A final DNP project is not a dissertation, but could be a practice portfolio showing the impact or outcomes due to practice and documenting the final practice synthesis and scholarship. A student working closely with advanced clinicians, nurse executives, informaticists or health policy makers have an opportunity to develop expertise in nursing practice. Just as for Ph.D.-level students, DNP students should have access to strong research environments. This includes access to practicing faculty members who focus on continuous improvement and allow for student inquiry.
Another idea is a practice change initiative represented by a pilot study, a program evaluation or a quality improvement project. It could also be an evaluation of a new practice model, a consulting project or a critical review of integrated literature. Students should take advantage of the collaborative infrastructure that provides access to relevant data, individuals, families, groups and communities. One project idea could be to do an evaluation of how to make improvements within the school's infrastructure to improve the learning experience.
A student could submit a manuscript for publication that focuses on individual care and helping families cope with a particular disease. Other ideas include a systematic review, research utilization project, practice topic dissemination or substantive involvement in a larger endeavor. A physical assessment of a patient includes signs, symptoms, pathophysiologic changes and psychosocial variations of the patient and how they relate to the family, the individual and the community. A manuscript should incorporate cultural and developmental needs of the patient. The focus of the manuscript could be on mental health, women's health or pediatrics.
No matter what type of project a student chooses, he should focus on scholarly experience involving the use of evidence to improve either practice or patient outcomes. Each project serves as a foundation for future scholarly practice of that student or future student.