Connecting the dots: Building bridges within DNP program curriculum

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program of study is designed to provide nurse practitioner students with appropriate building blocks to achieve entry to practice DNP competencies. Most courses are sequenced, such as research courses, in order to increase knowledge integration and application as students progress through the program. The progressive nature of the program of study should be apparent to all. However, students often perceive courses from a silo perspective. That is, they view each course for its own merit and terminate the connection when the course is completed.  On the other hand, faculty may assume that their courses build on previous courses due to the more advance nature of the course rather than through group planning which purposefully connects the dots between courses.

At the University, student silo course behavior became evident during the preparation for the first DNP scheduled comprehensive exam. Students had been very successful within their courses but were exhibiting difficulties discussing the bridges between courses. The problem was especially notable in relation to the application of research concepts from the basic research course to the translational research course. Faculty realized that students were not able to recognize the building-block curricular design and to connect the dots of research application.

To correct this situation, the graduate faculty of the school of nursing developed a process for connecting courses and creating assignments that build on prior competency development. The process began with the research courses and will continue with other threads such as population health, leadership, and organizational systems. A visual model was designed to use in orientation activities and course syllabi.  This presentation will discuss the development of the “connecting the dots” process for the research courses, its utilization in the DNP program and its effectiveness.