Graduate Student Resources

Excellence and Innovation in Nursing

College of Nursing

  • Documents

    All Programs

     

    Policies & Procedures


  • Handbooks & Revisions

    MSN Student Handbook

    The MSN Handbook is your guide to the policies and procedures within the College of Nursing.

    Former Handbooks:

    DNP Student Handbook

    The DNP Handbook is your guide to the policies and procedures within the College of Nursing.

    Former Handbooks:

    ETSU-TTU Joint DNP Student Handbook

    The ETSU-TTU Joint DNP Handbook is your guide to the policies and procedures within the College of Nursing.

    • Student Handbook (PDF)

    PhD Student Handbook

    The PhD Handbook is your guide to the policies and procedures within the College of Nursing.

    Former Handbooks:

    • Progression Policy

      The following progression policy applies to all PhD students who were admitted Fall 2018 semester and later.


      1.    Students in graduate nursing programs must meet the requirements of the Graduate School to remain in good standing. An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better must be maintained.


      2.    In addition, a nursing student must achieve a “B” (3.0) or better in every required course in the graduate nursing program. Policies of the Graduate School for progression will apply.


      3.    If a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0, she/he will be placed on academic probation the following semester. If the student does not achieve a 3.0 cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of one probationary semester, the Dean of the Graduate School and the Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Nursing will determine if the student should be dismissed from graduate study or continued on academic probation. No student will be allowed more than two probationary semesters, whether consecutive or cumulative. At the end of a second probationary semester, a student whose cumulative grade point average is still below 3.0 will be dismissed from graduate study.


      4.    Students whose performance results in a GPA so far below 3.0 as to make it mathematically impossible to attain an overall GPA of 3.0 after one semester may be subject to dismissal without a probationary term.


      5.    An incomplete grade (“I”) indicates that the student was passing the course at the end of the semester, but due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, was unable to complete the course work for which the “I” is assigned. The “I” grade cannot be used to allow a student to do additional work to raise a deficient grade or to repeat a course. An “I” grade must be removed no later than one calendar year from the time the grade is awarded. Time extension requests for removal of an “I” grade must be submitted to and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School before the allotted time expires. An “I” grade not removed under the guidelines in the Graduate Catalog will be converted to an “F.”


      6.    Students who wish to change from part-time to full-time status must submit a written request to the College of Nursing’s Office of Student Services. Request will be approved on an individual basis, taking into consideration the student’s academic performance and available clinical slots.


    Student Handbook Policy Revisions

    Social Media Policy

    Social Media Guidelines for Nurses: https://www.ncsbn.org/NCSBN_SocialMedia.pdf

    Social media use is ubiquitous, but inappropriate posts by nurses have resulted in licensure and legal repercussions. NCSBN has developed guidelines for nurses and nursing students for using social media responsibly. Key points of these guidelines are summarized, along with dramatization of potential scenarios of inappropriate social media use.




  • Codes of Conduct

    Student and Faculty Codes of Conduct:

    In consideration of concerns or formal complaints, the established codes of conduct for faculty, students, and staff will be used to guide decision making. The following codes of conduct apply:

    ETSU Employee Conduct

    https://www.etsu.edu/human-resources/relations/procedures.php

    ETSU Student Conduct, including but not limited to:

    In addition the College of Nursing will use the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses and the Code of Ethics: Part II Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct and Interpretive Statements from the National Student Nurses’ Association as guides for determination of appropriate conduct of faculty, administration, and nursing students.

    The following codes of ethics apply:

    National Student Nurses Association Code of Ethics 2017 (pdf)

    Approved by Faculty Council 5-14-13

     

  • Clinical Health Requirements

    All students are responsible for downloading the Policies and Forms sheets and completing the HIPAA and OSHA materials. If you have questions about the requirements, please contact Office of Student Services at 423.439.4591.

    Please note that a Criminal Background Check is now required for all students prior to beginning the clinical experiences. After admission, you will be sent information on how to complete this requirements.

     

    • HIPAA and Confidentiality Overview and Presentation

      All nursing students are required to complete training on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) offered by the ETSU HIPAA Compliance Office. To ensure our students receive the most up-to-date information on how to protect the health information of our patients, outside HIPAA training will not be accepted. ETSU HIPAA Training consists of two parts and should take approximately 1hour to complete.

      • Understand the requirements of the HIPAA Rules and University HIPAA Policies and Procedures
      • Understand how HIPAA affects the student in their clinical experience
      • Understand the importance of safeguarding protected health information in all forms (e.g. paper, spoken and electronic) and how to do so
      • Understand how to store, use and transmit protected health information in a secure manner
      • Understand who to contact for more information and to report potential or known breaches

      Accessing HIPAA Training:

      • To begin the training click here: https://internal.etsutraining.etsu.edu

        Login with your ETSU username (do not include @etsu.edu) and password. East Tennessee State University should be selected from the Organization drop down menu. 

