DNP PROJECT PROPOSAL

GUIDELINES
2020-21

NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY

1335 International Mall, MSC 3185
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Table of Contents
Overview of the DNP Project Process .............................................................................................. 1
Summer Semester Year 1 – NURS 686 DNP Project I (2 credits).................................................... 1
Fall Semester Year 2 – NURS 687 DNP Project II (2 credits) .......................................................... 2
Spring Semester Year 2 – NURS 688 DNP Project III (2 credits) ..................................................... 2
NURS 699 Clinical Scholarly Project (variable credit)................................................................ 3
Choosing a Topic for the DNP Project .............................................................................................. 4
Ideas for DNP Project Topics ........................................................................................................ 4
What does NOT qualify for a DNP project .................................................................................... 5
DNP Degree Requirements .............................................................................................................. 6
DNP Comprehensive Exam – Developing the DNP Project Proposal ................................................. 7
Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 7
Proposal Defense PowerPoint ...................................................................................................... 7
Literature Review ...................................................................................................................... 13
Oral Defense of DNP Project Proposal........................................................................................ 14
DNP Project IRB Application Guidelines ......................................................................................... 15
Brief Overview of the IRB Application Process ........................................................................... 15
IRB Applications Submitted by NMSU Students ......................................................................... 16
Types of Review ......................................................................................................................... 16
Completing the IRB Application ................................................................................................. 18
After the IRB Application is Approved ........................................................................................ 18

Updated May 29, 2020

New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Overview of the DNP Project Process

The NMSU School of Nursing (SON) Graduate Faculty developed these guidelines to align with the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (2006), a
follow up white paper titled The Doctor of Nursing Practice: Current Issues and Clarifying Recommendations (2015),
standards from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), and other peer-reviewed
guidelines. Please refer to the Student Handbook for DNP Program and Post Graduate APRN Certificate for specific
information of DNP project policies, selection of the DNP project committee, and criteria for passing the
comprehensive examination and final project defense.
DNP students will enroll in the following three courses as they develop, execute and disseminate their
project.
Summer Semester Year 1 NURS 686 DNP Project I (2 credits)
Course Description
This is the first in a three-course series that culminates in the implementation, evaluation and dissemination
of scholarly work that demonstrates the student’s synthesis of the Essentials of Doctoral Education for
Advanced Practice Nursing (i.e., the DNP Essentials). The project must use evidence to improve clinical
practice, healthcare delivery and/or patient outcomes. Upon completion of this course, students will
identify a problem in healthcare, explore the existing evidence and develop a preliminary proposal for a
project that demonstrates synthesis of DNP coursework and lays the groundwork for future scholarship.
Course Objectives
1. Identify a significant clinical problem that could be the basis for a DNP project that improves clinical
practice, healthcare delivery and/or patient outcomes.
2. Systematically review the existing evidence pertaining to selected clinical problem, generating a
written review of the existing evidence.
3. Within the context of the chosen clinical problem, develop an organizational assessment that includes
identification of stakeholders, relevant institutional polices, as well as a needs assessment based on
available institutional data.
4. Identify a theoretical framework or model that will guide the development of a solution or intervention
and/or the execution of the DNP project.
5. Produce a draft of the DNP project purpose statement with one to three project objectives.

In the Spring semester prior to NURS 686, the Associate Director for Graduate Programs will meet with
students on an individual basis to discuss possible topic ideas. Students should have explored clinical
problems in NURS 651 Quality Improvement for Nurse Practitioners and NURS 653 Evidence-Based Practice
for Nurse Practitioners. Students should be able to articulate one or more clinical problems in their clinical
specialty area (FNP or PMHNP) prior to meeting with the Associate Director. The Associate Director may
work with the student on project topic development so that they are prepared to start NURS 686 in
summer semester. After the student meetings, the SON Graduate Faculty will meet to assign chairs based
on the alignment faculty expertise with the focus of the student’s topic.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Fall Semester Year 2 NURS 687 DNP Project II (2 credits)

Course Description
This is the second in a three-course series that culminates in the implementation, evaluation and
dissemination of scholarly work that demonstrates the student’s synthesis of the Essentials of Doctoral
Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (i.e., the DNP Essentials). The project must use evidence to
improve clinical practice, healthcare delivery and/or patient outcomes. Upon completion of this course,
students will have designed and defended a plan for implementation and evaluation of the proposed
project, submitted an IRB application, and initiated the project upon obtaining IRB approval.
Course Objectives
1. Within the context of the chosen clinical problem, identify an evidence-based, system-level change or
intervention that has the potential to address the problem.
2. Develop a detailed implementation plan to guide the execution of the proposed DNP project.
3. Develop a detailed evaluation plan that includes the identification of outcome measures that will allow
the student to determine whether or not the project objectives were met.
4. Identify the DNP Essentials that are represented in the project and describe how the project addresses
the requirement.
5. Defend the DNP project proposal in front of the student’s project committee.
6. After successfully defending the DNP project proposal, submit an Institutional Review Board (IRB)
application for the proposed project.
7. Initiate the approved DNP project implementation plan.

