Evaluation of DNP program essentials of doctoral nursing education: A scoping review

Background: In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nurses revised the core competencies for professional nursing education. The revision includes a call for a transformation from a traditional approach to a competency-based approach for teaching and learning. Purpose: The purpose of this systematic scoping review was to provide a fuller understanding of how DNP programs have historically evaluated and documented attainment of the essentials of doctoral nursing education in a summative manner in order to inform developing methods for addressing the newly endorsed advanced-level competencies in nursing education. Methods: A systematic scoping review was completed using PRISMA for Scoping Reviews Guidelines. Databases searched included PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Education Full Text, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Included reports needed to discuss student competencies and reflect the summative evaluation of the DNP essentials in a DNP program. Data extracted included title, lead author name, lead author affiliation, type of program, aims, design, process, results, competencies included, and DNP project inclusion. Results: Of the 2729 reports initially identified, five met inclusion criteria. These articles described diverse methods for documenting student attainment of DNP competencies including leadership narratives, electronic portfolios, and clinical logs. Conclusion: DNP programs have used summative evaluation methods to document fulfillment of the DNP essentials, but a competency-based education approach requires additional formative evaluations that incrementally support learners' progression toward achieving competencies. Faculty can modify exemplars presented from a review of the literature to serve as summative or formative evaluations of DNP advanced-level nursing competencies.