192 ■ II: ROLES FOR DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
■ CASE STUDY: A DNP- Prepared Nurse- Midwife Goes
Into AcademiaAs a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduate who went into academia im-
mediately on graduation, there are indeed challenges to being a DNP- prepared
nurse in an educator role. My short experience has already taught me that there
are a number of barriers for DNP faculty, as well. The nature of academia is of-
ten a treacherous place for practice- focused, doctorally prepared faculty. The
issue is not competence, but the definition of scholarship by the larger academic
community. The roles of the PhD and DNP have been adequately defined by the
DNP Essentials (AACN, 2006) in terms of their respective roles in the generation
and use of nursing knowledge and evidence, but in academia these differing
roles are often more ubiquitous. The traditional perspective of original research
is very linear and limited in that it is seen as the one true avenue of scholarship;
this viewpoint persists whether it is verbalized or not. This is a contradiction
to the more contemporary concept of evidence- based practice, which is being
demanded of nurses in all realms, even education. Differing approaches to DNP
education as is noted in this text do not make this easier, since curricula vary
greatly from program to program. In other words, there are likely DNP- degree
programs that are rigorous and others that are not. If research is being conduct-
ed within the academic realm using varied approaches to prepare nurse educa-
tors, a tug of war over who owns (or controls) the research enterprise can occur;
this can accentuate problems and cause additional havoc.
Participating in evidence- based research programs that change practice in
clinical or educational settings ultimately improves nursing practice and patient
outcomes. The generation of this evidence promotes scholarly practice among
the faculty and often incorporates the best of the DNP skill sets. However, many
research endeavors cannot be accomplished without external funding for salary,
as this type of scholarship cannot simply be compounded upon a normal teach-
ing load. Often it is the perception in a respective nursing research department
that implementing a new research project, or that creating new evidence, cannot
be done without a research partner with a PhD. This can also be a limiting factor
to the DNP faculty member when no PhD faculty have an interest in the project,
and the department does not afford the resources to support grant writing (even
for program grants) to the DNP- prepared nurse.
My experience is that scholarship seems mostly defined by the written or
spoken word. The presentation of clinical papers and evidence- based guidelines
are good avenues for DNP faculty. However, with the current faculty shortage
(and the resulting need for more teaching), there is little time to undertake this
avenue of scholarship, and it is difficult, at best, to carry it out consistently. This
places the DNP- prepared faculty at a disadvantage because good writing skills
need to be developed, and used often, in order for one to become proficient
in publishing. Presentations require time and travel support in order to move
toward enhancing one’s reputation (and thus the department’s or college’s rep-
utation, as well) as a clinical scholar at the national level. Such protected time
is often not possible (or perhaps not valued?) for DNP faculty who are deemed
“clinical faculty” and who are required to carry very heavy course loads and(continued)