      • Once you are logged in, scroll down to view the “Assigned Training Modules.”  HIPAA Part One and HIPAA Part Two should be listed.  Click “Take Training” under actions when you are ready to begin.  Part One and Part Two do not have to be completed in one sitting, but both parts (including the quizzes) must be completed by the deadline. After you submit the quiz for each module, a certificate of completion will be populated. You must print and upload both certificates of completion to the Clinical Health Requirement Project Concert site. You must achieve a score of 80% to pass. The modules can be repeated as many times as necessary.

      • To reprint your HIPAA certificates of completion login to the training site. Scroll down and under “Available Certifications” you should see the HIPAA Part One and HIPAA Part Two modules listed. On the right side, under the column “Actions” click “View Results.” This will allow you to reprint your completion certificate for each module.

      For more information, please visit:

      http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/index.html

    • Clinical Health Care Requirements

      All information pertaining to Clinical Health Requirements is in the Nursing School 101 D2L site. If you do not see it in your D2L, contact nursing@etsu.edu

      D2L Site



       

    • OSHA Documents, Policy, and Quiz

      The OSHA Training, Bloodborne Pathogens, and Quizzes for these requirements can be found in Project Concert.

       

    • Clinical Rotations Request Process and Requirements for College of Nursing Clinics

      CLINICAL ROTATION REQUEST PROCESS

      To request a clinical rotation within the College of Nursing (CON) Nurse-Led Clinics (Johnson City Community Health Center, Johnson City Downtown Day Center, University Health Center, Hancock County School Based Health Center, or Mountain City Extended Hours Health Center please follow the process and timeline below:

      To be considered for a clinical rotation all requests must be submitted to Amy Byrd via email in the Office of Practice addressed to CHCStudents@etsu.edu, on or after the dates listed below with “Clinical Rotation Request” in the subject line of the email.  These dates will remain the same year to year.

      Spring Semester: October 1

      Summer Semester: March 1

      Fall Semester: May 1

      The following information must be included in your request for consideration:

      • Student Name
      • E# (If ETSU Student)
      • Student Email
      • Phone Number
      • School Attending
      • Program (FNP, DNP, etc.)
      • Expected Graduation Date
      • Which specialty is being requested (Adult, Pediatrics, Women’s Health)
      • Number of Hours Needed
      • Preferred Clinical Site (JCCHC, JCDDC, UHC, HCSBHC, MCEHHC)
      • Date confirmation of acceptance into program needed by

      CON CLINICAL ROTATION REQUIREMENTS

      Upon acceptance by the Office of Practice to complete a clinical rotation within the CON Clinics students must provide the following prior to beginning their clinical rotation:

      1. Criminal Background Check completed within the past 12 months

      2. Proof of Immunizations:
        • Influenza – 1 dose of vaccine annually
        • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) - two doses (dose #1 now, #2 at least 28 days later or positive titer indicating immunity)
        • Hepatitis B – 3 dose series (dose #1 now, #2 in 1 month, #3 approximately 5 months after #2 or positive titer indicating immunity)
        • Tdap or Td Booster – one dose of vaccine within the past 10 years
        • Varicella – 2 dose series 4 weeks apart or positive titer indicating immunity
      3. Evidence of negative TB skin test annually, or chest x-ray if positive

      4. Completion and/or proof of ETSU HIPAA Part One and HIPAA Part Two Training

      5. Completion and/or proof of ETSU Pathogen Training

      6. Completion and/or proof of ETSU Portable Fire Extinguishers Training

      7. Completion and/or proof of ETSU Hazard Communication Standard Training

      8. Completion and/or proof of ETSU Emergency Preparedness Training

      9. Proof of CPR Certification

      10. Completion and proof of Electronic Health Records (EHR) Basic Training (Please contact Amy Byrd in Office of Practice for your specific training requirements)

      IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CON STUDENTS:  Clinical Requirements for the CON Clinics very closely aligns with requirements ETSU CON students had to meet upon acceptance into their program.  Therefore, much of the required documentation may already have been uploaded to Project Concert.  Upon acceptance, your documentation in Project Concert will be reviewed by the Office of Practice, and you will receive notification of any additional documentation or updates needed to your file. 

      Documentation required by both the CON and CON Clinics are listed above in italics.  Documentation listed in bold is additional information required by CON Clinics above and beyond the CON requirements.

