches for addressing the DNP Project

problem or other identified practice issues pertaining to a specific

practice-based course.

Attend meetings with consultants and/or content experts to learn

about approaches for addressing the DNP Project problem or other

identified practice issues pertaining to a specific practice-based

course.

Interact with other doctoral

student specialties including PhD,

DNP, and any other applicable

specialties including engineering,

public health, business

professionals, and healthcare

administration.

Attend DNP Project Presentations of other students.

Consult a student from another discipline to collaborate on a

practice issue pertaining to a practice-based course project or the

DNP Project

Participate in a health initiative at local, state, and regional health

departments involving students from other disciplines.

Engage with experts in nursing and

other disciplines to facilitate

mentorship and meaningful

student engagement and

education.

Pursue opportunities for using data bases to evaluate outcomes of

care.

Time spent engaging in leadership activities with a PM in an area of

nursing leadership.

Updated March 2024

Practice Activity Description

Example

Participate in a wide variety of

learning activities that bring about

application, synthesis, and

expansion of knowledge at the

doctoral level.

Site visits to gain background or depth in the DNP Project topic or

other identified practice issues pertaining to a specific practice-

based course.

Create presentations or facilitate work groups related to the DNP

Project or other practice-based course, e.g., planning and project

development/implementation/evaluation.

Spend time carrying out the DNP Project or other practice-based

course project (poster, podium, workshop, or conference

presentation).

Attend pre-approved workshops or conferences within the limits of

the practicum guideline.

Share in meaningful learning

experiences within various practice

environments that utilize nurse

leaders

Assist in writing a grant proposal with a nurse leader.

Conduct professional journal review under the guidance of an

appropriate mentor.

Assist in policy review and revision at a practice site.

Collaborate with a community leader to organize a disaster

preparedness movement.

Establish a mentoring relationship with a Leader/Director/CEO of an

organization that supplies nursing leadership and spend time

carrying out tasks related to an advanced nursing leadership role.

Spend practice hours in the

practice environment related to

the final DNP Project or other

practice-based activity.

This can be accomplished in several ways including collaborating

with a Project Mentor or stakeholders regarding the project,

attending and participating in administrative meetings pertaining to

the DNP Project in the practice setting, etc.

Updated March 2024

Examples of DNP Project Topics from the CCNE White Paper

Students are encouraged to develop unique DNP Projects that cover topics of interest to them in a

practice setting of their choice. Below are some examples of common practice areas explored in a DNP

Project with a leadership focus. Examples of appropriate evaluations of these problems are provided in

the right-hand column.

Organizational Systems Leadership Projects

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Work with the Director of the local Red Cross

exploring ways to improve disaster preparedness.

Work with the System Safety Office evaluating the

disaster plan incorporating national best practices

and making recommendations for quality

improvement of the system plan.

Then

Create or improve a disaster response plan

guideline or protocol based on current evidence.

After the protocol has been accepted by the host

organization and TUN, develop a webinar on the

guideline/protocol and disseminate it to the

appropriate audience. (e.g.,, Volunteers

/employees of the local red cross who would be

the responders in the disaster situation.)

Formative Evaluation: Collect data on the specific

outcome you are trying to impact. For example,

perhaps the literature reveals that healthcare

worker response time/rates in a disaster impacts

mortality rates. You might coordinate with the

appropriate team members to collect baseline

data on healthcare worker response time in a

mock disaster prior to this implementation or

using the previous methodology (this data would

likely already be collected by the organization if it

has a known impact on mortality rates. It would

also need to be determined if mock disaster

response rates correlate with actual disasters. You

may use this data as a part of the formative

evaluation.)

Summative Evaluation: To perform an appropriate

summative evaluation, determine a realistic

timeframe considering the DNP program length

and organizational structure of the practice site.

Collect outcome data pertaining to the desired

impact area. In this example, you might conduct a

disaster drill and evaluate data on healthcare

worker response time/rates. Did the new protocol

effect response rates? This would be appropriate

outcome data.

Population Health

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Updated March 2024

Partner with community organizations that affect

the health of high-risk populations to address

screening or health education processes, financial

challenges (including how to raise money and

manage money), volunteerism, and

interactions/collaborative opportunities with the

healthcare system. Examples of community

agencies include: Habitat for Humanity, food

pantries, Catholic Charities, homeless shelters,

Salvation Army, and Hope Center. Other

opportunities might include collaboration with

private sector companies to design healthcare

facilities, or design and implement wellness/health

programs in conjunction with business such as the

airline or auto industry.

1. Evaluate outcome measures specific to a

local homeless shelter before and after

implementing a performance

improvement plan in a homeless shelter.

Appropriate outcome measures might

include 1) Permanent housing at exit 2)

Housing tenure 3) Employment at exit.

2. Before and after implementing a guideline

for addressing health literacy using best

practices in a rural health clinic, examine

staff understanding of best practices

surrounding this topic. Evaluate utilization

of appropriate discharge instructions that

are tailored to the patient’s literacy level

over a period after implementation.

Policy Projects

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Evaluate evidence to develop a policy to reduce

major events that trigger an ED visit, e.g., by

notifying a provider that a fall has occurred,

document evidence of need for the policy change;

Evaluate geriatric trauma screening for triage;

make a recommendation for policy change to

revise criteria.

Formative: After developing/revising and

implementing a policy to address fall prevention in

a healthcare facility, present the new policy to

staff and evaluate their understanding of it.

Summative: Examine fall rates before and after

the policy implementation.

Long Term Care Facilities

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Evaluate and implement a quality improvement

program within a long-term care facility, e.g.,

Evercare or a Medicare Advantage plan, to

improve antibiotic selection for symptomatic UTIs

in older adults without indwelling catheters and to

decrease the inappropriate use of nitrofurantoin.

Formative: After developing/revising and

implementing a guideline, present the new

guideline to medical and nursing staff and evaluate

their understanding of it.

Summative: Examine nitrofurantoin use related to

symptomatic UTIs in patients without indwelling

catheters before and after the guideline

implementation.

Urgent Care

Updated March 2024

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Focus on achieving the national benchmark of

urgent care visit times lasting less than 60 minutes,

identifying and mitigating impediments to efficient

patient flow at a Family Medicine Center Walk-in

Clinic.

Implement a quality improvement project to

identify measure and rectify bottlenecks impacting

patient flow through the clinic while tracking total

visit times.

Formative: After developing/revising and

implementing a guideline addressing patient flow,

present the new guideline to medical and nursing

staff and evaluate their understanding of it.

Summative: Evaluate visit times before and after

the protocol is implemented.

Prison Systems

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Explore the effectiveness of chronic disease

management models and mental health services

among the aging population in prison systems.

Focus on the institution of mental health screening

and care models to be integrated into the prison

system of care.

Formative: After developing/revising and

implementing a guideline addressing mental

health services, present the new guideline to

medical and nursing staff and evaluate their

understanding of it.

