Cole explores how DNP graduates develop leadership competencies
A new research project led by Linda Cole, DNP, APRN, CCNS, CNE, FCNS, explores how Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates develop leadership skills during their education and apply them in practice.
Cole received a $4,400 Dean’s Research Award for her study “An Exploration of DNP-Prepared Nurses’ Attainment of Leadership Competencies.” She is an associate professor and co-director of the DNP program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston.
“Our focus is on the leadership competencies DNP-prepared nurses take into their careers,” said Cole, the principal investigator. “We want to understand how these competencies are gained in the classroom and how graduates are using them as leaders and change agents in their organizations.”
The study will take a qualitative approach, gathering insights from DNP alumni of multiple universities. Recruitment will be supported through alumni networks, social media, and DNP-focused organizations, with a goal of enrolling at least 20 participants.
The research will examine points of overlap between leadership frameworks developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Both organizations emphasize competencies that are central to advancing nursing practice and improving patient care, such as communication and relationship building, professionalism, and leadership.
By exploring the perspectives of practicing DNPs, the study aims to fill a national research gap in how DNP programs prepare nurses for leadership. The team hopes to uncover how doctoral-level education equips nurses to influence health care systems, drive innovation, and lead organizational change.
“This is an area no one has really explored before,” Cole noted. “By examining how DNP education translates into leadership in the real world, we are trailblazing new directions in nursing research.”
Co-investigators are Lisa Thomas, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, CRRN, NEA-BC, CNE, from Cizik School of Nursing; Jeannie Corey, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, from James Madison University School of Nursing in Virginia; Karen Fowler PhD, RN, CENP, CNE, from The University of Texas at El Paso College of Nursing; and Teresa Welch, Ed.D., RN, NEA-BC, from The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing.
Merve Erten
