Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Janice Long

Abstract

Over 15,000 master’s and doctoral degree students in the United States were denied admission to nursing schools in 2014 because of insufficient nursing faculty. In 2016, over 64,000 undergraduate and graduate students were unable to gain admission to nursing school due to the effects of faculty shortages. This project explored the role of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)-prepared nurse in academic settings using a systematic review of the literature to determine the role of DNP-prepared nurses in academia. Souza’s systematic review model and Melnyk’s levels of evidence were used to guide the search, review, and the selection of scholarly articles published between 2005 to 2019. A chart of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses chart was used to organize and select 14 articles meeting the review criteria and included in the analysis. Four themes emerged from the analysis of literature: role in academia from the dean’s and director’s perspective, DNP role as a teacher, preparation for faculty role, and leaving the faculty role. Confusion over the role of the DNP in academia was also identified as a factor affecting DNPs in academic practice settings; however, DNPprepared nurses have the clinical experience, knowledge, and skills to provide evidence-based teaching and fill the gap in practice needed in academic settings. This project may promote positive social change by raising awareness of the role of the DNP in academia to reduce the faculty shortage.

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