Allotted Hours

Students who complete a DNP Scholarly Project at Seattle Pacific University will be awarded 240 practice hours, as allotted below.

DNP Scholarly Project hours are logged on a quarterly basis.  At the conclusion of each quarter, students will log the allotted project hours in Typhon, and must include notes which document the activities completed during that quarter that demonstrate fulfillment of allotted hours.  Examples of activities per quarter are as follows.

Quarter 1: NUR 7995, 40 hours

• Meetings with consultants and content experts to learn about approaches for addressing the DNP Scholarly Project problem

• Meetings with agency/mentor; Faculty Chair and other content experts regarding Project Proposal and needs assessment including:

  • organizational assessment

  • implementation

  • evaluation plan

• Completion of Human Subjects ethics course and completion and submission of SPU Institutional Review Board (and other IRB Boards as appropriate).

• Successful oral presentation defense of DNP Scholarly Project proposal to DNP Project team, faculty, and other stakeholders

• DNP Scholarly Project grant preparation or funding proposals

• Research and development new practice approaches based on theoretical/conceptual frameworks to guide project design and implementation

• Design process to evaluate outcomes of practice, practice patterns, systems of care

• Project relevant tool development (includes literature search for evidenced based tool).

Quarter 2: NUR 7996, 80 hours

• Completion of DNP Scholarly Project Agreement with the agency/organization in collaboration with Faculty Chair.
• Participant recruitment and follow-up, pre- data collection activities.
• Facilitating and participating in activities during intervention process.
• Leadership activities in facilitation of the project (e.g. advocacy, education, group facilitation, intra-professional teamwork, mentoring)
• Design, direct and evaluate quality improvement methods
• Use of information technology to guide project and design evidence-based interventions, analyze data for practice
• Post-intervention data collection.
• Meetings with stakeholders, content experts, mentor, and Faculty Chair during implementation phase
• Program evaluation or quality improvement activities within a clinical environment.
• Presentations to or facilitating work groups related to the DNP Scholarly Project, e.g. planning and project development
• Workshop or conference attendance when directly related to the DNP Scholarly Project (8 hours maximum)
• Working with an agency or professional organization, committee, or task force as relates to DNP Scholarly Project.
• Implementation of business plan.
• Analyze cost effectiveness practice initiatives
• Leadership/development of interprofessional/interdisciplinary team.
• Staff development activities/project.
• Participation in local, regional, state, or national agency a health initiative.
• Participation in an agency or healthcare system health initiative.
• Policy analysis and advocacy within a legislative or political action forum.

Quarter 3: NUR 7996, 80 hours

• Completion of implementation and data collection. (may include activities as noted in Quarter 2)
• Data analysis and evaluation.
• Meetings with stakeholders, content experts, and Faculty Chair.
• Begin deliverables to agency as outlined in agency agreement document.
• Leadership activities as conclude the implementation phase and disseminate results
• Meetings with stakeholders to develop plans for sustainability

Quarter 4: NUR 7997, 40 hours

• Preparation of agency and school deliverables:
  • Complete deliverables to Agency as outlined in the Agency Agreement document.
  • Presentation of project results to agency/stakeholders
  • Sustainability plans disseminated
  • Write, revise, and complete Executive Summary document and provide to agency stakeholders
  • Write, revise, and complete journal article manuscript for potential publication in professional journal on an aspect of DNP Scholarly Project.
  • Preparation of Digital Poster and Oral Presentation of DNP Scholarly Project at DNP Scholarship Day.
  • Professional presentation of DNP scholarly project at DNP Scholarship Day

Logging Practice Hours

DNP Scholarly Project hours are logged on a quarterly basis.  At the conclusion of each quarter, students will log the allotted project hours (see above) in Typhon, and must include notes which document the activities completed during that quarter that demonstrate fulfillment of allotted hours.

More detailed instructions are available in the NPST Typhon: DNP Scholarly Project Typhon Time Log Guide.

Petition for Additional Practice Hours

Under rare circumstances a student may accrue more than 240 practice hours while completing their DNP Scholarly Project.  Additional practice hours may be approved at the discretion of the faculty chair and the Graduate Nursing Council.  For additional practice hours to be considered, the following process must be followed:

1. The student should submit documentation of the number of hours beyond 240 directly to their faculty chair, via email. This email should include justification for why those hours should be counted toward the student’s total required practice hours.
2. The faculty chair will determine if the student’s rationale is sound and, if so, forward the petition to the Chair of the Graduate Nursing Council for final approval.
3. The Graduate Nursing Council will consider the student’s petition and inform the student of the final decision, including any relevant next steps such as how to log approved, additional hours.