224 ■ II: ROLES FOR DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
(Stanley, 2005). However, these data are not generalizable to advanced practice, and the
suggestion that better patient care will result from this preparation, although intuitively
appealing, must be documented based on evidence. These challenges must encourage
continuous dialogue about the best educational preparation for doctorally prepared
APNs who will assume the role of clinical scholars. This is critical as changes in technol-
ogy, health care delivery systems, science, and changing and evolving roles for nurses all
require that the nurse of tomorrow be prepared to participate in the health care system
as it evolves. Additionally, employers and professional organizations should provide
mechanisms for exercising leadership that support activities for clinical scholarship for
DNPs. It is imperative that professional nursing groups and organizations endorse a call
for more prolific clinical scholarship in this new cadre of DNPs as central to their mis-
sion and philosophy and as a rationale for a practice- focused doctorate. Furthermore,
the workplace also needs to state its commitment through tangible means of support to
enhance clinical scholarship.
■ CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
- Explain the differences in the clinical scholarship of a practice- focused doctorate from a
research- focused doctorate. - Describe the kind of clinical scholarship you believe is most appropriate for the practice-
focused doctorate. - Explain why knowledge in theoretical frameworks is critical for clinical scholars with a
practice- focused doctorate. - Why is clinical scholarship for APNs with practice- focused doctorates important?
- How should clinical scholarship differ in advanced practice MSN from the DNP APN?
- How does a DNP APN achieve expertise in use of evidence- based practice?
- Explain the importance of action research for a clinical nursing scholar.
- Explain how dissemination activities could be achieved by the DNP clinical scholar.
- Discuss issues/ barriers in the development of a DNP clinical scholar.
- Explain the role of administrators in supporting DNP clinical scholars.
■ REFERENCES
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nurs-
ing practice. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/dnp/Essentials.pdf
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2015). The doctor of nursing practice: Current issues and
clarifying recommendations (Report from the Task Force on the Implementation of the DNP). Washington,
DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/news/articles/2015/dnp-white-paper
Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo Park,
CA: Addison Wesley.
Benner, P., Tanner, C., & Chesla, C. (1996). Expertise in nursing practice: Caring, clinical judgment and ethics.
New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Boyer, E. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Endowment
for the Advancement of Teaching.
DePalma, J., & McGuire, D. (2005). Research. In A. B. Hamric, A. Spross, & C. Hanson (Eds.),
Advanced practice nursing: An integrative approach (3rd ed., pp. 257–300). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier
Saunders.
Dickoff , J., & James , P. ( 1968 ). Symposium on theory development in nursing. A theory of theories: A po-
sition paper. Nursing Research , 17 ( 3 ), 197 – 203.
Diers , D. ( 1995 ). Clinical scholarship. Journal of Professional Nursing , 11 ( 1 ), 24 – 30.