The school of nursing has a baccalaureate (BSN) program with both traditional and accelerated tracks as well as a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program. The nursing curriculum described here is based on a Collaborative Partnership conceptual framework. Collaborative partnership is a philosophical stance encompassing values, beliefs and attitudes that influence shared power and decision-making in all person-to-person encounters (Gottlieb & Feeley, 2006). Students at both the baccalaureate and doctoral levels partner with others to effect change and produce positive outcomes through the sharing of knowledge, teamwork, coordination of care and resources. The professional nurse prepared at the baccalaureate level: 1) collaborates with others to identify and answer questions that arise from the practice of nursing and related issues; and 2) is an informed consumer of research, able to appraise original research reports, evidence summaries, and clinical practice guidelines for specific practice implications (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2008). The professional nurse prepared at the doctoral level: 1) functions as a collaborative member of research teams; 2) evaluates the clinical usefulness of research findings; 3) assumes a leadership role in promoting evidence-based practice; and 4) leads practice change by the ability to develop and test methods to quantify outcomes of care, develop clinical applications of primary research, and design evidence-based practice programs for populations (AACN, 2006).
There are two foundational courses in the BSN curriculum. In Introduction to Nursing Science, students are introduced to the basic building blocks of evidence-based practice, including types of evidence and methods for searching for evidence. Critical appraisal of primary qualitative and quantitative research reports for quality and practice implications in the context of evidence-based practice are facilitated through the use of a guided process of critical appraisal. In the second course, Research Translation, students explore and appraise published systematic reviews and practice guidelines on a clinical question of their own choosing. In addition to these foundational courses, EBP concepts are threaded throughout all the other BSN courses.
There are three foundational courses in the DNP program. Research Methods for Evidence-based Practice includes information related to research methodologies and the translation of research in evidence-based practice. The focus is on skill development in critiquing and synthesizing all levels of research evidence to address specific advanced nursing practice questions or problems. Evidence-based Practice I focuses on formulation of clinical questions relevant to advanced practice and systematic search for the highest level of evidence with emphasis on critical appraisal, analysis, and synthesis of scientific evidence to improve patient outcomes. Students begin work on their DNP capstone project proposal in this course. Evidence-based Practice II focuses on quality improvement methodologies to promote timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and client-centered care with an emphasis on design and implementation of processes to evaluate outcomes. These three courses are further supported by theory, epidemiology, and statistical interpretation courses. EBP concepts are also threaded throughout all the other DNP courses. The DNP capstone project is the culmination of the work done in all of the DNP courses.
Scaffolding the knowledge and skills throughout the nursing curriculum beginning in the baccalaureate program and continuing through the DNP provides a somewhat seamless trajectory for students, especially those who complete both their BSN and their DNP in the same program. There may be some challenges for students who complete their BSN and their DNP in different nursing programs, and it is up to both the student and the program to find ways to facilitate the transfer of knowledge.
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