Summative: Evaluate specific outcome measures

related to mental health treatment before and

after the protocol is implemented. Outcome

measures should be determined through literature

review and institutional review but may include 1)

Prison violent event incidence rate 2) Medication

regimen compliance 3) Connection to mental

health community resources on release.

School Systems

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Evaluate Tobacco Free Teens program as a mobile

device application, introduce the mobile

application in a middle school classroom and

evaluate the adolescents’ satisfaction with the

tool; other areas of focus may include evaluating

immunizations, weight loss, and healthy eating.

Formative: After developing/revising and

implementing a guideline addressing smoking

cessation for teens, present the new guideline to

appropriate medical and nursing staff and evaluate

their understanding of it. You might consider

holding a school wide presentation to present the

smoking cessation program and have open

enrollment as well.

Updated March 2024

Summative: Evaluate teen smoking in the school

system before and after the intervention. Or if the

school already had a smoking cessation program,

you could evaluate enrollment in the smoking

cessation program before and after.

Community-based Care Network

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Implement a quality improvement project

developed to address the gaps in APRN practice

and evaluate the impact of a competency-based

training program on the translation of evidence in

the APRNs’ practice.

Specific outcome measures for evaluation could

include:

- Increase documentation of didactic training and

skills validation for transvaginal ultrasounds and

endometrial biopsy from 0% to 90%.

- Increase the number of APRNs who perform

transvaginal cervical length measurement in the

assessment of symptomatic preterm labor patients

from less than 40% to 75%.

- Decrease the number of fetal fibronectin studies

run without a corresponding cervical length

measurement by 20%.

- Decrease the number of inadequate endometrial

samples from the current 25% to less than 10% by

X date.

- Increase the percent of endometrial biopsies

being done by APRNs in the region to greater than

50%.

Rural Indigenous Population

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Form a working group with health department

personnel to discuss and address the issues of

health literacy and cultural sensitivity; Develop a

case management model for more complex

patients that includes the development of a cost

sharing plan that proposes utilizing social workers

from the senior center to coordinate this service

and proposes to the community council the need

to add a professional nurse FTE position to the

Formative: After developing/revising and

implementing a program, present the new

guideline to appropriate medical and nursing staff

and evaluate their understanding of it.

Summative: Evaluate outcome measures

associated with understanding/compliance to the

prescribed medical regiment based on literature

review. For example, let’s say that you find

research that says a patient will fill a new blood

pressure medication within 48 hours or not at all.

Updated March 2024

clinic to help coordinate the effort of the social

workers in ensuring regular follow up of patients;

Implement the use of community health workers

as a means of further engaging the community and

as a means of increasing follow-up visits.

You could evaluate first time blood pressure

medication fills before and after your intervention.

Public Health Department

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Collaborate with state government units to

improve access to health care, negotiating tribal

governance, gender issues, language, and culture

in a population by training lay health promoters

e.g., to improve the diet and access to fresh foods

or providing zinc supplementation to the under

age 5 population in Guatemala.

Specific outcome measures for evaluation could

include:

- X% increase in care access for diabetes

management for x population.

- X% increase in zinc supplement delivery to

children under 5 in Guatemala population.

- An x% increase in use of language services

within a public health clinic.

- An x% decrease in STD rates and

healthcare access for sex workers in a legal

brothel.

Non-governmental Organizations and Community Health Organizations

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Collaborate with in country NGOs to decrease

stigmatization and increase screening for breast

cancer in Zambia; or collaborate with the

American Heart Association or other organization

to improve outcomes in the community.

Specific outcome measures for evaluation could

include:

- Breast cancer screening rates increased by

x% by x date.

Corporations

Project Example

Evaluation Example

Focus on decreasing the percentage of employees

in a manufacturing plant with a BMI in the obese

or overweight category by changing cafeteria food

options, educational initiatives and a voluntary

employer-based 16-week wellness program.

Specific outcome measures for evaluation could

include:

- Change of cafeteria menu items to include

x% more of healthy foods or low-calorie

options.

- X% increase in enrollment to a voluntary

employer-based 16-week wellness

program.

- BMI decrease of x% in x% of employees by

x date.

Updated March 2024

APPENDIX A: DNP Project Timeline

Activity

Course

Select Project Site

DNP Project I

Identify Area of Interest for DNP Project

DNP Project I

Select Project Mentor

DNP Project I

Select Content Experts

DNP Project I

Complete needs assessment for DNP

Project

DNP Project I

Select DNP Project

DNP Project I

Complete Review of the Literature

DNP Project I

Develop Proposal

DNP Project I & DNP Project II

Complete CITI Certification

DNP Project II

Submit Final Proposal to Project team

DNP Project II

DNP Project Team Determination: Quality

Improvement/Evidence-Based Project or Research

form (approval for implementation)

DNP Project II

Implement project (after approval)

DNP Project III

Complete the data collection, analysis and

submit Final Paper

DNP Project III

Final Practicum Log Submission

DNP Project III

TUN Research Day poster and abstract submission

DNP Project III

DNP Student Presentation

DNP Project III

Final DNP Project Submission

DNP Project III

Updated March 2024

APPENDIX B: DNP Project Team Determination: Quality Improvement/Evidence-Based Practice Project

or Research form

All DNP Projects, regardless of methodology, must uphold the highest standards of ethical practice

including confidentiality and privacy as described in the ANA Code of Ethics. Accordingly, basic principles

of ethics, confidentiality, and privacy must be addressed and maintained in each phase of the DNP Project

implementation. Methods for maintaining such should be described in full detail within the body of the

DNP Project Paper.

If the determination is made that the DNP Project is a “Quality Improvement or Evidence-Based Practice

Project,” then the project should be referred to as such in all future communications–both written and

verbally. DNP projects should not be referred to as research or research projects and are not subject to

any form of IRB review. Additionally, the student should not make any claims in writing or verbally of IRB

exemption status, acceptance, or review in such projects.

Sections A and B should be completed and submitted by the student. Section C should be completed by

the faculty.

SECTION A

Student Name: ______________________________________________________________________

DNP Project Title: ____________________________________________________________________

DNP Project Instructor: _______________________________________________________________

DNP Project Mentor: ___________________________________________________________________

Quality Improvement or Research Worksheet

Rachel Nosowsky, Esq.

ITEM

Issue and Guidance

Rating

Are participants randomized into different intervention groups to enhance

confidence in differences that might be obscured by nonrandom selection?

Randomization done to achieve equitable allocation of a scarce resource

need not be considered and would not result in a “yes” here.

____ YES

____ NO

Does the project seek to test issues that are beyond current science and

experience, such as new treatments (i.e., is there much controversy about

whether the intervention will be beneficial to actual patients – or is it

designed simply to move existing evidence into practice?). If the project is

performed to implement existing knowledge to improve care – rather than to

develop new knowledge – answer “no”.

____ YES

____ NO

Updated March 2024

Are there any potential conflicts of interest (financial or otherwise) among

any researchers involved in the project? If so, please attach a description of

such in an attachment to this form.

