Building on their specialty practice, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates design new models of care; use evidence to improve practice; evaluate outcomes; identify and manage the health care needs of individuals, communities, and populations; and use technology and information systems to improve health outcomes.
Guided by faculty mentors, DNP candidates enrich and deepen their specialty practice by engaging in transformative educational activities. Through experiential learning, self-assessment and reflection, community engagement, interprofessional relationships, and scientific inquiry, nurses emerge as leaders, transforming their practice and health care in self-identified areas of concern and influence.
The program culminates in a doctoral project that reflects a synthesis of the knowledge and skills gained throughout the candidate’s educational experience.
DNP Projects from 2023
New Graduate Nurse Professional Development Planning, Cassandra Adkins
Second-victimhood Among Anesthesia Providers & the Effects on Patient Outcomes, Erika Aitken
Recognizing Barriers in the Elderly Population and Increasing Access to Case Management Services, Loveleena Alex
Implementing the Timed Up and Go Test to Prevent Falls, Shamika Allen
Advanced Care Planning in Primary Care, Kaylee Beals and Amanda Merriman
Establishing a Diabetes Self-Management Resource for the Self-Pay Client in a Rural Clinic, Emily Birkhead
Active Learning Techniques to Improve Emotional Intelligence Among Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Sydney Bontz
Introduction of a Spinal Care Pathway Triage Protocol in the Secondary Care Setting, Tonicia I. Boston
Utilizing Gastric Point-of-Care Ultrasound Assessment for Patients with Questionable NPO Status, Carolina Botero
Postoperative Pruritis from Neuraxial Anesthesia, Paige Buckner and Kaleigh Kuhlman
Development of a Nurse Anesthesia Program Point-of-Care Ultrasound Airway Examination Curriculum, Sarah Elyse Sandheinrich Butler and Colton Phillip Butler
Advance Care Planning in Primary Care, Isabel Butterfield, Darby Creasey, and Jenna Dean
Utilizing the Anatomage Virtual Dissection Table for Learning Neuroanatomical Structures in Nurse Anesthesia Programs, Domenica Camaci-Douleh and Nicole Gorris
A Multifaceted Approach to Promoting Speaking Up Behavior in a Community Hospital, Carrie Carls
Caring for the Adult patient with Autism: Development of staff education and an online toolkit for Healthcare Providers, Kristen Conkle
Tranexamic Acid Protocol for Lower Extremity Total Joint Arthroplasties, Autumn Cullison
Cefazolin Administration in Penicillin Allergic Patients, Jessica Doerr
Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Underserved Populations, KeNecia Dones
Adjuncts and Additives to Regional Anesthesia, Kaisi Dye and Kelcie Brunnert
Use of Anticipatory Guidelines in Late Infants and Toddlers 12 to 24 Months in Primary Care, Claire E. Eller
Hyperoxemia Education to Nurses to Increase the Adherence to Oxygen Weaning Goals in Inpatient COPD Patients., Katherine Ellingson
Expansion of Heart Failure Education from Hospital to Clinic, Abigail M. Fischer
Improving Pulmonary Rehabilitation Referral and Uptake for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, Amanda Frassato
Postdural Puncture Headaches and the Development of a Treatment Protocol, Matthew Gill
Emergency Department Nurse Preceptor Development, Allison Helmerichs
Implementation of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale in a Mental Health Clinic, Anne Hocking
CBT Technology Implementation with Pediatric and Adolescent Populations, Tracey W. Kreipe, Heath Gage, and Sandra Obiebi
Education for Oncology Providers on the Benefits, Uses, and Local Resources of Medical Marijuana, Jessica Landrum and Brianna Linsley
Just Culture in Undergraduate Nursing Academia, Marcie Leonard
Foley Catheter Algorithm, Chary Mathew
A Community Health Outreach Project Focused on Developing and Implementing a Culturally Competent Tobacco Cessation Education Toolkit, Tori Mattingly, Wesley Ferrill, and Lechi Nkwocha
Amniotic Fluid Embolism Diagnosis & Treatment Pathway, Jeremy May
Implementing an EMR System in a Small Psychiatric Practice, Brandy McCrudden
Improving Student Registered Nurse Anesthesiologists’ Skills and Confidence Through High-fidelity Simulation, Daniel McGee and Robert Stein
Management of Ineffective Epidural for Cesarean Section, MIRIAM NDENECHO
Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Education: Understanding the Perspective of Racial-Ethnic Minority Nurse Anesthesia Students, Lorette osun and Jeannette Ineza
Standardization of Perioperative Management of the Breastfeeding Women, Amrutha Panakkal
Primary Care Management of Breast Cancer Screening, Katelyn Phillips and Lainey Brown
Short Term Medical Mission GERD and Ulcer Treatment Guideline, Robin Risky
Improving Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes: Early Identification and Management of Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity, Randi Rockwell
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout In Mission Trip Providers, Camille Roland
Weight Loss Communication and Treatment in Primary Care, Courtney Russell, Sarah Puckett, and Jessica McRill
Development of Neuraxial Anesthesia Educational Videos for Nurse Anesthesia Students, Mackenzie Schutt and Kaylie LaJeunesse
A Comparison of Erector Spinae Plane Block and Epidural Analgesia for Major Abdominal Surgery, Charles Serrano
Remifentanil in Labor Analgesia, Courtney Silberberg
Telehealth Integration in Primary Care, Ashley Simons
Implementation of a GlideScope Educational Program for Novice Student Registered Nurse Anesthesiologists, Joshua F. Snodgrass and Brian Bendel