    • Student Research and Practice Project Requests with College of Nursing Clinics

      Students who need to implement a project within any of the College of Nursing (CON) Nurse-Led Clinics (Johnson City Community Health Center, Johnson City Downtown Day Center, University Health Center, Hancock County School Based Health Center, or Mountain City Extended Hours Health Center please follow the process and timeline below:

      To have a project considered for implementation all requests must be submitted at least four weeks prior to proposed start date.  Requests should be sent to Amy Byrd via email in the Office of Practice addressed to CHCStudents@etsu.edu with “Student Research & Practice Project Requests” in the subject line of the email.

      The following information must be included in your request for project implementation:

      • Student Name
      • E#
      • Email
      • Phone Number
      • School Attending
      • Program
      • Name of Project
      • Objective
      • Summary of Project
      • Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval required? (If yes, please indicate status of IRB.  Once approved please submit copy of IRB Approval Letter)
      • Implementation Timeframe/Date
      • Will you need Electronic Health Record (EHR) data?

      Please Note:  If your project requires you to be on location within the CON, or if you require access to EHR or other confidential patient information, you may be required to meet certain other requirements not listed above.  These requirements will be discussed with you in further detail upon acceptance of your project.

    • Grant Implementation Requests for College of Nursing Clinics

      Any students/faculty that are writing a grant for submission with the intention of implementing  at one of the College of Nursing CON Clinical sites must submit requests for implementation at least four weeks prior to the grant submission deadline.  Requests should be sent to Amy Byrd via email in the Office of Practice addressed to CHCStudents@etsu.edu with “Grant Implementation Request” in the subject line of the email.

      The following information must be included in your request for grant implementation:

      • Principle Investigator (PI)/Project Director (PD) name
      • Email
      • Phone
      • College of Employment/Title
      • Name of Project
      • Project Timeline
      • Submission Deadline
      • Abstract
      • Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval required?
      • Letter of Support Requested?
  • DNP Project Guidelines

    The Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Guidelines are designed to serve as a roadmap to the requirements, procedures, and typical progressions for completing the DNP Project and Residency/Immersion requirements. The guidelines provide DNP students with the information needed to understand the DNP Project, from possibly the initial stages of committee formation to the completion of the defense.

    Doctor of Nursing Practice Project Guidelines

    • Overview of the DNP Project

      The DNP Project demonstrates synthesis of the student’s work and provides the groundwork for future clinical or executive leadership and scholarship. The DNP Project is conceptualized early in the DNP program with most DNP Project activity occurring in the final four semesters of the DNP program. The DNP Project produces a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from the residency immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by an academic committee. Through the DNP Project, students demonstrate extensive knowledge of a practice area in combination with systems leadership, organizational dynamics, program assessment/evaluation, and practice change. The DNP Project is a significant, evidence-based contribution to nursing practice and existing nursing knowledge. It is expected that the project will be of sufficient scholarly and clinical rigor to lead to a publishable product.  It is also expected that the project will be of substantive use to the agency where the student conducts the project.

      Examples of a DNP Project include a/an:

      • Evidence-based intervention or change initiative
      • Program development and/or evaluation
      • Pilot study
      • Evaluation of a practice model
      • Consultation model
      • Research utilization project
      • Policy initiative
      • Demonstration project
      • Quality improvement initiatives
      • Implementation and evaluation of evidence-based practice guidelines
      • Design and evaluation of a new models of care
      • Implementation of a policy, project, or practice guideline 
      • Integration of a practice change
      • Policy implementation, analysis, revision  

      A shared feature of these examples is the use of research evidence and systems leadership to improve healthcare outcomes, whether at the practice, patient, or health system level. The final product is a practice-related, written product that is innovative and evidence-based, reflecting the application of credible research findings.

      DNP Project Examples

    • Scholarly Products of the DNP Project

      A scholarly paper, presentation, and formal oral defense are required as the final products of the DNP Project.

      The DNP Project scholarly paper may take the form of:

      • Manuscript suitable for publication
      • Paper presentation at a professional conference
      • Other similar high level scholarly product negotiated with the DNP Project Chair and Committee
    • Project NRSE 6800 Series

      NRSE 6800 series is a 4-semester, 12 credit residency/clinical immersion progression designed with outcomes intended to demonstrate student accomplishment of the DNP Essentials. NRSE 6800 series is taken in the final four semesters of the student’s DNP program.

      The Residency/Immersion is comprised of two major components:

      1. The student identifies, develops, implements, and evaluates their DNP Project.

      2. Additional practicum activities are completed, as needed, to demonstrate synthesis of the DNP Essentials.

      For all DNP students, a minimum 500 practice-related residency hours are required, divided proportionately across the four semesters. For BSN-DNP Nurse Practitioner students, 160-180 of these hours are directed toward practice in the specialty role preparation area, to maintain role preparation/ specialty competencies. The residency/immersion DNP Project hours are cumulative per semester after completing the required per semester clinical hours. Documentation of meeting the DNP Essentials and practice hours is required. 