____ YES

____ NO

Is the protocol fixed with a fixed goal, methodology, population, and time

period? If frequent adjustments are made in the intervention, the

measurement, and even the goal over time as experience accumulates, the

answer is more likely “no.”

____ YES

____ NO

Will data collection occur in stages with an effort to remove potential bias? If

so, is there any potential for data skewing from this process?

____ YES

____ NO

Is the project funded by an outside organization with a commercial interest in

the use of the results? If the answer to this question is “Yes” please also

answer question 6a and 6b. If the project is funded by third-party payors

through clinical reimbursement incentives, or through internal

clinical/operations funds vs. research funds, the answer to this question is

more likely to be “no.”

____ YES

____ NO

Is the sponsor a manufacturer with an interest in the outcome of the

project relevant to its products?

____ YES

____ NO

Is it a non-profit foundation that typically funds research, or internal

research accounts?

____ YES

____ NO

Adapted from Hastings Center, “The Ethics of Using Quality Improvement Methods to Improve Health

Care Quality and Safety” (June 2006) If the weight of the answers tends toward “yes” overall, the project

should be considered “research” and approved by an IRB prior to implementation. If the weight of the

answers tends toward “no,” the project is not “research” and is not subject to IRB oversight unless local

institutional policies differ. Answering “yes” to sequence #1 or #2 – even if all other answers are “no” –

typically will result in a finding that the project constitutes research. It is important to consult with your

local IRB if you are unsure how they would handle a particular case, as the analysis of the above issues

cannot always be entirely objective and IRB policies and approaches vary significantly.

Obtained from: Quality Improvement or Research Worksheet

SECTION B

Updated March 2024

All projects, including student QI or EBP projects, are required to be registered with the Department of

Research at TUN. Please register your project via this Qualtrics survey. Provide your information as the PI

for your project.

___ Yes, I registered my project with the Department of Research at TUN via the link above.

___ No, I did not register my project with the Department of Research at TUN. Please provide rationale.

SECTION C

Project Classification Decision:

The project instructor will select one of the three classifications listed below.

_____ This DNP Project is a quality improvement or evidence-based practice project. Do not submit to IRB

for review.

_____ This DNP Project contains research methodology, and an IRB application should be submitted to the

TUN IRB committee for exemption determination and/or full IRB review.

_____ This DNP Project is not clearly delineated as quality improvement/evidence-based practice or

research of discovery. Additional consultation will be obtained from the IRB committee by the project

team. The advice of the IRB committee regarding the need for review will be noted in writing and the

student will be informed of such (Please attach any pertinent documentation from IRB review as an

Appendix to this document.)

By signing below, the project instructor indicates that they agree with the above selection.

Printed Name of Project Instructor: __________________________________________________

Electronic Signature of Project Instructor: ______________________________________________

Updated March 2024

APPENDIX C: DNP Project Frequently Asked Questions

1. Question: How do I make this leadership with a patient focus? I just want to focus on patients/ I

plan to stay at the bedside.

Answer: One way to bring a patient care project to a leadership/organizational level is to create

an evidence-based guideline or protocol that addresses the phenomenon of interest. You will

need to establish how the guideline or protocol addresses an institutional need and aligns with

institutional/organizational goals. Perhaps the guideline may address healthcare costs or

accreditation standards. You will want to fully explore this and show that you are creating

evidence-based patient care guideline or protocol based on an institutional or organizational need

that can produce sustainable positive change. If you can do this, you probably have a great project

in front of you!

2. Question: I want to do a project that involves direct patient interaction. Is this acceptable?

Answer: A DNP leadership project is an indirect care degree and should not involve any direct

patient care. Direct patient care should not be a part of the DNP student’s practicum experience at

any point. As such, the DNP student should not engage in any phase of the nursing process

including assessment, diagnosis, planning care, implementation, evaluation, and patient

education. However, students are encouraged to utilize the nursing process to indirectly improve

patient outcomes and patient care processes. For example, a DNP student with a leadership focus

may choose to create a protocol for a specific disease management in a clinical setting. The DNP

student would write the protocol using best evidence and expert consultation and then

implement the protocol into the host organization/nursing unit. Once the implementation was

approved, the DNP student may choose to educate the staff regarding the new protocol and

collect data before and after the implementation. The staff would then engage in patient care that

the DNP student directed through the protocol. This is indirect patient care and is highly

appropriate in a leadership focus project.

3. Question: I have wanted to make a change in a specific procedure at my work for a while. Can I

utilize the DNP project to make this change?

Answer: Your DNP Project should have a solid foundation of scholarly evidence to support it. You

may find through personal practice reflection, stakeholder interview, and literature search a

problem of interest. Is the intervention based on current scholarly evidence? A common mistake

made is to propose an intervention that is based on personal perspective but not founded in

research. Although personal perspective and stakeholder perspectives are important to consider

in project development, they can’t serve as the foundation of the DNP Project without substantive

evidence to support the project.

4. Question: I have had an idea on how to address a problem at my work for a while. I would like to

explore if it would work. Would this be a good DNP Project?

Answer: If the idea has previously been explored and established to be “best practice standards”

in the literature or via national guidelines then this would make a great DNP Project. If your idea is

an original idea that you would like to research for the first time, then you should probably

reconsider. A common mistake made is to suggest an intervention that has not been explored in

previous research. This is considered research of discovery and would not be appropriate for the

scope of the DNP Project. Research of discovery requires advanced understanding of research

Updated March 2024

methodology and often takes years to accomplish using appropriate methodology. The DNP

Essentials guide the DNP student toward translating existing evidence into practice a practice

setting of interest. This should be the primary focus of the DNP Project.

5. Question: How do I know if this is a DNP project or a master’s level project?

Answer: In general, the doctoral level project involves a higher level of synthesis, analysis, and

creation, and evaluation. In a DNP program, the project is specific to implementing proven

evidence into a practice setting. Your faculty will help you establish an appropriate project.

6. Question: How do I write appropriate objectives to a DNP Project?

Answer: A DNP Project objective is a clear statement of a desired outcome. DNP Project objectives

should be in APA list format and not in paragraph format. These types of objectives should be

attainable and realistic regarding what the project will accomplish. Objectives should include a

specific time frame, a description of those involved, the action, procedure, place, and criteria for

success. If any one of these components is missing, it is not a complete objective. Example of

providing realistic, attainable objectives: If the student would like to create a community health

program to feed homeless people in an urban community as a DNP Project, then a realistic project

objective might be something like, “Through this DNP Project, a Community Health Program will

be created at the host community center in urban California that provides 3 meals to 100

homeless individuals per day by May 2024.” An example of an unrealistic goal would be the

following: “Through this DNP Project, a Community Health Program will be created at the host

community center in urban California that resolves homeless hunger by May 2018.” Resolving

hunger is an admirable goal but is not measurable or realistic for the timeframe.

