Final Project Overview & Timeline

The DNE Project develops over time under the primary supervision of the student’s faculty advisor, who serves as the Chair of the student’s DNE professional examination committee and the DNE final project committee. The following is a recommended process to follow in developing the DNE project.

Please note this is a process and timeline recommendation for students in part-time plans of study planning a spring graduation. All full-time students will work with their advisor and within their specialty plans of study to achieve DNE project objectives and outcomes.

Year one of DNE program

  • Focus on curriculum in the cores and the 7 steps of EBP
  • Identify a general area of nursing education inquiry in either the academic or nursing professional development environment and share it with your faculty advisor.

Year two of the DNE program

  • Create a PICOT question and get approval from advisor prior to literature review.
  • Complete critical appraisal and analysis of literature. Share your EBP Tables with your advisor for feedback and direction.
  • Identify the type of DNE project you wish to do, aligned with institutional priorities, and formulate your project focus in collaboration with your advisor.
  • Identify two additional team/committee members, in collaboration with your advisor, to serve on your committee who have expertise relevant to the proposed project and invite them to serve on your team/committee.
  • Write Sections 1 and 2 of your proposal, sharing sections with your advisor as you are developing them and revising based on the advisor’s feedback.
  • Write Section 3 of your proposal and submit the draft to your advisor and revise as directed by the end of spring or summer semester.
  • Meet with your entire committee prior to the professional exam (proposal defense) to receive their input and guidance for use in subsequent revisions of your proposal. It is the student’s responsibility to identify the time for the meeting that works for all committee members and to ensure that each one has received an updated draft of the proposal at least five (5) days in advance of the meeting.
  • Schedule a project proposal defense with your chair and committee. Your goal is to have a coherent proposal by the end of spring/summer semester of the first year for full time students and by the end of the spring/summer semester of the second year for part-time.
  • Complete the following after your proposal is approved by your chair and committee:
    1. Human Subjects vs. Quality Improvement determination
    2. The following are important resources if completing your project at OSUWMC
      • OSU CON DNP and DNE student announcement 12.16.24
      • DNP_DNE EBP Mentors 12.16.24
      • CNO DNP_DNE Priority Project 11.2024
    3. Institutional Review Board (IRB) for OSU and any other applicable project site internal review forms
      • For the Institutional Review Board (IRB) application, the faculty advisor should be listed as the principal investigator and the student as the co-investigator.  This is a policy of The Ohio State University Center for Responsible Research Practices. Depending upon where the study is to be conducted, it may be necessary to have the proposal reviewed by another institutional IRB committee.

Note: You may not initiate any type of external approval paperwork as linked above until after you have successfully completed your Professional Doctoral Examination.

  • All necessary approvals, including IRB and Feasibility approval must be obtained prior to beginning the DNE final project.
    • Once approved, your project may not be changed in any manner without first notifying the appropriate approval entity and obtaining a change in project approval.
    • All changes in protocol should be made in collaboration with your DNE Project Chair.
    • The goal is to have your project approved by the start or very early of autumn semester in your final year of study.
  • Adhere to the Graduate Student Code of Research and Scholarly Conduct found in Appendix C of the Graduate School Handbook. Sanctions may apply for violations of the Code.

Final year of the DNE program

  • Complete DNE Final Project
  • Enroll in DNE 8998.01 and DNE 8998.02
    • DNE Final Project Goals and Criteria for Evaluation Form [link to be added at a later date]
  • Begin Final Project when IRB, Feasibility, or any other site approval is received, or exemption is determined.
  • Set up a schedule for checking in with your Chair regularly on your Final Project.
  • Begin refining the proposal’s language by changing the future tense to past tense and finalizing the literature review section.
  • Refine the methods and measurement sections of the document.
  • Complete data collection.
  • Complete Final Project Scholarly Document or Manuscript.
  • Schedule a presentation and defense date for the Final Project.
  • Complete revisions on the Final Project Document or Manuscript.
  • Submit the Final Document in MS Word format to the Knowledge Bank with permission of your chair.

Practical advice in maintaining momentum towards completion of the DNE project

Time/Calendar Management

The time frame for completion of the project is the student’s responsibility. The student is responsible for moving the DNE Project forward in a timely manner. It is critical that the student meet regularly with the advisor to update them on your progress or to seek assistance with unanticipated problems. The committee chair leads the preparation of the final report. Plan to allow at least two weeks for the advisor to read drafts of your work to receive timely feedback.

Writing Competency

Unlike a course paper, the DNE Project needs to be revised until it is acceptable to all members of the DNE Final Project Committee. This takes time and multiple revisions to get the product to the doctoral level. The committee members need at least a two-week period of time to critique the proposal and provide feedback. All revisions need to be addressed by the student in conjunction with the student’s committee chair.