Enhancing Organizational Review and Promoting Sustainability of DNP Student Projects: Implications for Nurse Leaders.

This project aimed to evaluate the DNP projects at an academic medical center, assess the sustainability of DNP final projects, and explore potential opportunities to enhance the organizational review processes. The organization's graduate student review committee reviewed DNP projects implemented at the organization over the last 8 years. The sustainability of projects was less than anticipated.

Implementation of a Standardized Red Blood Cell Transfusion Policy in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), infants frequently receive packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions. Although medically necessary, potential negative long- and short-term outcomes exist following PRBC transfusions in very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants (<1500 g). Synthesis of the literature demonstrates that the use of a restrictive PRBC transfusion policy can lead to a decreased number of transfusions administered with no increase in long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The business of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education: Practical application strategies to apply business concepts in DNP education.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to 1) review updated business competencies in The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education for Advanced-Level Nursing Education (2021) and 2) suggest strategies on how to integrate business and finance concepts encompassing quality, safety, and systems-based practice into DNP educational curricula.

Background: The Institute of Medicine recognizes strong nursing leadership on all system levels from "bedside to boardroom" as critical to redesigning healthcare that is affordable and accessible. The business of healthcare requires the DNP-prepared nurse to be equipped to understand and navigate business principles necessary for sustainable change to improve patient outcomes.

The state of mental health, burnout, mattering and perceived wellness culture in Doctorally prepared nursing faculty with implications for action.

Background: Depression, anxiety, and burnout are an epidemic in the nursing profession. Unlike nurses in clinical settings, little is known about the mental health of doctorally prepared nursing faculty in academic settings, especially when separated by degree type (Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing [PhD] vs. Doctor of Nursing Practice [DNP]) and clinical or tenure track.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice help desk: An innovative approach to developing evidence-based practice competency and providing DNP project support.

Background: The 2021 American Association for Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials for Professional Nursing Education identifies evidence-based practice (EBP) as a core concept meant to be integrated across curricula. Integrating EBP in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs is challenging because of barriers including persistent confusion between research, EBP, and quality improvement; low faculty confidence and competence in their EBP skills and mentoring; increased faculty workload with growing program enrollments; and limited opportunities for students and faculty to practice EBP skills.

Aims: The aim of this initiative was to implement and evaluate an innovative education strategy to build DNP students' and faculty's EBP competency and confidence while mitigating barriers faced by DNP programs.

Advancing Evidence-Based Practice Through Implementation Science: Critical Contributions of Doctor of Nursing Practice- and Doctor of Philosophy-Prepared Nurses.

Purpose: Describe the evolution of implementation science and the roles and potential collaborations of doctorally prepared nurses to advance implementation science in practice settings.

Methods: Review of academic preparation and areas of expertise for doctorally prepared nurses as it relates to implementation science and evidence-based practice (EBP).

Findings: There have been substantial gains in the number of academic programs in healthcare that include content on EBP, resulting in healthcare teams that are motivated to align practices with best evidence.

Social-Emotional Screening Protocol Implementation: A Trauma-Informed Response for Young Children in Child Welfare.

Adverse childhood experiences in young children result in negative outcomes as trauma affects brain development. In child welfare services, early recognition of delayed social-emotional skills and treatment referral is essential in reducing the effects of trauma. This quality improvement pilot project implemented an evidence-based social-emotional screening protocol using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional-2 screening tool for very young children placed in out-of-home care through the county's child welfare system.