Purpose
All DNE students complete a final project as part of their qualifications for completion of the program and graduation from The Ohio State University. These education projects in either the academic or nursing professional development practice setting are evidence-based practice (EBP), quality improvement, policy, or evaluation projects and meant to apply evidence to education and improve practice or a policy*. Thus, for the vast majority of student projects, completion of the Human Subjects Determination form, created by the direction of the OSU IRB, is sufficient to ensure research is not being conducted with humans. Students must also check with and adhere to their project site organizational policies/procedures, which, in some cases, may require students to submit to IRB for exempt or expedited review approval.
*Note: This does not mean the student cannot publish about the project outcomes or even write about lessons learned that other organizations may want to transfer to their organization. The intent of these projects is not to create generalizable knowledge; that is the purpose of research.
Procedure
Completion of the Human Subjects Research Determination Form is required, not optional. Moreover, both the student and advisor must answer/review the questions and sign the form. Timing of completion of this process with the advisor is strongly recommended at the conclusion of the professional examination. This can be done through ZOOM or in person. Implementation may not begin until this form is completed. Steps to complete the form include:
- Student and Advisor access the Human Subjects Research Determination Form and answer the six (6) questions together. Be sure to answer the question about permission to use data from authorized personnel from the project site.
- Student adds their signature and then clicks on the Save and Return Later button, not the Submit button.
- Student then records the unique ID# on the form that pops up when clicking the Save and Return Later button and provides this ID# to the advisor. The student exits out of the form.
- Advisor then accesses the Human Subjects Research Determination Form and clicks on the Returning link in the top right-hand corner.
- Advisor will be prompted to enter the ID# and this will bring up the student form.
- Advisor reviews the questions/answers selected, enters the student email for the confirmation, and signs the form.
- Advisor submits the form.
- Student will receive the email confirmation with the PDF of the completed/signed form and retains it to include in the appendix of the final project document.
This process will ensure that the completion of the form signed by student and advisor is tracked in REDCap for monitoring and reports for DNE Program leaders.
DNE program designated support staff will run routine audits to ensure forms are being completed by all students with advisor approval. These audits will be conducted for all students who have successfully completed their professional examinations since the last audit.
Approved: DNP Sub-committee 11.5.20
Graduate Studies Committee 11.12.20