      The DNP residency/immersion includes completion of at least 125 hours to be accumulated by the end of each semester. A minimum of 500 total project hours are completed by the end of the 4th DNP project course.

      The NRSE 6800 Residency faculty member and DNP Project chair have joint responsibility for approving the student’s proposed residency/immersion clinical activities. Approval of proposed residency/ immersion activities is based upon the DNP Project, achievement of the DNP Essentials, and the student’s role preparation/specialty practice area. Additional hours may be required on an individual basis to demonstrate accomplishment of the Essentials, project, or specialty practice area.

      In each of the four semesters of residency/immersion, the following are required:

      • Develop semester oriented clinical residency/practicum goals and objectives as related to the DNP Essentials (See Appendix II DNP Project Goals and Objectives form). The student is responsible to complete the goals and objectives form early and end of semester, obtain signatures of student/chair, then scan and submit to the D2L drop box residency course for that intended semester.

      • Develop and maintain a log of clinical residency practicum hours and clinical hours as appropriate, activities, and accomplishment of the DNP Essentials

      • Incorporate reflective evaluative journaling relative to accomplishing the DNP Essentials

       In addition, the following chart depicts typical development and progression of the DNP Project:  The time lines set forth as target weeks in each residency are steps for progression to help guide student advancement through each residency activity. Individual student progression will vary based on DNP Project topic/project and site agency approval under direction of the DNP Project chair. The student is highly encouraged to stay focused and to meet timelines for each residency activity occurring each semester since residency courses are offered once a year, per the program of study.

      Development and Progression of the Residency and DNP Project

    • Minimum DNP Project Requirements (or Standards) for Progression

      At the completion of each Project course, students must meet the minimum requirements listed in their syllabus in order to progress.

    • Kinds of Activities and Clinical/Practicum Experiences that can be Proposed for Residency/Immersion Hours

      Following is a listing of the kinds of activities that can typically be expected within the NRSE 6800 Residency clinical residency/immersion experiences:

      • Meetings with consultants and content experts to learn about approaches for addressing the DNP Project problem
      • Presentations to or facilitating work groups related to the DNP Project, eg., planning and project development
      • Carrying out the project
      • Poster, podium, workshop, or conference presentations related to the DNP Project
      • Workshop or conference attendance when directly related to the DNP Project
      • DNP Project grant preparation or funding proposals
      • Manuscript preparation and submission
      • Policy work
      • Project-relevant tool development
      • Other creative or residency/immersion activities with direct relationship to the DNP Project as negotiated with the NRSE 6800 Residency faculty member
      • Residency credit for literature review on the DNP Project topic is limited to no more than 10 hours
      • These hours may be divided through the four residency courses with approval of DNP Project chair or given as a total of 10 hours in Residency I.
      • Review courses for Nurse Practitioner national certification exams are limited to no more than 10 hours

      In all cases for NRSE 6800 Residency, the appointed DNP Project chair approves the specific clinical residency/immersion experiences which focus on the student’s DNP Project topic/ project. Residency/immersion activities may be disqualified if not substantively related to the DNP Project, at an appropriate level for doctoral work, or consistent with the DNP Essentials. Residency hours must be documented and submitted. A record of the residency hours is kept in the student’s official academic file and ePortfolio. All students are required to demonstrate accomplishment of the DNP Essentials through their residency experiences. Final determination of satisfactory demonstration of the DNP Essentials is made by the faculty member for the 4th semester NRSE 6800 Residency course.     

      For BSN-DNP NP students, in addition to the above activities, 40 hours of each semester in residency will be directed toward practice in their role preparation area (Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult/Gero Nurse Practitioner, Psych/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) to achieve and maintain specialty competencies. These hours of residency require separate, formal placement in a clinical agency and supervision by an appropriately credentialed CON (DNP) faculty member who serves as a DNP Project committee member (i.e., with appropriate role preparation, certification, and population focus). For NP students in regard to this aspect of residency, all policies from the NP Preceptor Guidelines for clinical practice apply.

      In order for students to progress through residency, satisfactory completion of all prior semester requirements is needed. 

