226chapter NINE
Refl ective Response 1
Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk
The chapter by Gonzalez and Esperat clearly describes the role of the Doctor of Nursing
Practice (DNP)- prepared nurse as providing leadership for evidence- based practice
(EBP). This description is congruent with the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing (AACN) and the DNP essentials, which have always been clear that the DNP
should produce clinicians who are not researchers, but leaders in EBP (AACN, 2004,
2006). This DNP leadership role requires competency in translating research findings
into practice, critically appraising a body of evidence, evaluating outcomes of prac-
tice changes, applying research in decision making, and implementing viable clinical
innovations to change practice (Melnyk, 2016). Although it was never the intent of the
DNP degree to prepare nurse researchers, there remains confusion in academic curri-
cula across the United States about how to prepare the students enrolled in these pro-
grams. Many DNP programs continue to require original research for DNP capstone
projects when it was never the intent for the DNP prepared nurse to conduct rigorous
research as is expected for PhD graduates. One reason for this research expectation is
that many faculty teaching in DNP programs are excellent PhD- prepared researchers,
yet they have never developed strong knowledge and skills in EBP. As faculty can-
not teach what they themselves do not know, they must be given the opportunity to
develop these skills if they will be mentoring DNP students to be EBP experts (Melnyk,
2013). Unfortunately, publications have even contended that the role of DNPs should be
practitioner- researchers (Vincent, Johnson, Velasquez, & Rigney, 2010).
Because DNP programs do not incorporate all of the research methodology and
statistics courses required in PhD programs, DNP graduates are not sufficiently pre-
pared to conduct rigorous original research. As a result, the research being produced by
DNPs may have inherent limitations that could eventually weaken the body of nursing
science. DNP programs should prepare EBP experts who can generate internal evidence
through outcomes management and conduct evidence- based quality improvement ini-
tiatives. In addition, DNP graduates should be outstanding EBP mentors who facili-
tate system- wide cultures and environments that sustain evidence- based care. Instead
of a research dissertation, DNP programs should require an EBP change project or
evidence- based quality improvement project as the program’s capstone requirement.
However, DNPs can be valuable members of research teams, specifically in identifying
gaps in EBP, bringing important clinical questions to the table for study, and assisting
PhD researchers in conducting studies in real-world practice settings. They also can be