From Controversy to Coherence: Implementing a DNP/PhD Partnership Model to Improve Research and Evidence-Based Practice

NeSmith, Elizabeth

Monday, 31 October 2011: 3:15 PM

Elizabeth NeSmith, PhD, MSN, RN
Department of Physiological and Technological Nursing, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA
Regina Medeiros, DNP, MHSA, RN
Department of Surgery, Section of Trauma/Critical Care, MCG Health Inc, Augusta, GA

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe the elements of, and implementation strategies for, the DNP/PhD partnership model.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to identify methods by which the DNP/PhD partnership model can facilitate research and evidence-based practice.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) role was developed in part to partner with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) nurse researchers to inform and implement new discoveries in nursing science. The advent of the DNP program was met with much public controversy, including questions surrounding how the role would be implemented in the hospital setting. The concept has been very popular among nurses however, and has seen exponential growth with no concomitant development of models to guide role implementation. As of 2009, there were 5,165 students enrolled in 120 DNP programs across the nation and there have been 660 DNP graduates. This is a large enough cohort to address published controversies and necessitate dissemination of exemplar partnership models to guide implementation of the role in the hospital setting.

The purpose of this session is to describe one of the first DNP/PhD research and leadership collaboration models; how this formal partnership is being used to inform and improve evidence-based practice in the hospital setting; and how this model can be applied to improve outcomes in other patient care settings. Presenters will briefly orient attendees to the development of DNP programs and intended roles for DNP graduates. Presenters will follow with a description of how their DNP/PhD nurse team created an effective partnership to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications. They will describe the components of the partnership, including the development of a translational research interest group known as the Trauma Interdisciplinary Group for Research (TIGR), creation and implementation of research, practice, and education-based proposals and grant applications, and the integration of current DNP and PhD student projects. Presenters will conclude the session with suggestions for how the model can be applied in other settings to improve patient care outcomes.

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