    • Documentation of and Reflection on Accomplishment of the DNP Essentials

      Students are responsible for maintaining a log of clinical practicum/residency hours, activities, and accomplishment of the DNP Essentials. A log detailing hours, description of residency/immersion activity, and reflection on accomplishment of the DNP Essentials is to be maintained for each semester of residency. Certain DNP Project activities will need prior approval (i.e. seminar/conference attendance, manuscript, presentations). See Appendix IV Residency/Practicum non-precepted activity form and guidelines. Students are not permitted to count time spent toward the required minimum DNP Project 500 residency/clinical hours on any of the following activities required in residency: a. actual DNP Project proposal and defense, b. DNP Project proposal and defense power point development and presentation, c. IRB submission procedure, and d. any time toward writing of the DNP Project proposal or DNP Project defense paper and/or revisions or corrections made to the paper suggested by the committee.  At end of each residency semester, the student verifies completion of required residency/practicum hours (See Appendix V, Verification of Practicum/Residency Hours form). Students are encouraged to a copy of all forms for record keeping.

      The student is responsible to complete the following forms with appropriate signature of student/chair as indicated, then scan and submit a copy of the forms and logs to the D2L drop box residency course for the semester: NP clinical logs (log of clinical hours/clients), residency hours log, residency/practicum non-precepted form, and verification of practicum/residency hour’s form. These forms are CON internal forms meaning these forms do not need original signature forms. These forms are to be scanned and submitted to the D2L course drop box with copies kept by student for their record keeping. Demonstration of satisfactory progress is on the DNP Essentials is required for progression through the four semesters of residency.

      In the final semester of residency, the student completes an in-depth synthesis evaluation of their progress and performance on the DNP Essentials, demonstrating full and meaningful completion of the Essentials. 

    • DNP Project Chair and Committee Selection

      In conjunction with the DNP Program Coordinator, Director of Graduate Programs and the DNP Project Residency Workshop/Residency I faculty instructor, students will be assigned a DNP Project Chair during the Fall Semester prior to entering Residency I. The DNP Project Chair will work with the student to manage and facilitate the DNP Project, confirm progression through steps of the DNP Project, and direct completion of the scholarly paper, presentation, and final oral defense.

      Identification of the DNP Project chair is based on the student’s proposed project and the faculty member’s areas of expertise. The DNP Project chair must be a doctorally-prepared member of the CON faculty with member or senior member graduate faculty status. The faculty member who is assigned to serve as DNP Project chair may defer acceptance until the student has submitted a specific area of inquiry or a beginning DNP Project problem. The DNP Project chair has primary responsibility for guiding the student through the DNP Project including developing a plan of study, guiding the student through essential steps including IRB compliance, monitoring the student’s progress, revising the DNP Project plans as needed to incorporate necessary activities, evaluating the project for completion, and organizing and managing the final oral defense.

      After agreement upon the DNP Project topic and no later than the first few weeks through the first semester of residency, the student and DNP Project chair collaboratively identify additional members of the DNP Project committee.

      Two additional committee members are selected:

      1. a committee second reader who is a master’s or doctorally prepared CON faculty member with clinical expertise related to the DNP Project;

      2. committee third reader who is a community member/agency representative in a leadership role with direct knowledge of the student’s DNP Project or expertise in the topic area. It is highly recommended that the third member of the committee be from the organization or clinical site where the student will conduct the project or a content expert in the topic selected for the DNP Project. The student is free to add additional members to the DNP Project Committee. Additional members of the committee will be nonvoting members of the committee.  All members should bring expertise in the clinical nursing phenomena of interest, the methodology used in the project, or other knowledge related to the student’s DNP Project.

      Signatures of all DNP Project Committee members are obtained by the student by using the "Appointment of an Advisory Committee form," (see Appendix VI).  This form is a CON internal form with a scanned copy to be placed in the course D2l drop box and copy kept by the student for record keeping.

      All committee members must hold current IRB certification. The student has the option to change the DNP Project Committee members if necessary by filling out the Application for Change in Advisory Committee form. (See Appendix VII). This form can be found on the ETSU Graduate School home page by accessing the link “Forms”, then “Program Materials”, and choosing “Change of Committee Form”. The student is responsible for obtaining all necessary signatures. Once all signatures obtained, the form is scanned then placed in the course D2L drop box and copy kept by the student for record keeping.

    • Role of the DNP Project Committee

      DNP Project Committee members have important responsibilities at the proposal, project implementation, and final project defense stages. As a result, committee members should be selected carefully.

      At the proposal stage committee members are responsible for assisting with development of the DNP Project proposal, reading and evaluating the proposal, attending the DNP Project proposal defense, providing the student with constructive feedback and specific expectations for project improvement, and evaluating the student’s readiness to proceed with project implementation. The DNP Project chair is responsible for ensuring that the student meets with each committee member at least once before the student’s DNP Project proposal is submitted for review and approval.

      During project implementation committee members are available to the student for consultation and on a negotiated basis, for more intensive or direct involvement with DNP Project implementation. At the final defense stage, committee members are responsible for reading and evaluating the final scholarly project, attending and evaluating the DNP Project presentation, participating as evaluators in the oral defense, and providing constructive feedback and specific expectations should additional DNP Project work be required.