Spring Semester Year 2 NURS 688 DNP Project III (2 credits)

Course Description
This is the third in a three-course series that culminates in the implementation, evaluation and
dissemination of scholarly work that demonstrates the student’s synthesis of the Essentials of Doctoral
Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (i.e., the DNP Essentials). The project must use evidence to
improve clinical practice, healthcare delivery and/or patient outcomes. Upon completion of this semester,
students will demonstrate the ability to execute the proposed project plan. If additional time is needed to
complete the proposed DNP project, the student must register for NURS 699 in subsequent semesters until
the project outcomes are successfully defended in front of the project committee.
Course Objectives
1. Execute the approved DNP project implementation and evaluation plan.
2. Develop a plan for local, regional and/or national dissemination of the DNP project outcomes as
scholarly work.
3. Identify the DNP Essentials that are represented in the project and describe how the project addressed
the requirement.
4. Defend the DNP project outcomes in front of the student’s project committee and a public audience.
5. Generate a comprehensive written paper (i.e., professional manuscript, white paper, or technical
report) that outlines the DNP project problem statement, objectives, review of evidence,
implementation, and outcomes.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

NURS 699 Clinical Scholarly Project (variable credit)

Students who have not completed their projects by the end of NURS 688 will be required to register in
NURS 699 for a minimum of 1 credit until the project is finished (i.e., passed the final defense and the final
manuscript is approved by the committee).

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Choosing a Topic for the DNP Project

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project is focused on creating meaningful changes to professional
practice and/or health outcomes in a selected system or population. The project is considered practice
scholarship that is clinically relevant and has a tangible, measurable impact. The majority of DNP Projects
fall under the categories of evidence-based practice, quality improvement, healthcare delivery innovation,
or health policy. DNP projects focus on health systems and/or population health outcomes. In most cases,
the student identifies a clinical problem or practice gap that can be impacted by the DNP project.
Please keep the following in mind when researching a topic for your DNP project:
• BSN-DNP students must select a topic that is relevant to their clinical specialty track (FNP or PMHNP).
• MSN-DNP students may choose a topic that is relevant to their current certification or a related area of
interest.
• The DNP Project is not research and does not use a dissertation format.
The DNP project must include:
• Evidence that the problem or need addressed by the project is actual rather than theoretical and is
applicable to the intended project site.
• A proposed intervention or solution that addresses the problem or need.
• Planning, implementation, and evaluation components, including an evaluation plan with measured
outcomes used to determine whether or not the problem or need was addressed.
• A sustainability plan that includes the financial, administrative, policy or specific systems changes that
ensure the new practices will continue after the project is finished.
The NMSU DNP program uses the following text as a guide for developing and implementing the DNP
Project: Moran, K., Burson, R., & Conrad, D. (2017). The Doctor of Nursing Practice scholarly project: a
framework for success. Burlington, MA: Jone & Bartlett Learning.
Ideas for DNP Project Topics
This list, developed by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF) reflects a range of
ideas for DNP projects:
• Translate research into practice (evidence-based practice)
• Quality improvement (care processes, patient outcomes)
• Implement and evaluate evidence-based practice guidelines
• Policy analysis (i.e., develop or revise, implement, and evaluate policy)
• Design and use databases to retrieve information for decision making, planning, evaluation 

• Conduct financial analyses to compare care models and potential cost savings, etc. 

• Implement and evaluate innovative uses of technology to enhance/evaluate care 

• Design and evaluate new models of care 

• Design and evaluate programs 

• Provide leadership of interprofessional and or intra-professional collaborative projects to implement
policy, evaluate care models, transitions, etc. 

• Collaborate on legislative change using evidence 

• Work with lay and/or professional coalitions to develop, implement or evaluate health programs (e.g.,
health promotion and disease prevention programs for vulnerable patients, groups or communities)

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

National organizations have resources that can also provide project ideas that could be implemented in a
local healthcare setting:
• Healthy People 2020: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): https://www.ahrq.gov
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement: http://www.ihi.org
What does NOT qualify for a DNP project
Example: Determining the rate and severity of depression among adolescents in a school-based health clinic.
This is a research study. DNP projects must include a translation of evidence into practice with an
implementation and evaluation component.
Example: A qualitative study of patient’s perceptions of the quality of mental health care in an integrated
behavioral health clinic.
This is a research study. The DNP program does not provide the skills required for qualitative research designs.
Example: An integrated review of psychotherapy approaches for individuals with opioid used disorder.
Although all DNP projects involve a thorough review of the research literature, integrated or systematic
reviews alone do not provide opportunities for students to develop and integrate scholarship into their
practice. DNP projects must demonstrate implementation in the chosen area of practice.
Example: Conducting a workshop on novel therapies for patients with left ventricular assist devices.
Providing an in-service or training is not considered doctoral-level work, therefore educational interventions
alone are generally insufficient as DNP Projects. There is ample evidence in the literature that shows in-
services alone are not effective in bringing about a change in practice. DNP projects must demonstrate
implementation of a system level change or a change that affects population health outcomes.
Example: Use of simulation to increase critical thinking skills among BSN students.
DNP projects must provide a direct link to patient or system level outcomes. In general, a purely
educational topic does not qualify as DNP projects. The AACN and NONPF do not consider education as an
advanced practice specialty in nursing. DNP projects must demonstrate implementation of a healthcare
system level change or a change that affects population health outcomes.
Example: An assessment of unmet care needs of advanced cancer patients and their informal caregivers
All DNP students will conduct an organizational assessment as they develop their DNP project proposal and
a needs assessment may be a component of this. However, on its own a needs assessment is not an
appropriate topic for a DNP project. DNP projects must demonstrate implementation of a healthcare
system level change or a change that affects population health outcomes.
Example: Development of a policy and procedure for triaging stroke patients in an emergency department
Although development of a policy and procedure may be a component of a DNP project, the student must
implement and evaluate the effects of the new policy and procedure. A better project topic would be the
development, implementation and evaluation of an evidence-based clinical practice guideline since there
are national guidelines for the development and evaluation of CPGs (e.g., the AGREE II Tool).
Example: Increasing Registered Nurse retention using mentors in critical care services
This topic is not applicable to advanced practice nursing and is not relevant to FNP or PMHNP scope of practice.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

