Assessment Details
Academic Year: 2020-2021 Level: Graduate
Campus Department: Connell School of Nursing [UG and Grad]
Program Type: Major [UG] / Program [Grad]
Program Name: Nursing DNP (Link)
Description of Data Collection:
A variety of data sources are used to determine whether graduates have achieved program outcomes. These include: (a) feedback from graduating students on annual EBI exit surveys; (b) student evaluations of courses and faculty; (c) first-time pass rates on nurse practitioner certification exams; (d) annual meetings between the graduate associate dean and DNP students; (e) quality of DNP scholarly projects; (f) reports from faculty who teach doctoral courses and/or mentor PhD students; and (g) survey of CSON DNP graduate employers (every 3 years). EBI exit surveys are directly derived from the AACN’s “DNP Essentials”. EBI exit survey questions assess attainment of each of the DNP Essentials as well as student satisfaction with the overall program, curriculum, administration, support, and other aspects of the program. Programs are able to track their EBI survey results over time and in comparison to peer schools. In addition, the graduate program office also assesses (a) retention and on-time completion rates and (b) first-time pass rates on the NCLEX-RN exam for students in the direct entry to DNP (DE-DNP) program.
Review Process:
Data are collected and reviewed by the graduate program office and graduate associate dean and shared with the faculty at the program evaluation day and in the CSON annual report. The data are discussed in detail with the Connell Leadership Group, the DNP Program Committee (DNP) and the program directors (PDs). Recommendations are made and implemented by DNP Program Committee and PDs.
Resulting Program Changes:
Nationally, programs are transitioning to where all new Nurse Practitioners (NP) will be educated at the terminal degree level by 2025. As of last year (2020) students who seek NP education at Boston College are admitted to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Our final few master’s educated NP students will graduate in 2022, alongside the first cohort of non-faculty DNP students. From that point forward, all NP graduates will be educated at the terminal practitioner degree level, the DNP.
Based on the AACN recommendations for post BS to DNP programs (for NP preparation) and the 2018-2020 assessment results from Exit Assessments (which are conducted annually), the number of clinical hours required to complete the degree has increased to 1,000 in the DNP.
The DNP Clinical Project Seminar is a series of three courses that builds upon two foundational courses in evidence-based practice and methods of advanced scholarly inquiry. These seminar classes are conducted by faculty who oversee the DNP Quality Care projects in conjunction with our clinical site partners. These projects, required for completion of the DNP degree, have broadened the students’ understanding of quality care issues within a primary care or acute care setting.
Applicable to all graduate nursing curricula, course additions (2018-present) based on student assessment data include:
• Development of a full course on Health Care Quality Management. Previously, patient quality care management was held as a lecture within a single course. It now stands alone as a full course of its own, due to students’ feedback seeking more in-depth education on this topic.
• Development of a Bridge to Primary Care course to better prepare students for their first day of clinical and beyond, based on student feedback wanting to feel better prepared for their first day of a preceptorship.
• Development of an Examining Diversity in Nursing and Health Care course, based on student and faculty feedback.
Date of Most Recent Program Review:
Nationally, programs are transitioning to where all new Nurse Practitioners (NP) will be educated at the terminal degree level by 2025. As of last year (2020) students who seek NP education at Boston College are admitted to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Our final few master’s educated NP students will graduate in 2022, alongside the first cohort of non-faculty DNP students. From that point forward, all NP graduates will be educated at the terminal practitioner degree level, the DNP.
Based on the AACN recommendations for post BS to DNP programs (for NP preparation) and the 2018-2020 assessment results from Exit Assessments (which are conducted annually), the number of clinical hours required to complete the degree has increased to 1,000 in the DNP.
The DNP Clinical Project Seminar is a series of three courses that builds upon two foundational courses in evidence-based practice and methods of advanced scholarly inquiry. These seminar classes are conducted by faculty who oversee the DNP Quality Care projects in conjunction with our clinical site partners. These projects, required for completion of the DNP degree, have broadened the students’ understanding of quality care issues within a primary care or acute care setting.
Applicable to all graduate nursing curricula, course additions (2018-present) based on student assessment data include:
• Development of a full course on Health Care Quality Management. Previously, patient quality care management was held as a lecture within a single course. It now stands alone as a full course of its own, due to students’ feedback seeking more in-depth education on this topic.
• Development of a Bridge to Primary Care course to better prepare students for their first day of clinical and beyond, based on student feedback wanting to feel better prepared for their first day of a preceptorship.
• Development of an Examining Diversity in Nursing and Health Care course, based on student and faculty feedback.
Attachments (if available)