      There will be at least two meetings of the entire committee, one for defense and approval of the project proposal, and one for final presentation, oral defense, and evaluation of the project when it is completed. Committee members have signatory authority for the DNP Project proposal and for final DNP Project completion.  

    • DNP Project Proposal

      The student’s defense of the DNP Project proposal serves as the qualifying examination for the DNP program. The DNP Project proposal defense is intended to determine whether the student is prepared and qualified to begin work on the proposed DNP Project. At their discretion, members of the DNP Project Committee may ask additional fundamental and developmental questions covering the first year of DNP coursework (MSN-DNP) or the first three years of DNP coursework (BSN-DNP).

    • Project Proposal Presentation

      Three Requirements for Eligibility:

      1. Satisfactory completion of one semester of NRSE 6800

      2. DNP Project chair and committee in place

      3. DNP Project chair and committee have indicated conditional approval of the DNP Project

      At the project proposal presentation, the DNP Project committee determines formal approval of the DNP Project proposal. Whether approved or not, the student is responsible for correcting any DNP Project deficiencies identified by the committee. If a student does not receive approval of the DNP Project proposal by the committee, the student must meet again with the DNP Project committee. If a student does not pass the project proposal presentation, the Results of Examination form is submitted to the Graduate School with a notation that the student will need to represent the DNP Project proposal presentation. Students are allowed to repeat the project proposal presentaton once. If the student fails to receive approval for the DNP Project after the second attempt, the student is dismissed from the DNP program. With approval of DNP Project proposal presentation, the student is responsible for completion of form with original signatures from chair and committee members. The chair will document the date successful for the DNP Project proposal presentation and check “Passed” on the form. Once all original signatures are obtained, the student then forwards the original Results of Examination, Report, and/or Culminating Experience form to the DNP Coordinator for final signature. The DNP Coordinator or the student will then forward the form to Office of Student Services who will deliver to the Graduate School for official record keeping. The student may keep a copy for personal records (See Appendix VIII).  Please note: Later in the program when the student successfully passes the DNP Project proposal presentation, a second form utilizing the Results of Examination, Report, and/or Culminating Experience Form is again used to obtain original signatures from the chair and DNP Project committee. The chair will document the date successful for the DNP Project proposeal presentation and check “Passed” on the form and will also document the dates and check “Passed” for the Residency Activities Portfolio and the DNP Project Proposal Presentation section on the form. The form must be completed in all three sections with appropriate dates and marked “Passed” on the form. Once all original signatures are obtained on the completed form, the student then forwards the original Results of Examination, Report, and/or Culminating Experience form to the DNP Coordinator for final signature. The DNP Coordinator or the student will then forward the form to Office of Student Services who will deliver to the Graduate School for official record keeping. The student may keep a copy for personal records.

    • Preparation of the DNP Project Proposal

      The DNP Project proposal should include a needs assessment (if applicable), rationale, and problem statement for the project. The DNP Project proposal should also include an evidence-based review of literature, project objectives, activities/methodology, timetable, necessary resources, and proposed analysis/evaluation plan. The DNP Project proposal is characterized by logical progression of thought, well developed project detail, good literary style, scholarly review of the evidence-based literature, and adherence to practices of scholarly writing. DNP Project Proposal paper guidelines and PowerPoint guidelines are located in Residency I and II syllabus. DNP Project proposals will adhere to the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). This includes obtaining appropriate permissions for the inclusion of others’ published or copyrighted materials in papers, presentations, or publications associated with the DNP Project.

    • DNP Project Proposal Presentation Meeting

      1) The student, chair, and members of the student’s DNP Project committee must attend the project proposal presentation meeting. DNP Project committee members may attend the DNP Project proposal presentation by skype, Zoom, smartphone or another form of information technology allowing the member to connect synchronously. The DNP Project chair is responsible for recording proceedings of the meeting including points made during the meeting, the formal committee vote, and recommendations for revision.

      2) The student should be prepared to discuss the entire proposal.

      3) At completion of the project proposal presentation meeting, the chair will summarize major points raised by the reviewers and call for a vote of approval.

      4) The committee may choose to:

      1. Accept the proposal as is or conditionally accept with minor revisions and no re-review;
      2. Require minor or major revisions and re-review;
      3. Reject the proposal;

      In the case of approval with minor revisions, the student must submit notification to the DNP Project Chair of completed revisions and obtain chair approval. The student, DNP Project chair and committee members will agree on revisions to be made to the DNP Project proposal paper, and PowerPoint with agreeable date/time set by student and all DNP Project committee members.