DNP Degree Requirements

In addition to completion of the required coursework and clinical practicum experiences, additional NMSU
Graduate School requirements for the DNP degree are as follows:
1. The comprehensive exam (written and oral components with passing marks)
2. Completion of the DNP project (with passing marks)

The NMSU School of Nursing has defined the comprehensive exam as:
1. 2 page executive summary of the project proposal (written component);
2. Proposal defense PowerPoint (or equivalent) file (written component);
3. Literature review in narrative format that identifies the rationale for conducting the project,
including choice of proposed intervention, program, or other solution to the clinical problem
identified (written component);
4. Oral defense of the proposal in front of the student’s DNP project committee (oral component).

Note: The student must submit a signed Site Confirmation Letter to their project chair prior to
defending their proposal (template posted in Canvas). If they cannot obtain approval from their chosen
site, they may have to change sites or project topics.

The NMSU School of Nursing has defined the DNP project as:
1. Institutional Review Board (IRB) application (cannot be submitted until after project proposal is
approved by committee);
2. Execution of the approved project as outlined in the DNP project proposal defense;
3. Final DNP project defense PowerPoint presentation file (or equivalent) or professional poster that
summarizes the project components, including outcomes and conclusions (format to be determined
by committee);
4. Oral defense of the project outcomes and conclusions;
5. A scholarly manuscript that summarizes the project components, including outcomes and
conclusions.

Specific requirements and guidelines for the comprehensive exam and DNP project are included in this
document. The DNP project committee will use a rubric to evaluate the DNP project oral proposal defense
(Appendix A) and final defense (Appendix B).

All templates, forms and other resources for the DNP project can be found in the SON Graduate Program
Information course under ‘Modules’. These documents will also be available in the Canvas course for NURS
686, NURS 687 and NURS 688.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

DNP Comprehensive Exam – Developing the DNP Project Proposal

The components of the DNP comprehensive exam will used by your DNP project chair and committee to
ensure that your project meets the requirements of the DNP project as defined above and that you are
ready to submit your project proposal to the IRB. The DNP project proposal (PowerPoint + oral
presentation/defense) should contain enough information for committee members to make a judgement
about the scope of the project, the significance of the problem, the feasibility of the proposed project and
whether the project plan is complete. Research language should be avoided. The student should expect to
make changes to the planned project after committee review and feedback.
Executive Summary
The executive summary is a 2-page summary of your proposed project that will help your committee
understand the overall focus of your proposal. The executive summary will also be used to communicate
information about your proposal to your stakeholders. Note that in the business world, an executive
summary is used to summarize a much longer report or white paper. In this case, it provides a preview of
what you are planning to do in a format that your chair and committee members can respond to.
To write the executive summary, start by creating an outline using the headings for the Proposal Defense
PowerPoint (problem statement, project goal and objectives, background and project plan). Although you
should have a fully fleshed out problem statement and a clear goal/objective(s), keep the background and
project plan fairly brief for now. Once you have written a draft of these sections, remove the headers and
revise the document so that the narrative has a clear flow from one section to the next. Be sure to include
language such as “The project objective is to….” to keep your reader oriented.
Other tips include:
• Write to your audience (you may need to adapt your executive summary for your stakeholders and
the individuals who will be granting permission for you to conduct the project).
• The problem statement can serve as an introduction – this should be a compelling statement that
capture’s the reader’s attention.
• Be clear, concise and persuasive.
• Demonstrate your understanding of the problem and setting as well as your command of the
available evidence (i.e., research literature, national guidelines, etc).
Proposal Defense PowerPoint
The DNP project proposal (selection of topic and development of the components outlined below) is
developed in partnership with your DNP project chair and committee.
Although the proposal defense PowerPoint file (or equivalent presentation file) will be submitted as one of
the written components for the comprehensive exam, your committee chair may require that you develop
the components of the proposal in a Word file to facilitate faculty feedback.
DNP students should use the approved PowerPoint template (posted in the SON Graduate Canvas course
and in NURS 686), which has the sections outlined below. Students may customize or individualize the
template.
Although each DNP project proposal will have unique content, all proposals will have the following
elements of content to ensure the School of Nursing DNP program expectations and Graduate School
criteria for a DNP Project are met. The DNP project proposal must have the following components:

