Collaborative DNP Education: Optimizing Resources

Collaborative doctoral programs permit schools of nursing to optimize resources and share core courses, while maintaining different foci according to each school’s distinctiveness. In 2009, a statewide consortium, Educational Consortium for the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (MECDNP), involving all five state university nursing programs, was established. The structural components for consortium management include the Program Management Council (PMC) and the Consortium Governance Council (CGC).  The MECDNP PMC, composed of DNP faculty, is responsible for daily operations and making recommendations to the CGC, composed of the deans of all five schools. Each parent institution is responsible for program delivery and providing equal commitments to faculty workload, program delivery, academic advising, and student services. In addition, annual meetings for DNP faculty and students across the state provide opportunities for networking, scholarship, and review of curricula and other program issues. The milestones accomplished by MECDNP in 2012 include 1) statewide faculty and practice mentor development in cultural competence, 2) faculty, student and practice mentor development in informatics for evaluating practice outcomes: first annual DNP Leadership Institute, 3) sharing course content and expertise across MECDNP institutions (a pilot project toolkit for Population Health), and 4) recruiting and retaining post masters DNP students (early entry DNP curriculum). The model for this state-wide, collaborative education is one that can easily be replicated in other rural areas across the nation.  It would be applicable to any programs needing to conserve scarce resources and avoid duplication of services with maximum benefit for the health of the populations served.  (Supported by HRSA grant D09HP22638)