      In the case of major revisions required or approval denied, the student must develop a significantly revised or a new DNP Project proposal. The DNP Project chair will work with the student on the revision. The DNP Project committee will review the new proposal and all prior steps will be repeated. If the student is unable to satisfactorily defend the DNP Project proposal after two attempts, the student may be dismissed from the program.

      Required Procedures:
      In consultation with the student’s DNP Project committee and chair, the student arranges for the proposal presentation by contacting roser@etsu.edu with information such as student name, title of pressentation, date, and time of presentation so a smart room location can be arranged. The student shall provide all committee members/chair with the above information by completion of the DNP Project Proposal Approval Form.

      The student completes the DNP Project Proposal Approval form, (See Appendix IX) then scans and submits the form to the D2L drop box residency course for that intended semester. The student is responsible for providing a copy of the form to all committee members and for personal record keeping. This can be done by email or hand delivered. Notice of the successful completion of the DNP Project Proposal presentation will be documented on the signed Results of Examination, Report, and/or Culminating Experience form filed with the Graduate School.

    • Institutional Review Board (IRB) and other Required Agency Approvals

      Immediately following successful proposal presentation of the DNP Project, the student must apply for IRB approval to the ETSU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs if needed. Some DNP Projects may qualify as "expedited" or “exempt” status or a Quality Improvement Project. Many DNP Projects are considered as expedited studies. Students should work closely with the DNP Project chair and committee to prepare the IRB application. Additionally, as needed, the student must apply to the official IRB committee(s) at the site(s) of data collection. Approval from agency IRB must be forwarded, along with the completed application form of the cooperating agencies, to the DNP Project chair in a timely manner. No data can be collected until IRB approval has been obtained from both East Tennessee State University and the participating agency.

       

    • Protocol for Communication between the Student and DNP Project Chair

      For the purpose of federal guidelines involving human subjects, the DNP Project chair is considered the Principal Investigator of the DNP Project, and the student is co-investigator. In addition, any external communication or reporting about the DNP Project reflects on the East Tennessee State University and the College of Nursing. Therefore, it is important that the candidate keep the chair informed as follows:

      1. Determine primary and secondary authorship on any manuscripts, presentations, grants, funding proposals, or other formal documents that are products of the DNP Project. Standard accepted principles, roles and responsibilities of primary and secondary authorship are applicable to all authors.

      2. Communicate with the DNP Project chair before submitting:
        1. any grants to fund all or part of DNP Project;
        2. any abstracts for conferences or publications that report on the project or its results/findings;
        3. to the public domain any materials that are an integral component of the DNP Project.
    • DNP Project Final Report/Scholarly Paper

      The final report of the DNP Project is a scholarly paper. The specific format for the paper is negotiated with the DNP Project chair, follows the paper guidelines presented in the Residency course, and may take the form of:

      • Manuscript suitable for publication
      • Paper presentation at a professional conference
      • Other similar high level scholarly product negotiated with the DNP Project Chair and Committee

      Following final revisions, the report is submitted in both electronic and paper formats to the College of Nursing. 

      At a minimum the report should include:

      • Title Page. This includes the name of the project, student name and academic credentials, Name of Academic Institution, and the words, “in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree”; copyright.

      • Abstract. This is no more than 1 page long and inserted as the first page behind the title page. The abstract should contain summary elements from the bulleted items listed below.  The abstract provides an overview of the project. Bullet point format with headings is acceptable and may be used to conserve space in the abstract.

      • Table of Contents

      • Description of the Project. This section includes: background and significance, problem statement, theoretical framework, project description with purpose and objectives, project design, data collected/reviewed, and expected outcomes. Descriptions of technical equipment, instruments, key personnel etc. should be placed in the appendix.

      • Evidence-Based Review of the Literature. This review of the literature is sufficiently comprehensive and updated from the DNP Project proposal to represent the state of the science for the DNP Project.

      • Results/Findings. This section describes the results/findings of the project in terms of the objective data generated through or reviewed in conducting the project.

      • Evaluation. For each objective, include specific details as to how your project was evaluated. What evidence-based measures were applied to evaluate the project? What evidence-based measures/instruments were used for each objective? What method of analysis was used for each objective?

      • Outcomes. These should be written against each project objective and expected outcome. To what extent was the objective/expected outcome achieved? For each objective/expected outcome, discuss the key facilitators that made the objective achievable and the key barriers.

      • Include a section that describes unintended consequences, remembering that unintended consequences can be positive or negative.