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

1. Title of project
The title of your project should capture the purpose of your project and the setting and/or patient population.
Examples:
"Converging cultures: partnering in affirmative and inclusive healthcare for members of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender community"
“The development and integration of a downtime policy/procedure for electronic medical/medication
administration record in a rural mental health hospital”
“Implementation of a brief childhood trauma screening tool and trauma-informed care staff
development on adult inpatient psychiatric units”
“Integrating preventative dental health in a pediatric oncology center”
2. Problem Statement
Develop a problem statement that is specific to the proposed project site: Describe the broader context
for the problem. Is this a national problem? Is there a government edict to change? Is this a problem that
is caused by a change in population health or is it necessary to change some practice in order to achieve
the Triple Aim or to meet new JCAHO standards? Describe the specific problem at your proposed site or
practice arena and the scope of that problem. The problem statement in the executive summary is
generally 1-2 paragraphs and in the PowerPoint would be one slide with several bulleted points.
Hint: Statements and evidence must be supported with appropriate citations.
Hint: When describing the problem, start from a broad context and then narrow it down to a description
of the local context that will be addressed by the proposed project.
3. Project Goal and Objective(s)
Develop a statement that describes the overarching goal of the project. Develop 1-3 project objectives
that are specific and measurable.
Hint: Avoid research language such as “research questions”, “hypotheses”, and “study”.
For the DNP project, the goal may not be something that you can easily measure or achieve within the
timeframe of the project. However, based on the evidence, your program/protocol/intervention should
have a high likelihood of achieving this goal, if implemented correctly. Examples of DNP project goals:
• To decrease errors related to miscommunications among providers during 'hand offs'.
• To improve self-management of hypertension in African American women by tailoring the delivery of
nonpharmacological life style modifications.
• To decrease suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and other depressive symptoms among
through routine mental health screening of adolesncents in the emergency room setting.
The DNP project objective(s) is/are going to be much more concrete and should provide the reader with
a pretty clear idea of what you are going to do. If you are developing an evidenced-based protocol or
program, you could have a development objective. If you are implementing an evidenced-based protocol
or program, then you could have an implementation objective. Everyone should have an evaluation
objective, because you must evaluate how well your intervention worked.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

For example:
• Develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a referral tool that allows primary care
providers to quickly identify appropriate evidence-based self-management interventions that address
nonpharmacological life style modifications to reduce HTN.
• Evaluate the perceived usability and ease of use of a diabetes self-management referral tool among
providers in a primary care clinic setting.
• Increase the requisite knowledge of and capacity to effectively manage work place aggression among
nurses assigned to a medical surgical nursing unit at a military medical hospital.
• Develop and implement a cultural competence education program to increase registered nurses and
patient care technicians’ knowledge, awareness, and skills related to culturally competent care of
lesbian, gay, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) patients as measured by the Sexual Orientation
Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS) survey.
If you are stuck, try writing out: The objective of my project is to...... (fill in the blank).
One rule of thumb is that you should have at least one measure for each objective. For development and
implementation objectives you could have one or more process measures (see page 13 for more info)
such as percent compliance with the new protocol.
Continue thinking of creative ways to evaluate the effects of your project - this all comes from your
organizational assessment. Remember, you don't have to prove that your intervention is effective - this
should already have been done in the research that you're citing as evidence. You are looking for
measures that will show you (and others) that your project worked in your setting with your healthcare
providers and your patients.
4. Background
The background section of the proposal should clearly and succinctly describe the practice problem or
need for change (this is an elaboration of your problem statement), as well as the rationale for the
chosen intervention/proposed system change/solution.
a. Literature Review
This component will consist of a 10 to 20-page narrative (submitted to your chair as a separate
document) and a bulleted list of key points for the DNP proposal defense PowerPoint. Your chair may
require a table of evidence (please use the NMSU SON Table of Evidence template).
Hint: Statements and evidence presented must be supported with appropriate citations.
For more information about developing the required 10 to 20-page written review of the literature
for the DNP project, please refer to page 13-14 of this document.
b. Organizational Assessment (including key stakeholders)
Use locally obtained data sources (i.e., data from organizational databases that the organization uses
for reporting, queries from the electronic health record, informal interviews with staff and/or
leaders, etc) to support the need for a change/intervention. These data should help you identify the
gap between where the organization is now and the desired state.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Stakeholder meetings/interviews with executives, professional groups, and/or others, to discuss the
project and gather stakeholder views, guidance, and feedback are required in most cases. An
organizational assessment may also include a review of institutional policies.
For patient-level data, the organizational assessment will provide you with the context of the local
practice organization (e.g., how many seen with this problem per year, how many patients in your
clinic present with this problem each month or, average HgA1C rate of diabetic patients over 65
years, etc).
You may have to conduct a SWOT analysis or needs assessment in order to fully characterize the
problem.
Students must submit a signed letter from the organization stating that they have permission to
conduct the project to their project chair. The oral proposal defense may not proceed without this
letter.
Note: Data sources used for the organizational assessment can be used as outcome measures for the
project.
c. Theoretical Framework
Provide a description of the theory or theoretical/conceptual framework and examples from the
literature where this theory has been used in similar health care projects. Explain why it is appropriate
for this project and how you will be using the theory or theoretical/conceptual framework.
A theory or theoretical/conceptual framework can used in the DNP project to guide the selection of your
intervention and its implementation. The theory might guide the evaluation plan, helping you identify
appropriate outcomes to be measured in the project. In general, the theory will not help you define the
clinical problem. The chosen theory or framework may apply to the entire project or just a component.
Change theories are useful for planning practice change. An intervention designed to promote a
health behavior change could be supported by the Health Belief Model, Erikson’s Modeling/Role-
Modeling or Orem’s Self Care Theory. Please discuss your choice of theory/framework with your DNP
project chair.
Examples of theoretical/conceptual frameworks that have been used in DNP projects:
• Health promotion model (Pender)
• Health belief model (US Public Health Service)
• Chronic care model (Wagner)
• Self care theory (Orem)
• Theory of planned behavior (Ajzen)
• Social cognitive theory (Bandura)
• Diffusion of innovations (Rogers)
• Modeling/role-modeling (Erikson)
• Internal Family Systems
• Change Theory of Nursing (Lewin)
• Lippitt’s Pases of Chage (an extension of Lewin’s theory)
• Normalization Process Theory (NPT)

