512 ■ III: ROLE FUNCTIONS OF DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
when the number of available DNP graduates has soared in recent years (AACN,
2016a).
Accomplishments
Since the opening of the DNP program in 2008, the SON has refined the philosoph-
ical underpinnings for the program within the context of a research-extensive envi-
ronment. Graduates of the program have demonstrated strong scholarship outcomes,
including posters, podium presentations, and published manuscripts. It remains a
point of pride that the DNP and PhD degrees are both conferred from the graduate
school, as opposed to the DNP being conferred from the SON and therefore perceived
as not quite “on par” with the PhD graduates. It is the philosophy of the school that
preparing DNP graduates to be productive practice scholars may better prepare them
as future faculty; important given the anticipated need for increased nurse educators
in the future (Smeltzer et al., 2015; Smith-Glasgow, 2012). Over time, there has been
more faculty investment in developing DNP students as practice scholars consistent
with Boyer’s Model of Scholarship (Boyer, 1990), which guides the SON. Concurrent
with the more inclusive definition of scholarship, faculty practice and practice schol-
arship, have become more prominent within the school through the establishment of
joint appointments. Creating appointments of this type can be beneficial to both the
academic and practice settings (Walsh et al., 2012), as well as to individual faculty, cre-
ating a “win-win-win” opportunity.
Challenges
Although there has been significant progress toward faculty acceptance for the DNP
over time, some resistance remains, as is likely commonplace in other research- extensive
schools that have recently opened practice-focused doctoral programs (Agger et al.,
2014). With the evolution and acceptance of DNP education, philosophy, and the more
inclusive view of scholarship to include practice however, there remains a “glass ceil-
ing” within the school and university for DNP (and PhD)-prepared clinical faculty. As is
similar in many research-extensive universities, the infrastructure and criteria for tenure
is not an option for clinical faculty at this time. To be sure, tenure is being offered as an
option at many comprehensive schools and universities, but not at research-extensive
universities (Agger et al., 2014). For some, this is an ongoing frustration that begs the
question: If Boyer’s Model is the framework that guides the school, then why is only
discovery scholarship recognized as appropriate for tenure criteria? This is especially
puzzling because nursing is, at its core, a practice discipline. If the rationale for this is
related to the ability of faculty to establish revenue streams to support their salaries,
then it is difficult to understand given the fact that clinical faculty in joint appointments
are contracted to bring in revenue to support their salaries as a matter of course. In time,
it will be interesting to see whether research-extensive universities will expand their
tenure criteria to recognize practice scholarship. Failure to do so may result in great dif-
ficulty in recruiting and retaining clinical faculty who would have eligibility for tenure
in other universities (Nicholes & Dyer, 2012).
SUSAN DeNISCO
Sacred Heart University (SHU) in Fairfield, Connecticut, is a relatively young (52 years
old) private comprehensive institution of higher education. Embracing the Catholic