Reflection on learning 04/04/2022

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Week 5 Discussion: Project Evaluation

Leonard Einstein

Chamberlain University

Course Name and Number

Karen Kidder

03/28/2022

Week 5 Discussion: Project Evaluation

A DNP project is a significant deliverable of the DNP program. This project allows a student to implement an evidence-based practice change in a healthcare setting. Also, the project facilitates a student in demonstrating his/her ability to practice and lead at the highest clinical nursing practice level. Therefore, to ensure that my project is successful, I have to identify key metrics that will reveal whether I have met my goals, objectives, and project deliverables. In this context, I will measure the success of my DNP project by evaluating the following items.

First, I will evaluate whether the project has adhered to the scope that was defined at the beginning of the project. The scope refers to the key boundaries of the project including things like project goals, objectives, deliverables, and activities, among others (Moran, Burson, & Conrad, 2019). By evaluating the level to which the project has stayed within the boundaries defined in the scope, I will get a good measure of whether the project is a success or not. Second, there is the schedule baseline. The success of the DNP project will be evaluated based on how well I adhere to the original project schedule. This is something that I will be assessing on a weekly basis through the use of a Gantt chart. This tool will enable me to visualize the timeline of the project in order to check if the major milestones are being completed on the dates that I had originally planned for them. In case the project is falling behind, I will be able to re-strategize to ensure that I take measures to put the DNP project back on the original schedule.

Third, there is the factor of budget compliance. A good metric to consider when evaluating the success of the DNP project is how well the project is staying either under or within the budget (Milner et al., 2019). Prior to the beginning of the project, I will have allocated specific funds and resources that should last the project until the end. Considering that this is an academic project, the resources and funds available will be limited. Getting additional resources and funds will not be feasible after the original budget has been approved. Therefore, the success of the project will heavily rely on my ability to stick to the budget. Hence, this will be a good metric for evaluating the success of the DNP project.

Fourth, there is stakeholder satisfaction. As aforementioned, the DNP project allows a student to implement an evidence-based practice change in a healthcare setting. Also, the project facilitates a student in demonstrating his/her ability to practice and lead at the highest clinical nursing practice level. Therefore, the relevant stakeholders who will be impacted by these objectives will have to relay their feedback to me so that I know the extent to which they perceive my project deliverables as vital to them. The more satisfied they are, the higher the success level of the DNP project. Finally, there is the element of quality. According to Roush and Tesoro (2018), in any project, “the point is not to only deliver the intended work but to also exceed expectations.” In this regard, I will track the quality of my DNP project and make the relevant adjustments if required. I will evaluate the project to not only see if it achieve its target but to also check how smooth the delivery was and how well I dealt with setbacks during the implementation stage. The feedback from the relevant stakeholders will be vital in this regard when assessing the quality of the DNP project.

In conclusion, this paper has identified five main items that I will assess when evaluating the success of my DNP project. They are the scope, schedule baseline, budget compliance, stakeholder satisfaction, and quality. Although this is not an exhaustive list of the metrics that one can use to measure the success of a DNP project, they will cover the major elements of my project and enable me to know how well I performed in my project. The DNP project is an essential deliverable of my doctoral program. Therefore, these five metrics will help me to deliver a high-quality project before I can graduate.

References

Milner, K., Zonsius, M., Alexander, C., & Zellefrow, C. (2019). Doctor of Nursing Practice project advisement: A roadmap for faculty and student success. Journal of Nursing Education, 58(12), 728-732.

Moran, K. J., Burson, R., & Conrad, D. (2019). The Doctor of Nursing Practice project: A Framework for Success. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Roush, K., & Tesoro, M. (2018). An examination of the rigor and value of final scholarly projects completed by DNP nursing students. Journal of Professional Nursing, 34(6), 437-443.