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

5. Project Plan
a. Proposed Intervention or Change
Describe the proposed intervention/system change/other proposed solution in more depth (who,
what, when, how many times, and where). If the plan includes the implementation of an already-
developed, evidence-based program, protocol or guidelines, describe that here (with citations).
Explain how the intervention/system change/other proposed solution will address the
problem/purpose stated. Be sure this section is consistent with the purpose and proposed changes
described in the literature review.
If you plan to include education sessions, attach a curriculum outline (note – your project must
include more than a teaching intervention).
b. Population of Interest
Identify the population that you will be focusing on (e.g., African American women with
hypertension, type 2 diabetics in the community, etc). Identify characteristics of the population – use
national or research-based statistics and if, available, regional (state or county) data. If your project
focuses on a system change or health policy intervention, identify those that will be affected by your
proposed changes.
c. Implementation Plan
Describe the components of the project (note - there should be identifiable elements of your chosen
theory in the plan). In your EBP and QI courses, you learned about different models for organizing and
conducting these types of projects, which you are strongly encouraged to use. If you are using a model
for evidence-based practice projects or quality improvement initiatives, describe it (with citations).
Specific activities (as appropriate to the project):
• Implementation steps- if appropriate, you can develop a flowchart and include it as a figure.
• Any other details about project administration and management (e.g., team members/staffing
plan, who is responsible for what activities, how does the project interface with the organization,
how will you communicate information about the project to various stakeholders, etc)
• Information technology changes required to support and sustain the change
• Timeline from IRB application submission to completion of data analysis (Use GANTT or a simple
flowchart or table to present the timeline)
d. Evaluation Plan - How do you know your program was successful?
Note: IRB permission will be required if any data is collected about humans, including chart reviews,
interviews, surveys etc. The IRB application will be submitted after the student has passed the oral
DNP project proposal defense and other comprehensive exam requirements.
• Identify specific outcomes that can be tied to the project objective(s). Each objective should
have at least one outcome that can be measured. The outcome measures should be data that
you used to define the problem at the organization or measures that you would collect during
the project evaluation period. You may want to consider process and/or impact evaluation if
your intervention involves a system change. Include a comparison to national and/or
organizational benchmarks if appropriate.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

• Identify how you obtain the information/data to measure your outcomes and determine if the
project objectives are met. A table can be helpful for displaying objectives, related outcome
measures and the information/data that will be collected.
• If you intend to use an instrument, scale or survey questionnaire to measure milestones,
attitudes, rates or other kinds of outcome measures, present evidence to justify its use in this
project and include a copy of the instrument when you submit your written literature review.
• Data analysis: Project outcomes are generally expressed as rates, percentages, a rise/drop or
other descriptions of change rather than as a statistically significant measure. However, if
appropriate, describe any statistical analyses that you plan to conduct. You may be trying to
meet a benchmark – in this case, you can compare your outcome to the benchmark (do not use
statistics).
6. DNP Essentials
Identify each DNP Essential that is represented in your project and describe how the project addresses
the requirement. Your project does not need to address all 8 ‘essentials’.
I. Integrate, synthesize, design and translate theory and research-based nursing and interdisciplinary
knowledge to develop and evolve Advanced Practice Nursing.
II. Develop and evaluate care delivery ensuring quality health care and patient safety within an
ethical framework.
III. Design, deliver, direct and disseminate evidence-based practices.
IV. Use information, systems/technology to select, use and evaluate programs of care, outcomes of
care and care systems.
V. Advocate for health care practice/system changes through policy development, implementation
and evaluation.
VI. Employ effective communication, collaboration, consultative, and leadership skills to promote
positive client and health organization outcomes.
VII. Integrate principles of clinical prevention, biostatistics, population health, and cultural
competence into their Advanced Practice Nursing role.
VIII. Implement the Advanced Practice Nursing role in accordance with national standards.
Please refer to this document for more details: The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice
Nursing (AACN, 2006)
7. References
Please use APA format for the DNP proposal defense PowerPoint. If you plan to submit your final
project manuscript to a journal that uses an alternative referencing format, please consult with your
chair if you would like to use this format for your written literature review.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Literature Review
This component will consist of a 10 to 20-page narrative (double-spaced and submitted to your chair as a
separate document). Your chair may require a table of evidence (please use the NMSU SON Table of
Evidence template).
The goal of the literature review is to provide a description of the context for your problem with evidence
obtained from the available research and other peer-reviewed literature. The description should include
the focus and scope of the project (i.e., clinical microsystem, health care network, professional group, etc.).
The literature review should start off by providing more information on the significance of the problem.
How many people are affected? How much is the problem costing? What types of patient care outcomes or
population health outcomes affected by the problem? (i.e., Why should we care about this problem?)
What is the relevance of this problem to advanced nursing practice? You may use published benchmarks to
compare current practice/outcomes and identify gaps. The literature review can then provide the rationale
for your chosen intervention and selected outcome measures in your evaluation plan.
The literature review for the DNP project will be focused on the use of primary research articles,
systematic/integrative reviews, meta-analyses, peer-reviewed guidelines (e.g., governmental reports, NCBI
clinical guidelines, white papers from professional organizations, etc), and other sources of data that have
been compiled and published. Please use current sources (e.g., in the past 5 years) unless citing a seminal
article on the topic or if no current source is available.
Remember: Your proposal defense PowerPoint will have a summary of your written literature review
presented with bulleted key points.
Tips for conducting the written literature review
• Findings from the literature should be synthesized, rather than presented in piece-meal fashion (e.g.,
Jones at al. said this, Garcia et al. said that).
• Findings from the literature should be interpreted, rather than simply presented, where appropriate.
• Include an evaluation of the evidence if it will affect the strength of your argument (e.g., identify study
weaknesses such as small sample size or use of non-validated outcome measures).
• Use subheadings to organize the different topics in your literature review. For example, an
implementation of a patient agreement for opioids in a primary care practice might cover the following
topics: the increase in opioid use in the nation, state and region; unintentional overdose and death due
to opioids; the role of primary care providers in prescribing opioids; challenges that primary care
providers encounter when prescribing opioids; national guidelines for monitoring requirements when
prescribing opioids; and effectiveness of these guidelines in preventing overdose and death.
Additional reference:
Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review (NIH/NCBI): Although this article was written for
researchers, it provides simple guidelines for conducting and writing a literature review.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Table of Evidence
A table of evidence can help you organize your review of the research literature. As noted above, some DNP
project chairs may require a table of evidence.
A table of evidence should only include primary sources of evidence (i.e., no reports or secondary sources).
In general, you would not include systematic reviews or a meta-analysis in your Table of Evidence (even
though these are excellent sources of evidence for your literature review), however you may want to
include some of the studies that were included in the review article.
The template to develop your Table of Evidence was presented in NURS 653 (a Word version of the
template is posted on the Graduate Student Canvas course and in NURS 686).
References
Please use APA format unless you plan to submit your final project manuscript to a journal that uses an
alternative reference format. In the latter case, please consult with your chair to obtain approval to use an
alternative reference format.

