DNP Program Infrastructure

Enhancing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Infrastructure

Title III and the Department of Education

October 2020 – September 2024

Building upon the master’s programs, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is designed to prepare experts in nursing practice. Upon graduation, learners should be able to translate health related research into health care practice, shape systems of care, use informatics and quality improvement models to improve staff performance, and enhance individual health care needed to serve populations.  In order to achieve these outcomes, the program’s academic infrastructure (faculty, resources, physical space, and partnerships) must be strong and stable. Faculty must be knowledgeable of quality improvement, evidence–based health care, and health informatics. The College must be supportive of obtaining resources and partnerships to facilitate quality improvement projects. In addition, the physical space must encourage exploration, collaboration, and discussion.

The goal of the enhancing program infrastructure project is to strengthen the DNP program’s infrastructure for teaching quality improvement and health informatics. Quality improvement and health informatics are two of eight essentials/competences that must be present in programs conferring the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Therefore, program infrastructure such as faculty knowledge of quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and health informatics; partnerships and linkages; and resources will be enriched. In addition, the physical space will be overhauled in order to facilitate active learning, working teams, and social learning which are skills required for effective quality improvement. DNP students’ hard skill sets for data analytics, project management, and telehealth as well as soft skill sets of self-awareness and interprofessional teamwork will also be improved.