Your DNP Project I class addresses this topic. Please complete the learning activities in the course

associated with writing objectives to add further clarification to this question.

7. Question: How do I make the organization want my project?

Answer: There are several different techniques that could be used to help key stakeholders buy

into your DNP Project. One of the first steps to this is establishing an organizational need. What

does the project mean to your organization? How will your project improve cost? Quality of Care?

Next, find out who the key stakeholders are in your organization and contact them. Set up a

phone meeting or an in-person meeting and solicit their support. Present your project idea to

them early on and let them know the timeframe of your project, goals, and significance to the

organization and/or the individual role that the key stakeholder plays. You may also consider

inviting a few key stakeholders to join in the project as “content experts”. See qualifications for

“content experts”. Giving someone an official title and position with your project and letting them

know you plan to publish your findings, will often increase their commitment to your success.

8. Question: If TUN IRB considers my project “Quality Improvement” or “IRB Exempt”, does that

mean that the institution where I am doing my project will not require me to go through IRB?

Answer: Each institution has their own Policies and Procedures that they follow to determine IRB

involvement in quality improvement projects. As a TUN DNP student, you are subject to the

review of TUN’s IRB as well as the host organization’s IRB where your DNP Project takes place. You

are advised to work closely with your Project mentor and Course Instructor to determine

appropriate actions to follow to ensure timeliness in submission of any required materials for

external IRB committees.

Updated March 2024

9. Question: If the host site for my DNP Project is the same as my place of employment, how do I

differentiate hours spent on my project?

Answer: Many DNP students utilize their place of employment as their host site for their DNP

Project. This dynamic offers many conveniences in performing the DNP Project is in not looked

down on. However, the DNP Project should not be part of regularly scheduled job duties and

payment should not be received for any activities associated with the DNP Project.

10. Question: I have a problem I would like to explore for my DNP Project, but I am having difficulty

finding up to date research. There is a lot of old research; can I still use this as my topic?

Answer: What is the reason for the gap in literature on this topic? Has it lost its relevance? Is it no

longer a problem in most places? Consider the answers to these questions and perhaps look

further at the problem you are considering. Without appropriate literature to support your

topic/project, the DNP project will not meet the appropriate standards of rigor for this level of

education.

11. Question: The outcome data that I am evaluating is already collected each month as a part of

ongoing quality improvement initiatives at my DNP Project host site. Would it be appropriate to

implement my project and then work with the data analyst to utilize existing outcome data before

and after my implementation? Or do I need to collect the data independently and do my own

statistical analysis?

Answer: Students are encouraged to work with existing infrastructure in the organization where

the DNP Project is implemented. Many hospitals and other healthcare facilities collect ongoing

data. This data can be utilized, and students would not need to independently analyze data that is

already available through an established forum. For example, many nursing unit’s nosocomial

infection rates and report these numbers in national forums and to nursing administration. If the

DNP Project were to create a protocol for preventing nosocomial infections through implementing

a new protocol, the outcome data might be looked at during the time before and after

implementing the new protocol. The DNP student would work with the data analyst at the

hospital to access the data. Although the analysis would be done already, the DNP student would

still be required to provide information on how the data was collected and analyzed in their DNP

Project paper.

12. Question: Why can't I work with nursing students or educational processes as a part of my DNP

Project?

Answer: The practice of educating nursing students is considered a unique and separate yet

valuable specialty. CCNE does not consider this practice to be a part of doctoral level education

and therefore these hours can’t be counted toward DNP Practicum or Project hours.

13. Question: Can I use education as a part of my project?

Answer: In many cases, DNP Projects involve implementing a new protocol, guideline, or practice-

based on best evidence. A necessary part of any successful implementation will naturally involve

education of the multi-disciplinary team members involved in the practice change. This is a totally

appropriate step in an implementation process but in a very complex healthcare system this will

not likely be the only step involved in implementation. Specific steps to successful implementation

should be determined on a need’s basis for the specific host site of the DNP Project.

Updated March 2024

Implementation is then followed by evaluation. Evaluation data should include information from

specific healthcare outcomes and should not include evaluation of an education module. DNP

Projects can involve education of support staff and members of the interdisciplinary healthcare

team but should not involve direct patient or student interaction.

Updated March 2024

APPENDIX D: Practice Hours Transfer Policy

To be eligible for a doctoral degree in nursing, a total of 1000 post-baccalaureate practice hours are

required. This DNP program has 528 practice hours embedded in the curriculum; these hours are required

as a part of the DNP coursework. As such, each student may have up to 472 practice hours endorsed from

previous graduate work. Transfer practice hours can be evaluated through various methods including:

1. An official letter confirming number of practice hours completed at the regionally accredited

institution the student attended. These hours may be completed during masters or doctoral

coursework in nursing.

2. Proof of national certification in an area of advanced practice nursing or certification in nursing

that requires a graduate degree in nursing and additional practice hours.

a. Students who meet these criteria are eligible for 472 transfer practice hours.

3. Transcript evaluation may be utilized as a method of practicum hour’s evaluation in the case that

the transcript provides the actual number of practice hours completed.

The student needs to supply evidence of practicum hour completion. To facilitate this process, an

assignment drop-box is in DNP 760: Introduction to DNP. If no evidence of previous graduate practice

hours is received by the end of DNP I, students will need to complete the additional 472 hours via

enrollment in 10 credits of DNPV 756 DNP Practicum.

All students will receive communication from the Director of Graduate Programs regarding their practice

hours transfer evaluation by the end of Trimester 1.

If a student has less than 472 practice hours for transfer, the student will be required to complete an

Alternate Curriculum Plan which will be evaluated and approved by the Director of Graduate Programs. To

facilitate completion of 1000 post-baccalaureate hours, this plan will include enrollment in DNPV 756 for

additional practicum hour completion. Students are eligible to enroll in DNPV 756 at any point after

completion of their first trimester of coursework.

Updated March 2024

APPENDIX E: Practicum Experience Guidelines

Throughout the DNP Program at Touro University Nevada (TUN), students are required to enroll in 4

different courses which will allow an opportunity to gain practicum experiences. An additional self-study

practicum course is available to students who are unable to transfer the appropriate number of practice

hours from their MSN degree. The required hours per course are outlined below:

Course Title

Trimester

(Accelerated

Track)

Trimester

(Standard Track)

Practice Hours Required

DNPV 761 DNP Project I

Trimester 1

Trimester 4

144 hours

DNPV 763 Project II

Trimester 2

Trimester 5

144 hours

DNPV 767 Project III

Trimester 3

Trimester 6

144 hours

DNPV 764 Leadership Practicum

Trimester 2

96 hours

*DNPV 756 DNP Practicum (not

required for all students)

After

Trimester 1

After Trimester 1

1 credit= 48 hours

Number of credits needed

depends upon MSN practice

hours transferred into the

DNP.