Oral Defense of DNP Project Proposal

Once your DNP project committee has approved your proposal PowerPoint and written literature review,
and the permission letter from the organization has been received by the project chair, you are ready to
orally defend your proposal (a Graduate School requirement).
The oral defense consists of a 30 min oral presentation that follows your approved proposal PowerPoint. 30
minutes are left for discussion and questions from the committee. The DNP proposal defense must be
attended by all three project committee members and a Dean’s representative, which is chosen by the
Associate Director for the Graduate Programs.
Proposal defenses may be conducted by Zoom, although students may elect to come to campus for their
defense.
In general, the oral proposal defenses for a DNP cohort are clustered on 1-2 days. At the beginning of the
semester where you plan to defend your proposal, please contact your chair to find out what dates are
available.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

DNP Project IRB Application Guidelines

After you have passed your comprehensive exam (i.e., the written and oral components of your project
proposal), the next step is to submit an application to the NMSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) and any
review board at your project site (IRB, QI committee, EBP council, or facility administration). In most
instances, your clinical site will want to see the NMSU IRB approval prior to reviewing your project.
Note: The information was adapted from a 2015 NMSU IRB guidelines document:

Brief Overview of the IRB Application Process

Research involving human subjects conducted at New Mexico State University must be reviewed and
approved by the IRB prior to initiating research activities. An initial IRB review could take approximately 45
business days, however exempt and expedited studies are often approved in 2-3 weeks.
Note: Quality improvement projects often do not meet the definition of research by IRBs. However, the
NMSU IRB will want to review these to assure that they are not research. In many cases quality
improvement projects would be approved as ‘Exempt’. All DNP projects must be submitted to the IRB for
approval.
Retroactive approval for data previously collected for an unapproved study is not allowed, however, in
some cases previously collected data, not originally intended for a current study, may qualify for use as
existing data. The student researcher can contact the IRB for clarification.
Failure to seek IRB approval for research may invalidate a study and/or result in delayed graduation. Many
journals will not accept a human subjects’ research paper without proof of IRB approval.
Investigators are required to follow federal and state regulations, university policies, and ethical principles
when conducting research involving human subjects whether they are students, faculty or staff.
All investigators must adhere to the study procedures approved by the IRB. Any deviations, violations or
unanticipated problems must be reported promptly to the IRB. If a change in the study/project procedures
is necessary (e.g., change in sample size, site, instruments, etc), then an amendment application must be
submitted to the IRB prior to executing these changes.
When the research study is complete, investigators are expected to notify the IRB of study completion and
closure by submitting the Final Report of Research Protocol form found on the MAESTRO online system at
https://maestro.research.nmsu.edu/.
Information on how to use the MAESTRO online system can be found at
http://maestrohelp.research.nmsu.edu/.
NMSU Maestro System Instructions: https://dept-
wp.nmsu.edu/maestrohelp/files/2019/01/Maestro_V2_Help_Documentation.pdf

