Understand What is a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree
A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the highest degree you can earn in clinical nursing practice. While a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing focuses on conducting research and discovering new knowledge, a DNP focuses on taking what research already tells us and applying it to real-world patient care.
Think of it this way: PhD nurses ask, "What new discoveries can we make?" while DNP nurses ask, "How can we use the evidence from research to improve patient care?" Both types of nurses are essential to advancing the nursing profession and improving patient outcomes.
Your DNP Project: The Culminating Experience
A DNP project is a scholarly, evidence-based project or initiative that addresses a real problem in nursing practice, healthcare systems, or patient outcomes. At the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing, DNP projects are focused on improving patient-centered outcomes.
This project is required to graduate as it’s the culminating experience of the DNP program; it’s your opportunity to integrate leadership, quality improvement, and clinical scholarship to improve patient care.
Why the DNP Project Matters
A DNP project demonstrates how students can apply what they’ve learned throughout the program and translate evidence into practice, creating meaningful and sustainable changes in healthcare.
Unlike a PhD dissertation, which generates new knowledge through original research, a DNP project focuses on applying existing evidence to improve processes that affect care.
Four Main Components of Every DNP Project Are:
- Proposal Development
- Implementation
- Evaluation of the Outcomes
- Dissemination of the Findings
You’ll manage these components with the guidance of faculty advisors and clinical mentors.
What You’ll Gain
Completing a DNP project transforms you from a clinician into an expert practice scholar and change leader in healthcare. You’ll also develop:
- Leadership skills by managing real-world change initiatives
- Systems thinking instead of focusing solely on individual patient care
- Evaluation skills to assess the effectiveness of your intervention ideas
- Confidence in translating evidence into practice and influencing their outcomes at the systems or population level
- Scholarly writing and presentation skills that differ from clinical documentation
Your DNP Project Timeline at CU Anschutz Nursing
Once you finish your core coursework, you’ll begin the project series: four semesters dedicated solely to your project with support from your faculty advisor, clinical mentor, and course instructors.
Semester One: Foundation and Planning
- Topic Selection, preparation, and literature review
- Identify and refine an important clinical problem
- Ensure a good fit with the clinical site you are partnering with
- Conduct a literature review to identify evidence-based approaches in your topic area
Semester Two: Proposal and Launch
- Creating your proposal and beginning implementation
- This semester, you’ll write a formal project proposal with guidance from your faculty
- Navigate the approval process (which may include your healthcare system’s internal review)
- Begin implementing your project
Semester Three
- Implementation Focus: Carrying out your project
- This is when you’ll fully implement and complete your project interventions. Your faculty advisor will provide ongoing support as you navigate real-world challenges
Semester Four
- Evaluation and Dissemination Focus: Analysis and showcasing your work
- In your final semester, you’ll:
- Evaluate your project outcomes
- Analyze your data
- Showcase your work through presentations and scholarly writing
- In your final semester, you’ll:
Throughout all four semesters, your faculty advisor will provide input on coursework, peer review, and offer editing and feedback.
Identifying an important clinical problem
Your selected clinical problem can address any area of nursing, from clinical practice to leadership or systems improvement. The key is identifying a gap in practice or in health systems performance. Topics should be evidence-based and feasible in the practice setting. It should also align with your career goals and interests.
Choosing a Feasible Project
Students should make sure they pick a feasible topic that can be completed within the time given to complete. At CU Anschutz Nursing, students have four semesters to complete their project.
Getting Matched with Your Faculty Advisor
Based on your clinical problem interest, patient population (such as children or adults), and setting (public health, an ER, acute care), you’ll be partnered with a doctorally-prepared CU Anschutz Nursing faculty advisor as you begin your project work. This advisor will guide you through project development and help you prepare for the formal proposal process.
Common Challenges and How to Navigate Them
Finding a Realistic, Measurable Topic: Faculty advisors help you narrow your focus and find ways to accomplish your goals within the four-semester timeframe.
Navigating Approval Processes: Some healthcare systems have their own approval systems. Your advisor will guide you through these requirements.
Data Collection and Analysis Issues: You might encounter situations where you can’t access the data you need or don’t have enough. Your faculty advisor can help you adapt your project while still ensuring it makes significant changes in healthcare.
Balancing Everything: Managing coursework, clinical practice, your project, and personal life is challenging. CU Anschutz Nursing provides support systems to ensure both you and your project succeed.
Remember Your Why: The DNP project is demanding, but it’s also transformative. Keep your eye on the prize and remember you’re working toward a terminal degree and the meaningful impact you’ll make in healthcare.
About the author:
Dr. Traci Snedden is the Assistant Dean of the DNP Program and an Associate Professor of Clinical Teaching at the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing. She is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who has a clinical background in emergency and urgent care and focuses her research on concussions in children and adolescents.