In all practice-based courses, students will engage with a Project or Practicum Mentor and key members

from the inter- and intra-professional team in various integrative-practice activities. The goal is to achieve

program outcomes and practice-based learning in preparation for nursing practice as a doctoral prepared

nurse leader. Students are required to pursue leadership practice experiences that will address the DNP

Essentials, the TUN DNP Program Outcomes, enable the application of didactic teaching and scholarly

evidence, and lead to mastery of the advanced practice nursing specialty of Scholar-Practitioner and Nurse

Leader. During the DNP Project courses, students will carry out a practice-application oriented DNP

Project.

In practice experiences, students are encouraged to engage in the following activities:

• Employ inter- and intra-professional collaboration with members of the healthcare team.

• Interact with other doctoral student specialties including PhD, DNP, and any other applicable

specialties including engineering, public health, business professionals, and healthcare

administration.

• Engage with experts in nursing and other disciplines to facilitate mentorship and meaningful

student engagement and education.

• Participate in a wide variety of learning activities that bring about application, synthesis, and

expansion of knowledge at the doctoral level.

• Share meaningful learning experiences within various practice environments that utilize nurse

leaders.

• Spend practicum hours in the practice environment related to the final DNP Project. This can be

accomplished in several ways including collaborating with a Project Mentor or stakeholders

Updated March 2024

regarding the project, attending and participating in administrative meetings pertaining to the

DNP Project in the practice setting, etc.

Students should consider the following when considering practicum experiences:

All DNP Practicum Hours must be logged using the required format for the course enrolled. All hours,

including CITI modules, and doctoral level professional conference attendance, must be signed off by the

Project/Practicum Mentor. Activities such as professional conferences require pre-approval from the

course instructor.

If preferred, the DNP Project or Practicum site may be established in the student’s place of work provided

the experiences are not a part of the individual’s job duties and they are not being financially reimbursed

for performing such duties.

Hours spent in the DNP Project development, implementation, and evaluation can appropriately be

considered practicum hours provided these hours are spent engaging with the project team and occur in

the practice environment. Although many hours will be spent writing the project proposal, these hours are

not considered practicum experience. Other practice activities related to the DNP Project are counted

toward practicum hours provided they meet the criteria listed in section 1.

During enrollment in DNP Project I (DNP 761) practicum hours should not be logged until after the student

has received approval of their selected Project Mentor and project site during week 4 of the course. The

student may start logging practice activity once approval for a project site and Project Mentor has been

received.

During DNP Project II, students are asked to complete CITI training. A student may take this opportunity to

collaborate with their Project Mentor to apply their learning directly to their DNP Project. CITI training

may count for up to 8 hours of DNP Practicum in the DNP Project II course.

Doctoral level professional conference participation may be considered by the Project Instructor for

approval provided the topic presented therein pertains to the DNP Project topic of that student. To

receive practicum hour credit for a professional conference, the student should submit CEUs completed.

For every one CEU granted through conference attendance, 1 practicum hour will be awarded.

Practicum Experiences may not include:

• Practice as a nurse educator including educating nursing students, engaging in the educational

process, and experiences in academic curriculum cannot be counted toward practicum activities

and cannot be the focus of a student’s DNP Project.

• Travel time to and from the practice site and/or professional conferences may not be counted

toward practice hours.

• Literature Review

• Direct patient care is not permitted as a DNP Student. For more information on what constitutes

direct patient care, please see the DNP Project & Practicum Handbook “FAQs”.

Updated March 2024

APPENDIX F: Project/Practicum Site Mentor Agreement

All students will select a Project/Practicum Mentor (PM) and a site where their DNP Project and/or

Practicum experience will take place. This must be completed in Week 4 of the first practicum course,

either DNPV 761 (Accelerated Track) or DNPV 764 (Standard Track).

In the DNP Project courses, students may also select up to three additional content experts in a related

field to the DNP Project. Adding additional content experts is recommended to ensure the quality of the

project and foster stakeholder buy-in. Please review additional information regarding the roles of these

individuals and general guidelines for the practice experience found in the DNP Project and Practicum

Handbook.

Practicum

Course

When to Submit

Resources Required

Optional Resources

DNP 761,

763, 767

Week 4 of 761

Project Site

Project Mentor

Up to 3 content experts

DNP 764

Week 1 of 764

Practicum Site

Practicum Mentor

n/a

DNP 756

(Self-study

course)

Week 1 of 756

Practicum Site

Practicum Mentor

n/a

Instructional steps to acquiring a PM or Content Expert:

1. Establish a project/practicum site in alignment with the criteria outlined in the DNP Project and

Practicum Handbook.

2. Collaborate with project/practicum site leadership to determine if an affiliation agreement is

required or if there is any necessary paperwork to be completed to authorize your presence as a

student. Obtain documentation to be submitted in Canvas as evidence of your compliance with

project/practicum site requirements.

3. Brainstorm key stakeholders involved in the proposed setting of your DNP project/practicum.

4. Consider the guideline provided for the PM or content expert. Narrow your options using these

criteria.

5. Choose a potential PM and/or content expert and contact them.

6. Provide the individual with information regarding the proposed project/practicum including

timeline and responsibilities.

7. Request professional CV or resume and proof of licensure from the individual. Licensure validation

may be completed through an internet search by the student provided it comes from a trusted

website and can be validated. See contract agreement section below for specific guidelines on this

requirement.

8. Obtain copies of your personal registered nurse license to submit in the designated LMS (Canvas)

assignment drop-box. Please note that you and your PM must both be authorized to practice as a

registered nurse in the state where the project/practicum site is located.

9. Submit all required elements to assignment drop-box including all applicable forms signed and

dated.

10. The course instructor will review the assignment submission and approve the project/practicum

site, PM, and content expert as appropriate.

11. Please note, only the PM is required and will be graded. If a student chooses to consult a content

expert, the paperwork must be submitted in a similar fashion. The steps described above must be

Updated March 2024

followed but the portion of the assignment pertaining to the content expert is not graded (content

expert selection only applies to DNP Project courses).

Final steps:

1. Student verifies with clinical agency if an affiliation agreement is required or if proof of enrollment

and student's liability coverage is sufficient for the organization.

2. If an affiliation agreement is required, student submits request to the Clinical Coordinator. When

the legal arrangement is negotiated, the course instructor is notified. The Clinical Coordinator or

Director of Graduate Programs notifies student and course instructor that the clinical site is

approved.

Grading Criteria:

Because all the activities provided above are required for successful progression through practicum

courses, all documents listed below are required for this course prior to starting practicum experiences.

Failure to appropriately submit these documents may result in dismissal from the course.

1. Student submits potential PM’s CV or resume.

2. Student submits potential PM’s current unencumbered RN license in the state where the

project/practicum will occur AND student submits their personal RN license in the state where the

project/practicum will occur. Compact license is acceptable provided both the student and the PM

are authorized to practice in the state where the project/practicum will take place.

3. Student submits completed and signed agreement. Project/practicum site listed must meet the

following criteria:

- Project/practicum site is in a state where TUN is authorized to have students.