Enhancement of a Peer Mentorship Program for Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Cassie Starrett and Katrina Harlan
Subcutaneous infusions for comfort care patients, kelci steeples
Enhancing Communication Pathways Between Care Environments to Improve Patient Outcomes, Heather Tucker
Road to Recovery for Craniotomy patients, Louisa Ustrzynski
STI education for adolescents, Maryann Van Ryn and Lucy Nyrongo
Developing an Advocacy Campaign to Minimize Barriers to SRNA Political Awareness, Alejandra Villescas
Increasing Education and Awareness of Patients who Identify as Transgender in Primary Care, Cindy Wallace
Prophylactic Tranexamic Acid Administration to Prevent Postpartum Hemorrhage After Cesarean Delivery in Patients at High Risk of Severe Postpartum Bleeding, Alexandra White and Stephanie Lafikes
Improving Depression Remission Screening Compliance, Crystal Wingerter
Fantastic Four, Jaden Zumbahlen and Andrea Palmer
DNP Projects from 2022
Introduction of Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean Section (ERAC) Protocol, Kwame Adu-Affum
Vasovagal Syncope During Venipuncture:Alleviating Symptoms Through Leg Muscle Tension and Moving Toes Sequentially, Velina Andrewski
Pediatric Distraction Methods for the Perioperative Period, Jennifer L. Ashton and Katherine M. Rosner
Improving Staff Education on Lung Cancer Screening at the Illinois Correctional Facilities for the Justice-Involved Individuals, Natalie Bethel and Jillian Youngquist
Development of Evidence-Based Rubrics and Instructional Videos for Anesthesia Induction Sequences, James P. Canny and Nathan M. Carroll
Exploring the Use of Telehealth in a School-Based Health Center, Kourtney Chapman, Mia Rhodes, and Jordan Smith
Identifying Facilitators and Barriers for a Successful Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist’s Clinical Experience, James Clancy and Adam Bruinius
Implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Adult Cervical Spine Fusion Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Ashley Darin-Messmer
Critical Care Orientation Escape Room, Leah Deaton
The Effectiveness of Using the Anatomage Table as a Learning Adjunct to Peripheral Nerve Blocks Among Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Paige Dickey, Melissa Gerlach, and Mary Zerlan
Empowering Nurses to Recognize Post-Stroke Depression in the African American Community, Deidra Frisbie and Robin Simon
Conducting a Root Cause Analysis to Improve Intake Processes and Record Review in Home Health, Christina Guerrero
Implementation of PrEP Protocol in Primary Care, Myia Harper and Catalina West
Implementation of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in a Primary Care Setting, Michele Hartke
Implementation of Routine Screening to Detect Early Cases of Depression and Anxiety in Hispanic Adolescents in the Primary Care Setting, LaToya Hayward
The Development of an Evidenced-Based Guideline for the Anesthetic Management of Surgical Cases Utilizing Evoked Potential Monitoring, Brent Hitchens and Darrell Risinger
Integrating Mental Health into Primary Care, Lori Hopwood and April Schmidt
Physician Use of the RAPID3 to Guide Rheumatology Follow-Up: A Retrospective Examination, Karen Howard
Establishing a Neonatal Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) Team, Rebecca Hunt
Controlling Hypertension: A Self Blood Pressure Monitoring Program plus Health Coaching compared to Health Coaching Alone, Jordan Joynt and Alex Watson
Utilizing a Personal Health Coach in the Management of T2DM, Emily Killebrew, Matthew Huelsman, Verah Bonareri, and Terri Furfaro
Implementation of Written Discharge Instructions for Common Diagnoses in the Urgent Care Setting, Melissa Kulp and Kristin Elmore
Best Practice in the Perioperative Anesthetic Management of Infants with Gastroschisis, Emily R. Lester
Increasing Obesity Education in an Underserved Latino Population, Morgan Lippert and Kelsey Beard
Implementation of PHQ-2 Screening Tool in a Telemedicine Based Setting, Joanna Luong
Improving Healthcare Team Communication with Limited English Proficiency Families in the NICU, Ivonne Mandell
Increasing HPV Vaccination in Adolescents, Emily Martin and Emily Hartmann
Improving no show rates in a GI Endoscopy outpatient lab, Mark McAteer
Creating a guideline for STI testing in the pediatric population, Alexandria Molaro, Alexandra Evans, and Alex Niebrugge
Implementation of Routine Screening with Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) of Adults with Crohn’s Disease, Jo A. Muller-Krause
Computer-Based Learning Module: Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity, Nhan Nguyen
Dexmedetomidine as an Adjunct Therapy to Neuraxial Anesthesia in Labor and Delivery, Anthony Nungesser
Anticipatory Guidance for Parents/Caregivers of Pediatric Patients Ages 0-12 Months, Cody Palmer and Anna Hagnauer
Assessment of Caregiver Burden in a Memory Loss Clinic, Andrea Perkins
The Implementation of a Mental Health Screening Protocol in an Occupational Health Setting, Chandra A. Pierson-Rye
Neuraxial Anesthesia for Total Joint Arthroplasty, Katherine Pozzo
Implementation of Depression Screening in a Nursing Home, TITILAYO RAJI
Difficult Labor Epidural: Intrathecal Catheter Management, Andrew Screnchuk
The Use of Point of Care Ultrasound to Assess Gastric Contents and Determine Aspiration Risk in the Obese Patient Presenting for Elective Surgery, Harry Senaldi and Mary Zerlan
Retention of New Nurses in the Cardiovascular Operating Room, Hannah Shufeldt
Development of a Protocol to Manage Postdural Puncture Headache, Ashley M. Shulman and Lynexis P. McVey
Reducing Errors Through Implementation of Standardized Electronic Order sets in the Intensive Care setting, Mary Slusser