The Densford Clinical Scholars Program aims to improve patient care through creating partnerships between advanced practice nurses (APNs) and faculty members from the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing. Each APN and faculty member is considered a Clinical Scholar; together as a pair, they blend clinical expertise and scholarship. The partners identify a clinical problem in the care setting that requires attention, and then develop and implement a clinical intervention for improving the situation.
Each of the Clinical Scholars, i.e., each APN and faculty member, target 20% of their time to this effort. The APN's health care facility or sponsor agrees to provide salary support for this time, while the faculty member receives their 20% support through a grant. The Densford Center provides staff support and oversight for assuring progress in the teams' projects. The term of appointment as a Scholar is for one year, renewable for a second year.
Clinical Scholars Project Topics
1999-2001
- Improving Health Outcomes in Adults Newly Diagnosed with Diabetes
- Complementary Therapy Intervention in Chronic Pain Management
- Effects of an Opioid Taper Algorithm in Adult and Older Child Blood and Marrow Transplant Recipients and Opioid Tapering in Infants and Young Children
- Attitudes Toward and Use of Complementary/Alternative Therapies by Critical Care Nurses
2001-2003
- Pain Assessment on Cognitively Impaired Elders
- Strengthening Continuity of Care
- Comparison of Three Methods of Femoral Sheath Removal and the Relationship to Patient Comfort and Patient Complications Rate
- Development of a Tool to Measure Children's Satisfaction with Healthcare
2003-2005
- Fatigue in Women Undergoing Cancer Treatment
- Skin Health and Care in Hospitalized Patients at Risk for Perineal Dermatitis
- Evaluation of Effectiveness of a Community-based Parenting Support Program for Somali and Oromo Mothers
- Upper Extremity Aerobic Training for Critical Limb Ischemia
2005-2007
- Timely and Appropriate Patient/Family Asthma Education for Children with a Primary Diagnosis of Asthma
- End of Life Care Provided to Patients and Families in Acute Care Settings
- Examination and Comparison of the CAM-ICU and the Intensive Care Screening Checklist in Delirium Diagnosis
- Clinical Preceptor Knowledge and Resource Assessment: Three clinical practice domains for quality palliative care
- Provider, Parent, and Adolescent Perceptions of Latino Adolescent Mental Health and Related Services
Projects also supported by Hartford Foundation funding are bolded.
What do participants in the program say about it?
In reflecting on the success of one project, the Medical Director of a Blood and Marrow Transplant program cited several accomplishments, among them that (1) It introduced a sound, evidence-based innovation, which changed our approach to care; and (2) the Scholars worked collaboratively with other members of the health care team, so that not only nursing practice was altered, but also that of physicians and pharmacists.
A staff nurse involved in one project commented: "In working with the Scholars, both clinically and through the research process, I have become better educated to the pain literature in particular, as well as to the fact that research generally is the basis of how we make decisions to determine the most effective treatment for our patients…"
An administrator noted: "The program is an asset to patient care because it helps staff nurses learn about and utilize the latest findings from research, and it creates an environment that supports continuing inquiry into nursing practice and patient care."
One final observation from a Scholar reflects the benefit to the APN in an organization: "One of the main benefits for me is using in actual practice the research skills I've learned. Personally, it has given me a productive, creative outlet in my work that is beneficial to my organization and the School of Nursing."
In 2001, the Clinical Scholars program was awarded a Regional Research Utilization Award from Sigma Theta Tau International.