- Both the PM and the student have current unencumbered licenses in the state

where the project/practicum site is located.

- The project/practicum site is not a nursing school.

4. Student submits verification of an affiliation agreement or statement than an agreement is not

needed.

5. Student submits in writing the reason the PM was selected and their appropriateness to the topic

area the student wants to pursue for his or her DNP project/practicum.

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PM and Site Contract Agreement

The Project/Practicum Mentor (PM)

Purpose

Each student will identify an individual that has practice expertise in nursing leadership. The PM needs

adequate content understanding in the area related to the DNP project/practicum and agrees to mentor

the student throughout the program and provide guidance with development and implementation of the

DNP project/practicum experience, under the supervision of the project instructor.

Qualifications

The PM must:

• Hold a doctoral degree (for example, PhD, EdD, or DNP) from a regionally accredited University

and have adequate knowledge and/or expertise related to the DNP scholarly project. (The

exception to this rule: DNP 756 the PM may hold a Master’s degree).

• In addition, the PM must have expertise within the realms of nursing leadership that is

documented in a CV or resume. This document should be provided to the student who will submit

it for review by the project/practicum course instructor.

• The PM must have a current unencumbered RN license in the state where the DNP

project/practicum will occur. Compact license is acceptable provided both the student and the PM

are authorized to practice in the state where the project/practicum will take place.

• The PM may not be the student’s supervisor.

• The PM must possess adequate technology skills to read and respond to emails, and to

communicate with you in a timely fashion.

Responsibilities of the PM

The PM agrees to:

• Supervise practicum hours completed for the DNP project/practicum. This requires validation of

practicum logs through providing signatures once per course module.

• Support the student throughout the program or sessions they agree to participate. It is preferred

that the PM commit to working with the student throughout the program.

• Help the student gain access to practicum experience at the practice site where applicable.

• Troubleshoot issues that arise during the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the DNP

project/practicum.

• Provide encouragement and support during the project/practicum phase of the student’s

education.

• Share expertise regarding the project/practicum topic(s).

• Meet in person or virtually with the student and the project/practicum instructor as needed

throughout the students’ academic career at TUN.

• Mentor the student towards successful completion of the identified DNP scholarly project and/or

practicum experiences, under the supervision of the Project Instructor and/or course lead.

• Coach, support, and mentor the student towards success as necessary, including obtaining

necessary site approvals in the identified project/practicum setting.

Responsibilities of the Student

The student agrees to:

Updated March 2024

• Utilize the time of the PM effectively and efficiently through effective communication and respect.

• Meet in person or virtually, with the Project Team at least as needed throughout the students’

academic career at TUN.

• Make consistent progress towards completion of the DNP Scholarly project/practicum and to keep

the PM and Project Team updated on their progress through submission of appropriate weekly

Practicum logs and communication with all parties on an as needed basis.

• Complete all project/practicum course assignments in a timely manner.

• Reach out to the PM with questions and for support as needed.

Responsibilities of the Project/Practicum Instructor

The Project/Practicum Instructor agrees to:

• Always maintain open communication with the PM and Student.

• Schedule virtual meetings with the PM and Student at least once per session and as needed at

other times.

• Review the weekly progress reports made by the student and identify and communicate issues

that the committee must address.

• Support the student and the PM through availability and responsiveness to identified issues.

The overall DNP Project/Practicum experience is monitored and approved by the Project/Practicum

Mentor and DNP Project/Practicum instructor to meet the rigor and clinical requirements of said

experience.

I agree to abide by the respective responsibilities stated above, both implicit and inferred. I affirm that I

hold a current RN license in the state where the practicum experience will occur.

______________________________________________________________________________

Signature of PM Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Printed Name of PM RN License number/State of Licensure Expiration Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Project/practicum Site Name

______________________________________________________________________________

Project/practicum Site Address

______________________________________________________________________________

Project/practicum Site Phone Number

______________________________________________________________________________

Project/practicum Site Contact Person & Email Address

______________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Student Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Printed Name of Student RN License number/State of Licensure Expiration Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Updated March 2024

Title of DNP Scholarly Project/Practicum

Rationale for selecting this PM:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Affiliation Agreement Statement:

Touro University Nevada does not require affiliation agreements for DNP Practicum Experiences.

However, the project/practicum site may require an affiliation agreement with Touro. Please delegate

this form to an appropriate project/practice site representative for completion.

Please fill in the blanks below and check the appropriate box:

The TUN DNP student: ________________________________________ is authorized to complete

practicum hours at the above listed project site.

_______ An affiliation agreement is required for completion of this practicum experience.

_______ An affiliation agreement is not required for completion of this practicum experience.

*If an affiliation agreement is required, please insert the name and contact information of the

person who will coordinate the agreement:

Name of representative: ______________________________________________________________

Contact Information and preferred contact method: ________________________________________

Authorized Project Site Representative Signature: ______________________________________________

Student Signature: _______________________________________________________________________

Updated March 2024

Optional: Form for student and Content Expert to sign:

The Content Expert (optional)

Purpose

Each student can identify individuals with practice expertise and/or stakeholders pertaining to their DNP

Scholarly Project/practicum topic. An individual serving as a content expert needs adequate content

understanding in the area related to the DNP project/practicum and agrees to mentor the student

throughout the program and provide guidance with development and implementation of the DNP

Project/practicum, under the supervision of the Project/practicum Team. The Project Instructor is a

faculty member who guides the student through the project courses.

Qualifications

A Content Expert must:

• Hold a minimum of a master’s degree in a related field to the DNP Project/practicum topic from a

regionally accredited University and have adequate knowledge and/or expertise related to the

DNP scholarly project/practicum.

• A content expert may be a specialist or stakeholder from any discipline relating to the student’s

DNP Project/practicum.

• A content expert should submit a CV or resume that reflects expertise in the project/practicum

topic area of the student’s DNP Project/practicum. This document should be provided to the

student who will submit it for review by the project instructor.

Responsibilities of the Content Expert

The Content Expert agrees to:

• Support the student throughout the program or sessions they agree to participate. It is preferred

that the Content Expert commit to working with the student throughout the program.

• Meet in person or virtually with the student and the Project/practicum Team as needed

throughout the students’ academic career at TUN.

• Mentor the student towards successful completion of the identified DNP scholarly

project/practicum, under the supervision of the Project/practicum Team.

• Coach, support, and mentor the student towards success as necessary, including obtaining

necessary site approvals in the identified project/practicum site.

Responsibilities of the Student

The Student agrees to:

• Utilize the time of the Content Expert effectively and efficiently through effective communication

and respect.

• Meet in person or virtually, with the Project Team at least as needed throughout the students’

academic career at TUN.

• Make consistent progress towards completion of the DNP Scholarly project/practicum and to keep

the Content Expert, PM and Project/practicum Team updated on their progress through

submission of appropriate weekly Practicum logs and communication with all parties on an as

needed basis.

• Complete all project/practicum course assignments in a timely manner.

• Reach out to the PM with questions and for support as needed.