      • Recommendations. In this section discuss recommendations that emerge from the DNP Project.  Recommendations should be specific. They may be directed toward the site at which the project was conducted, health policy, practice guidelines, or further project development.  Should the project be continued, reduced, phased out, or expanded? Are any ongoing evaluations needed for phases outside the scope of the DNP project? What are the next steps? Place your recommendation within the framework of applicable strategic planning needs, including who needs to be involved in or responsible for future phases. Then consider recommendations/implications regarding possible application of this project in other settings.
    • Final DNP Project Defense

      The final oral presentation and defense of the DNP Project culminates the DNP program. Presentation and oral defense of the DNP Project serves as the final comprehensive examination for the DNP program. The oral presentation and defense serves to determine that the student has met all requirements of the DNP Project and has completed a project reflective of doctoral level academic and clinical work.

      Criteria for Moving to Final Presentation and Defense:

      1. All academic requirements completed, including
        1. Completion of all residency/immersion clinical hours
        2. Satisfactory demonstration of the DNP Essentials
        3. DNP Project chair agreement that the DNP Project is complete
        4. DNP Project chair agreement that the final scholarly paper is ready for committee review

      Two weeks prior to the final presentation and defense, the student must schedule the defense with a designated person in the CON. Students may contact Jeannie Haehner:  haehner@etsu.edu with information including student name, title of defense, date and time of defense so a smart room location can be arranged. The student shall also inform all committee members/chair, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, and with the above information. A “livestreaming” video of each student’s public defense will be arranged by Jeannie Haehner and the digital medical specialist who will publicize the defense. Approval of the final defense of the DNP Project by the DNP Project committee serves as documentation that the student has met all degree and DNP Project expectations and is eligible for graduation. If a student does not pass the final defense, the student must correct any deficiencies and meet again with the DNP Project committee.

      Students are allowed to repeat the final DNP Project defense once. If the student fails the project defense a second time, the student is dismissed from the DNP program. Students who do not complete the DNP Project or do not pass the final DNP Project defense before completion of DNP program coursework are required to maintain registration in a minimum of two credits of coursework each semester until the final defense of the DNP Project is completed and approved by the DNP Project committee.

    • Preparing the Final Presentation of the DNP Project

      Preparation Steps:

      1. The final draft of the DNP Project scholarly paper is prepared in strict adherence with APA 6th edition guidelines.

      2. The student is responsible for ensuring full preparation for the final presentation and defense, including development of a formal presentation representative of the DNP Project.

      3. The DNP Project chair organizes, chairs, and manages the final oral defense meeting.

      4. The final project presentation is held under the auspices of the student’s DNP Project committee. Members of an audience may question the student if the project is presented at a public forum. Private questioning by DNP Project committee members will take place after the public presentation.

      5. The candidate must present the DNP Project in a manner consistent with a formal academic presentation and satisfy the committee that s/he is qualified to receive the degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice.

      6. Following the student’s presentation and questioning by the committee, the DNP Project committee convenes in private to vote on the student’s satisfactory completion of the DNP Project requirements.

      7. A passing vote for the defense requires consensus of all voting members that the student has passed the defense. In the case of passing with minor revisions, the student must submit the revisions and obtain the DNP Project chair’s final approval within one month of the final defense.

      8. In the event of one or more negative votes, the candidate fails the DNP Project defense. The committee must make recommendations to the chair regarding next steps. The committee may recommend significant revisions of the DNP Project or additional study/coursework in the area of the knowledge deficiency. A timeline will be set. The candidate will be given a second opportunity to successfully complete the project. In the event of two failures, the candidate will be dismissed from the program.

      9. Once the DNP Project committee votes to confer the degree and has received the final revised DNP Project report, the Results of Examination, Report, and/or Culminating Experience form must be signed. The chair is to verify the minimum of 500 DNP Project hours has been completed and passed by placing an "x" in box on form with date when DNP Project defense is approved. The student is responsible for completion of the form with all required information such as dates, all passed/failed activities (residency activities/DNP Project proposal defense/DNP Project defense), and signatures of all committee members. The student will then forward the original form to the DNP Coordinator for signature. The DNP Coordinator will submit the form to the Office of Student Services, to the Graduate School for record keeping, and to the student’s CON file. The student may keep a copy for personal records. The student is responsible for having a graduation check done and for submitting a request to graduate with the Graduate School. The student is responsible for knowing the dates for submission of forms and projects in order to graduate.

      10. The student needs to express their professional appreciation to the hosting individuals, organizations and agencies with which the student has collaborated with during the DNP Project.

      11. The final approved DNP Project scholarly paper is submitted electronically to the student’s ePortfolio and in paper to the Office of Student Services, College of Nursing.

      12. It is customary to give a copy of the DNP Project final scholarly paper to each committee member.

Other Resources

2024.07 v. 85 | Assistant Dean of Student Services