DNP 7600 DNP Project III – Evaluation & Dissemination

Course Overview
DNP 7600 represents the culminating phase of the student's doctoral journey. Students complete final data analysis, interpret outcomes in the context of existing evidence, draw evidence-based conclusions, and develop sustainability plans for their practice improvement projects. The course places strong emphasis on scholarly dissemination: students produce a publication-ready final project report, develop professional-quality dissemination products, and present their findings in a formal DNP scholarly defense. Students also complete a comprehensive program portfolio demonstrating achievement of all DNP Essentials and articulate their contributions to nursing science, practice, and health policy. This course prepares graduates to enter the nursing profession as confident, scholarly leaders capable of driving sustained practice transformation.

Learning Outcomes
•Complete rigorous final statistical and qualitative analysis of DNP project outcome data.
•Interpret project outcomes in the context of existing evidence and theoretical frameworks.
•Write a publication-quality DNP project final report meeting doctoral scholarly standards.
•Develop a sustainability plan to ensure continued impact of the project beyond the program.
•Create professional dissemination products including manuscripts, posters, and executive summaries.
•Deliver a formal scholarly defense of the DNP project before a faculty committee and professional audience.
•Demonstrate achievement of all AACN DNP Essentials through a comprehensive program portfolio.

Weekly Schedule & Assignments
Each week builds sequentially toward course and program competency goals. Complete readings before engaging in assignments.
Final Data Preparation & Analysis Planning Final Analysis Plan
Write a 1-page final analysis plan specifying: all datasets to be analyzed, statistical/analytical methods for each outcome variable, software to be used, and planned tables and figures for the final report. Review the plan with your faculty advisor and obtain approval before proceeding with final analysis.

Quantitative Data Analysis Quantitative Analysis Results Section Draft
Conduct and document all quantitative analyses (descriptive statistics, pre/post comparisons, inferential tests). Present results in a draft Results section (2–3 pages) using APA-formatted tables and figures. Include effect sizes and confidence intervals where applicable. Do not interpret findings in this section — report only.

Qualitative & Process Data Analysis Qualitative/Process Findings Summary
Analyze any qualitative data (interview themes, open-ended survey responses, implementation field notes) using thematic analysis or content analysis. Write a 2-page findings summary presenting major themes with supporting quotes or examples. Integrate process evaluation data to contextualize outcome findings.

Interpreting & Synthesizing Findings Discussion Section Draft
Write a 3-page Discussion section interpreting your project's findings. Address: how results compare to the existing literature, the theoretical framework's explanatory utility, unexpected findings, clinical significance, and limitations of the project design and implementation. Avoid repeating results — focus on meaning and implications.

Conclusions & Practice Implications Conclusions & Recommendations Section
Write the Conclusions section (1–2 pages) of your final report. State your overall conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention, make specific evidence-based practice recommendations for your site and the broader nursing community, and identify future research directions. Connect recommendations explicitly to DNP Essentials.

Sustainability Planning
Develop a 2-page sustainability plan for your DNP project. Identify: what structures and processes will maintain the intervention post-project, responsible roles, resource requirements, monitoring mechanisms, and how outcomes will continue to be evaluated. Use the NHS Sustainability Model or an equivalent framework to organize the plan.

Final Report Compilation
Complete DNP Final Project Report Draft Compile all sections into a complete, polished DNP final project report. The report must include: title page, abstract (250 words), acknowledgments, table of contents, introduction/problem statement, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusions, sustainability plan, references, and appendices. Minimum 25 pages. Submit to your full committee for review.

Faculty Committee Review & Revisions
Receive and carefully review all committee feedback on your draft final report. Write a formal revision response document (2 pages) that lists each piece of committee feedback, your response to it (accepted/revised/declined with rationale), and the specific changes made in the revised manuscript. Submit the revised report and response document together.

Manuscript Preparation for Publication Journal Manuscript Draft
Identify an appropriate peer-reviewed nursing or healthcare journal for publication of your project findings. Review the journal's author guidelines. Adapt your project findings into a manuscript (3,000–5,000 words) formatted per the journal's requirements. Submit the manuscript draft with a 1-page cover letter to your faculty advisor for review.

Professional Poster Development Conference Poster
Design a professional conference-quality poster (standard 48x36 inches) presenting your DNP project. Include: title, background/problem, PICOT, methods, results (with at least one figure or table), conclusions, and practice implications. Use your institution's poster template or a professional design. Submit the final poster as a PDF and be prepared to present it.

Executive Summary & Policy Brief Executive Summary for Organizational Leadership
Write a 1-page executive summary of your DNP project suitable for presentation to hospital or health system leadership. Include: problem, intervention, key outcomes with data, practice implications, and recommendations. Separately, write a 2-page policy brief if your project has policy implications, structured for a legislative or regulatory audience.

Defense Preparation
Defense Presentation Draft
Develop a 30-slide DNP scholarly defense presentation (25–30 minutes). Slides must cover: background and significance, PICOT, literature synthesis, conceptual framework, methodology, results, discussion, limitations, conclusions, sustainability, and dissemination plan. Submit to your faculty advisor for review. Practice the full presentation at least twice.

Program Portfolio Compilation DNP Program Portfolio
Compile a comprehensive DNP Program Portfolio demonstrating achievement of all AACN 2021 DNP Essentials (Domains 1–10). For each domain, include 2–3 exemplar artifacts (papers, projects, presentations, clinical reflections) with a 150-word reflective narrative explaining how each artifact demonstrates competency. Submit as a single organized digital portfolio.

DNP Scholarly Defense DNP Project Scholarly Defense (Final)
Deliver your formal DNP scholarly defense before your faculty committee and invited guests. Following the presentation, respond to committee questions for 15–20 minutes. Receive committee determination (pass, pass with revisions, or defer). If revisions are required, complete and resubmit within the timeframe specified by your committee chair.

Final Submissions & Program Completion
Complete all final revisions approved by the committee. Submit the final, committee-approved DNP project report to the institutional repository and/or ProQuest. Submit your manuscript to the target journal. Archive all project data per IRB requirements. Complete program completion paperwork with the DNP program director. Write a 1-page professional reflection on your doctoral journey.