Updated March 2024

Responsibilities of the Project Instructor

The Project/practicum Team agrees to:

• Always maintain open communication with the PM and student.

• Schedule virtual meetings with the PM and student at least once per session and as needed at

other times.

• Review the weekly progress reports made by the student and identify and communicate issues

that the committee must address.

• Support the student and the Project Mentor through availability and responsiveness to identified

issues.

I agree to abide by the respective responsibilities stated above, both implicit and inferred.

______________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Content Expert Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Printed Name of Content Expert Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Project Site Name

______________________________________________________________________________

Project/practicum Site Address

______________________________________________________________________________

Project/practicum Site Phone Number

______________________________________________________________________________

Project/practicum Site Contact Person & Email Address

______________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Student Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Printed Name of Student Date

______________________________________________________________________________

Title of DNP Scholarly Project/practicum Date

Updated March 2024

APPENDIX G: DNP Project Paper Template

(Begins on following page)

Updated March 2024

DNP PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

Use the template below for submission of your DNP Project Proposal.

For help with APA formatting and references, the APA website provides a sample student

paper at the following link: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-

format/student-annotated.pdf

Updated March 2024

Full Title of the Proposal

Author’s Name (no professional initials)

Touro University, Nevada

Course Title: In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Nursing Practice

DNP Project Team: Type your project instructor’s name here

Due Date

Updated March 2024

Table of Contents

Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………

Problem Identification …………………………………………………………………..

Project Question ……………………………………………………………………………..

Search Methods………………………………………………………………………………

Review of Literature …………………………………………………………………………….

Project Rationale ……………………………………………………………………………….

Project Framework …………………………………………………………………………

Project Context………………………………………………………………………………..

Interventions……………………………………………………………………………………

Ethics and Human Subjects Protection ………………………………………………………………

Data Collection……………………………………………………………………………….

Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………..

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………..

References ………………………………………………………………………………………...

Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………….

Updated March 2024

Full Title

Please use the SWOT analysis form to insert your problem statement here. You can write 1-2

paragraphs here to provide a brief account of the problem and the resolution with implications are

introduced. Build a strong case for your topic's importance and the need for a DNP project that will

address the issues surrounding it. Support your case with citations from the literature.

Insert the following sentence at the end of this section: “A visual diagram was utilized to illustrate

the scope of this problem through a SWOT analysis. See Appendix A”. Insert your SWOT visual diagram

into Appendix A.

Project Question

Insert the project question here from the outline assignment. Do not write anything else in this

section. Simply paste the project question. The project question helps the reader understand what

question you hope to answer by conducting your quality improvement initiative. Project question should

be clearly and succinctly formulated. Clear connection to the project topic and site should be made. The

question should be answerable through project implementation and reflect the PICOT format.

Search Methods

In this section, you will provide a description of the search terms and databases used in the

literature search. The PICOT should guide the search as well. Criteria of inclusion and exclusion should be

clearly justified. An example would include, “research was limited to studies conducted in the US within

the last five years”. You would also include facility databases if they were used to develop your proposal.

An example would include the review of related protocols if your project consisted of developing a new

protocol.

Review of Study Methods

Updated March 2024

The types of studies that are included in the project should be reviewed. This discussion can be

integrated throughout the paper within the sub-headings, or it can also be discussed separately. The

following is an example of a review of study methods from a previous student paper.

Upon reviewing the study methodologies in the discussed literature, the emerging themes are

relevant to this DNP project. The literature discussed included randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis

of randomized controlled trials, retrospective and observational studies, mixed-methods comparative

studies, multicentered cross-sectional studies, integrative reviews, systematic review of peer-reviewed

research studies, retrospective cohort studies, exploratory qualitative studies, and interventional trials.

These methods are relevant to the aim of the studies performed and are relevant to this DNP project.

These study methods are relevant to this DNP project because they are reliable and valid since all produce

the same results of decreased door to provider time, LOS, LWOBS with subsequent reduction of ED

overcrowding, increasing patient safety and satisfaction.

Review Synthesis

The purpose of a literature review is to provide a comprehensive review of evidence related to

your proposed project problem. The literature review should provide a summary of your literature that is

then used to synthesize key concepts. The goal is to analyze your literature to identify common patterns,

trends, or potential gaps and determine relationships among these studies. Ideally, literature should be

current (five years or less) except for older, highly significant studies.

The project should be systemically described in the context of the broader scholarly literature.

The historical context of the profession should be discussed related to the relevant literature. Best

practice standard as it relates to current evidence around the project problem is distinguished and the

gap in quality is clearly delineated. The review of literature for your proposal should provide the context

for your proposal and your future DNP project.

Updated March 2024

Next, write your findings from the literature central to your topic. Avoid describing a series of

studies. Use quotes sparingly and only to emphasize or explain an important point. Also, do not make

broad statements about the conclusiveness of research studies, either positive or negative. Be objective

in your presentation of the facts. Each paragraph should begin with a thesis statement and describe only

one key. The idea in the next paragraph should logically flow from the content of its predecessor.

Conclude the review of literature with a concise summary of your findings and provide a rationale

for conducting your DNP project, based on your findings.

Every DNP Project will have different themes developed. These themes should help you to justify

and guide your evidence-based intervention. Below are some example’s themes that could be explored

through subheadings for your literature review:

Impact of the Problem

The use of level-headings can greatly improve the clarity of the literature review. Develop themes

that emerge as you explore the issue and then use those themes to create appropriate level headings in

your literature review. For example, in this section, you should describe findings from the literature

surrounding the impact of the problem.

Addressing the Problem with Current Evidence

Explore 2-3 articles at a minimum per subheading. Your literature review themes should help you

understand what you will need to do to address the evidence gap pertaining to the project problem. For

example, if your problem is high fall rates at a long-term care facility, you would want to know how to

assess and prevent falls. It would also be important to understand the impact of falls and staff education

needs. All these things should be addressed in the literature review. Remember to examine national

guidelines and national regulatory statements on your topic. If these exist on your topic, they should be

explored in your literature review.

Updated March 2024

Theme Development

This is an example of how to use various level headings to organize your literature review.

Use Level Headings to Explore Themes for the Project. Use this heading to describe a

subcategory of the previous section. Use level headings to organize your discussion.

Evidence Gaps and Controversies. You can further expound on a topic through appropriate use of

level headings.

Project Aims

Specific aims of the quality improvement project clearly and concisely described. Aims are

measurable and align with the gap in quality identified in the project introduction.

Project Objectives

Please use SMART (Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based) framework to develop

objectives.

In the timeframe of this DNP Project, the host site will:

1. List between 3-5 objectives. When writing objectives, ensure that each objective is measurable

and be consistent with expected outcomes.

2. Example objectives:

a. Implement an evidence based…or something similar

b. Administer an education seminar for the multi-disciplinary team to train on this practice

guideline.

c. Improve provider compliance with national standards for care pertaining to (insert

project topic)

d. Improve rates of (insert patient outcomes) by xx% within a 5-week implementation

frame.

