478 ■ III: ROLE FUNCTIONS OF DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
competence within the paradigm of improvement science. We would need DNP’s and
other experts in improvement science to design these tests.
We will not move forward unless we move beyond binary narratives such as PhD–
DNP and nursing- medicine. The new narratives center on health care economics and
quality metrics such as those found in the “Triple Aim.” The identification and measure-
ment of competencies must be informed by a consideration of these broader narratives.
■ CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the construction of the ABCC is an important first step in initiating a dia-
logue about the unique competencies that a DNP graduate must possess. We must con-
tinue to grapple with ways to identify and measure these competencies. Testing would
need to accomplish two objectives. It must measure competence by utilizing valid con-
structs developed within the paradigm of improvement science. It must also be predic-
tive of a selective advantage in the marketplace for the DNP graduate.