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

IRB Applications Submitted by NMSU Students

The Student investigator is the ‘principal investigator’ on the IRB application. All students must have a
faculty advisor, who is generally their project chair. Other committee members will be added as ‘Additional
Authors’. Unless the Dean’s representation would qualify as an author on a manuscript, they would not be
listed as an author.
Under the direction of the Faculty Advisor, the Student Investigator is responsible for:
• fulfilling the human subjects education requirement by taking the CITI online human subjects
education training. More information about education requirements can be found at:
https://compliance.nmsu.edu/irbtraining/
• ensuring the description of the proposal study in the IRB application is accurate and complete prior
to IRB submission;
• obtaining IRB approval before initiating any research activities (Do NOT collect data until IRB
approval has been obtained);
• informing the IRB of all proposed changes or additions to the previously approved study before
implementing them by submitting an amendment application through Maestro;
• submitting required continuing review form to the IRB (annually);
• reporting unanticipated problems involving risks to subjects or others and adverse events to the
IRB;
• informing the IRB of study closure or termination through completion of the final report form (must
be completed prior to graduation);
• meeting with faculty advisor/chair on a regular basis in order to monitor project progress.
Types of Review
Federal regulations provide for three types of IRB review: exempt, expedited, and full-board.
Exempt
The IRB staff – not the researcher – must determine when a research project falls under one of the six
exempt categories.
1. Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal
educational practices, such as (a) research on regular and special education instructional strategies, or
(b) research on the effectiveness or comparison of instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom
management methods.
2. Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey
procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior, unless: (a) information obtained is
recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked
to the subjects; AND (b) any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside the research could
reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial
standing, employability, or reputation.
3. Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey
procedures, interview procedures, or observation of public behavior that is not exempt under
paragraph (2) if: (a) the human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public
office; or (b) the research is conducted for the Department of Justice under Federal statute 42 U.S.C.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

3789g, or for the National Center for Education Statistics under Federal statute 20 U.S.C. 12213-1,
which provide certain legal protections and requirements for confidentiality.
4. Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological or
diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the
investigator in such a manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to
the subjects.
5. Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval of
department or agency heads, and which are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine: (a)
public benefit or service programs; (b) procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those
programs; (c) possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or (d) possible
changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.
6. Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, if (a) wholesome foods without
additives are consumed or (b) a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level
found to be safe, an agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the level found
safe by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or
the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Expedited
Expedited review applies to those research projects that do not fit an exempt category but do not present
more than minimal risk to participants. These projects must meet one of the nine categories for expedited
review. Expedited review requires the same approval criteria as a full board study but because these studies
entail less risk they are reviewed by the IRB Chair or a Designated Reviewer, rather than the convened
committee. During this process, IRB reviewers exercise all of the authorities of the IRB except that they may
not disapprove the research. There are nine expedited review categories in the federal regulations (45 CFR
46.110). Many DNP projects fall under ‘Expedited’ Category 7.
1. Clinical studies of drugs and medical devices only when condition (a) or (b) is met. (a) Research on drugs
for which an investigational new drug application (21 CFR Part 312) is not required. (b) Research on
medical devices for which (i) an investigational device exemption application (21 CFR 812) is not
required; or (ii) the medical device is cleared/approved for marketing and the medical device is being
used in accordance with its cleared/approved labeling.
2. Collection of blood samples by finger stick, heel stick, ear stick, or venipuncture as follows: (a) from
healthy, non-pregnant adults who weigh at least 110 pounds. For these subjects, the amounts drawn
may not exceed 550 ml in an 8 week period and collection may not occur more frequently than 2 times
per week; or (b) from other adults and children, considering the age, weight, and health of the subjects,
the collection procedure, the amount of blood to be collected, and the frequency with which it will be
collected. For these subjects, the amount drawn may not exceed the lesser of 50 ml or 3 ml per kg in an
8 week period and collection may not occur more frequently than 2 times per week.
3. Prospective collection of biological specimens for research purposes by noninvasive means.
4. Collection of data through noninvasive procedures (not involving general anesthesia or sedation)
routinely employed in clinical practice, excluding procedures involving x-rays or microwaves. Where
medical devices are employed, they must be cleared/approved for marketing. (Studies intended to

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evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the medical device are not generally eligible for expedited
review, including studies of cleared medical devices for new indications.)
5. Research involving materials (data, documents, records, or specimens) that have been collected or will
be collected solely for non-research purposes (such as medical treatment or diagnosis).
6. Collection of data from voice, video, digital, or image recordings made for research purposes.
7. Research on individual or group characteristics or behavior (including, but not limited to, research on
perception, cognition, motivation, identity, language, communication, cultural beliefs or practices,
and social behavior) or research employing survey, interview, oral history, focus group, program
evaluation, human factors evaluation, or quality assurance methodologies.
Full Board Review
Studies that involve more than minimal risk require full board review at a convened meeting at which a
quorum of IRB members is present. For the research to be approved, it must receive the approval of a
majority of those members. Student investigators should consult with their faculty advisor and the IRB staff
if they are unsure which level of review is required for their research.
Completing the IRB Application
The IRB application consists of an online form that the student will complete with the assistance of the
project chair. Much of the information in the online form can be copied and pasted from the student’s
executive summary, proposal defense PowerPoint and/or literature review.
Keep in mind that the IRB staff and faculty reviewers are generally not clinicians, therefore you must define
acronyms and describe your project in terms that a non-clinical audience will understand. The IRB
application is also designed for research studies, therefore in some cases the student will have to use
research language (e.g., on a consent form).
The School of Nursing has created a series of videos to walk you through the process of submitting a DNP
project proposal to the IRB. These videos are posted on the SON Graduate Program Information Canvas
course under ‘Modules’.
Online IRB Application Website (Maestro): https://maestro.research.nmsu.edu/

After the IRB Application is Approved

Once the application is approved, the researcher may begin recruiting subjects and conducting the study.
The researcher must let the IRB know if any of the following subsequently occur:
• Changes to the original study must be reviewed and approved by the IRB through a Modification form
to the study via MAESTRO before they are implemented, unless the subject is at immediate risk.
• Adverse Events and Unanticipated Problems Involving Risks to Subjects or Others (harm to subjects or
others resulting from the study must be reported to the Office of Research Compliance immediately).
• Complaints regarding human subjects’ research (any complaints from the subjects or the study staff
must be reported to the Office of Research Compliance).
• Breach of Confidentiality (Confidential data that has been disclosed by any member of the study staff
must be reported to the IRB immediately, for example, the theft of a laptop containing research data
with names and addresses of participants).