Updated March 2024

Implementation Framework

The implementation framework utilized for this project is (select IOWA model for evidence-based

practice projects OR Plan-Do-Study-Act Model for quality improvement projects). The model has been

applied to this project through the visual diagram located in Appendix B.

Population of Interest

Direct population of interest (people implementing the project interventions) should be explored.

Describe the population of interest such number of people, mix of licensure, demographics (as relevant),

etc. Indirect population of interest (usually the patient population that will be impacted by the project)

should be explored. Include demographics as relevant to the project.

Describe inclusion and exclusion criteria for the project, including any population that will be

excluded from the project. Criteria examples include: demographics (e.g. sex, age, education level, etc.),

professional role (nurse vs scheduler), primary language, literacy level, location, etc.

Setting

The project setting describes the venue where the project will be implemented. It should consist

of the practice type (e.g., acute care, long term care, private practice). Location of the project site in

general terms (private practice in an affluent area in southern California). Please do not use any names

of the practice site. The size of the practice should be described along with specialty. Does the practice

site utilize EHR? Is the practice private or corporately owned? Include any relevant organizational

information the reader needs to understand the problem (e.g., organizational structures, financial data,

staffing patterns, etc.

Stakeholders

Identify key stakeholders that will be involved with the project. What is the role of these

stakeholders with the project? Discuss permission to conduct project at the project site. (The letter

obtained in DNP Project I should be placed in the appendices at this time). Also discuss if an affiliation

Updated March 2024

agreement is required between the university and the project site. (Affiliation agreement should also be

placed in the appendices at this time)

Interventions

Description of the intervention(s) in sufficient detail that others could reproduce it. Include a

step-by-step account of the interventions needed to meet the project objectives. Include specifics about

the teams involved in the work (e.g., their roles and responsibilities). Describe the resources (physical,

fiscal, human, etc.) required to implement the project. Create a timeline figure for project

implementation, organized by week, and place as an appendix.

Intervention Tools

Describe each tool that will be necessary for carrying out the project interventions. Include the

following information: Who will develop the tool? Will you use an existing/established tool or develop

your own? How will the tool be validated? Was it validated by a previous study, or will you seek expert

consultation through stakeholders and the project team? If using an established tool, do you need to seek

permission to use the tool? From whom?

Intervention Tool Subheading Example

Please use subheadings to organize this section. Each tool should be described separately under a

subheading. It might be helpful to organize your tools by intervention or objective. Make sure each tool

described in this section is included as an Appendix.

Ethics/Human Subjects Protection

Discuss recruitment methods–how will you get participants for your project? What are the

benefits/risks for participants? Is there compensation for participants?

Explain how you will conduct ethical and confidential implementation. Discuss IRB

Process–TUN doesn’t require IRB for QI or EBP projects. Does your project site require IRB or QI

Committee oversight? If so, define that process for the site.

Updated March 2024

Plan for Data Collection

Explore the approach(es) for assessing the impact of the intervention(s). What data collection

procedure is planned? It may be helpful to organize your data collection procedures by process and

outcome evaluation or objectives.

Outcome Evaluation Subheading Example

Please use subheadings to organize this section. Each outcome that requires data collection

should be described separately under a subheading and include description of the tool being used to

collect the data. Make sure each tool described in this section is included as an Appendix.

Participant Confidentiality and Data Protection Subheading

What is the plan for maintaining confidentiality during the data collection process? Include plans

for protecting participant privacy and securing project data.

Plan for Data Analysis

Insert the following sentence for this section: “The plan for data analysis is outlined in Table 1,

with additional details located in Appendix (add your own label).” Copy data from Project Data Analysis

Plan Worksheet into Table 1 below and add the full worksheet as an Appendix.

Table 1

Plan for Data Analysis

Project Objectives

Data collection approach

to achieve objective

Data analysis approach

Data analysis software

and/or statistician use

Objective 1:

Objective 2:

Objectives 3:

Analysis of Results

In this section you will write your data analysis using the needed techniques chosen that is

appropriate for the project design. When developing the analysis section make sure that the data

collected is highly appropriate to your project and is organized in a way that is easily understandable. All

Updated March 2024

appropriate assumptions are checked for each test, and any violations are handled accordingly. You will

want to make certain that your information is a clear representation of what the findings were.

You will want to develop and display your data in graphs, charts, and tables that are appropriate

for the type of information generated. Data visualization is the art of presenting results in a clear,

understandable manner. This allows others to quickly interpret your graphic message and display data

trends. Make sure any graphs and charts are clearly marked and the interpretation of the results is

accurate.

In addition to any charts, etc. include a narrative form of the analysis. The analysis needs to be

conducted in a way that is highly consistent with the project objectives and/or question(s) and served to

address and/or answer them.

Summary and Interpretation of Results

This section will include a discussion of the results of the data analysis. The discussion should be

clearly discussed and accurately interpreted including strengths of the project. In this section include

appropriate inferences as to the meaning of the results and tied back to the project question and/or

objectives. In this include a discussion of the project results and its alignment with previous published

literature making clear connections. Discuss any unexpected findings, costs, and strategic trade-offs.

Limitations

In this section discuss the limitations of the project as it relates to project design, data

recruitment and collection methods, and data analysis. Discuss the limits to the generalizability of the

work, factors that might limit internal validity, and efforts made to minimize limitations. Clearly describe

each in a logical manner as it relates to the specific project.

Conclusion

In this section, you will draw conclusions about your project. Include the following elements:

Usefulness of the work, sustainability, potential for spread in other contexts, implications for practice and

Updated March 2024

for further study, and suggested next steps. The table of contents should automatically populate. Please

see Microsoft Website for any specific table of contents formatting section.

References

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Foronda, C. L., Alfes, C. M., Dev, P., Kleinheksel, A. J., Nelson, D. A., O’Donnell, J. M., &

Samosky, J. T. (2016). Virtually nursing emerging technologies in nursing education.

Nurse Educator, 00(0), 1-4. doi: 10.1097/NNE.00000000000000295.

Hayden, J. (2010). Use of simulation in nursing education: National survey results. Journal of

Nursing Regulation, 1(3), 52–57.

Hayden, J. K., Smiley, R. A., Alexander, M., Kardong-Edgren, S., & Jeffries, P. (2014). The

NCSBN national simulation study: A longitudinal, randomized, control study replacing

clinical hours with simulation in prelicensure nursing education. Journal of Nursing

Regulation, 5(2), S1-S64.

Liaw, S. Y., Wong, L. F., Wai-Chi Chan, S., Yin Ho, J. T., Mordiffi, S. Z., Leng Ang, S. B.,

Goh, P. S., Neo, E., & Angm, K. (2015). Designing and evaluating an interactive

multimedia web-based simulation for developing nurses’ competencies in acute nursing

care: Randomized control trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(1), e5.

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Appendix A

Insert appendices in the order

they appear in the paper