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

APPENDIX A
DNP Project Proposal Defense – Evaluation Rubric
(fillable form is posted on SON Graduate Student Canvas Course)

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

School of Nursing
DNP Project Proposal Defense – Evaluation Rubric

DNP Student: _______________________________

Proposal Defense Date: ________________

Faculty Evaluator: _______________________________

Role (check one): q Project Chair q Project Committee Member

*If faculty need more space for comments, please attach additional sheets.

Competencies Yes No Comments

Problem Statement and Purpose
Problem is clearly described.

Project objectives are specific.

Project objectives are measurable.

Project objectives are feasible given the

timeline for the project.

Background & Significance

Background information/literature review
clearly demonstrates the need or problem.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Competencies Yes No Comments

Literature review supports
significance/relevance of
problem/proposed project/ intervention.

Organizational assessment has identified

all relevant data to describe the problem.

Organizational assessment demonstrates

need for proposed project within
organization.

Stakeholders are clearly identified.

Literature and other supporting

data is organized into an integrated,
synthesized summary.

Findings from the literature are

evaluated/interpreted, rather than simply
presented.

Framework
(theoretical/conceptual/practice) is
described/evident and applicable.

Project Plan
The proposed intervention/solution
addresses the problem or need.

The proposed intervention/solution is

supported by evidence in the literature.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Competencies Yes No Comments

The proposed intervention/solution is
appropriate for a DNP project.

Population of interest (i.e., target group) is

clearly described.

Implementation steps are clearly outlined.

Project team is clearly defined.

Time frame/timeline is clearly outlined.

Evaluation Plan
Evaluation plan is clearly outlined.

There is at least one outcome for each

project objective.

Outcomes measures are appropriate for

project objectives.

Tools/instruments (if used) are identified

linked to measures.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Competencies Yes No Comments

Method of analysis is clearly described for
each outcome measure.

DNP Essentials
DNP Essentials that are represented by the
project are identified.

Link between the DNP Essentials and

proposed project objectives/outcomes has
been clearly described.

Candidate has articulated how the

proposed project relates to advanced
practice nursing and their clinical specialty.

Writing and Organization

Writing in PowerPoint presentation
document is scholarly and appropriate for
doctoral level education.

Project presentation is clearly organized.

APA format (or other approved reference

format) is followed appropriately.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Student has a signed letter from their organization giving them permission to conduct the project at their
facility or within their organization. q Yes q No

Overall Recommendation: q Pass q Adjourn q Fail

_____________________________________
Signature of Faculty

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

APPENDIX B
DNP Project Final Defense – Evaluation Rubric
(fillable form is posted on SON Graduate Student Canvas Course)

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

School of Nursing
DNP Project Final Defense – Evaluation Rubric

DNP Student: _______________________________

Final Defense Date: ________________

Faculty Evaluator: _______________________________

Role (check one): q Project Chair q Project Committee Member

*If faculty need more space for comments, please attach additional sheets.

Competencies Yes No Comments

Results/Findings
Data analysis and results/findings are
clearly presented.

Results/findings are interpreted.

The extent to which the project objectives

were achieved is addressed.

Key facilitators and barriers that impacted

the project’s objectives are identified.

Unintended consequences (both positive

and negative) are described.

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Competencies Yes No Comments

Recommendations/Implications
Overall recommendations/implications of
project outcomes are described clearly.

Recommendations/implications for
supporting organization and key
stakeholders are addressed.

Recommendations related to identified

facilitators/barriers and unintended
consequences are presented.

Ongoing activities or evaluations outside

the scope of the DNP Project are
described.

Project Synthesis
Did the candidate meet the
goals/objectives of project? If not, was
appropriate rationale and explanation
provided?

Did the candidate analyze issues and

critique the available research and other
literature within the project?

Did the candidate demonstrate practice

inquiry skills including appraising and
translating evidence?

Did candidate engage in collaborative

partnership(s) in designing and
implementing the DNP project?

Was the candidate able to articulate state

of current knowledge as it relates to
advanced practice nursing in the health
care system/

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New Mexico State University School of Nursing DNP Project Proposal Guidelines

Competencies Yes No Comments

DNP Essentials
Link between the DNP Essentials and
proposed project objectives/outcomes has
been clearly described.

Candidate has articulated how the

proposed project relates to advanced
practice nursing and their clinical specialty.

Impact of Project
Impact of project on organization is
described.

Steps for dissemination of project

outcomes (locally, regionally, and/or
nationally) are outlined.

Writing and Organization

Writing in PowerPoint presentation
document is scholarly and appropriate for
doctoral level education.

Project presentation is clearly organized.

APA format (or other approved reference

format) is followed appropriately.

Overall Recommendation: q Pass q Adjourn q Fail

_____________________________________
Signature of Faculty

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