NURS 839 is the DNP proposal development course at Liberty (2 credits). Its written work is two forums and the scholarly project proposal assignments: an article critique and leveling, a level of evidence table using the Melnyk pyramid, the introduction and literature review, the methodology paper, the full proposal and the proposal defense PowerPoint.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as NURS 839 Proposal Development, 2 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as NURS839.
What NURS 839 covers
The catalog description: This course is designed to apply the knowledge and skills developed in previous research and related coursework and apply them to the Scholarly Project process. Students will be required to apply scholarly writing skills and an understanding of expectations of the scholarly project to develop a scholarly proposal. Students will be guided through the development of a Scholarly Project proposal and must successfully defend the proposal at the end of the course. At the completion of this course, CITI training and all Scholarly Project tutorials must be completed.
The course applies the knowledge and skills from earlier research coursework to the scholarly project. You develop a scholarly project proposal under guidance and must successfully defend it at the end of the course; CITI training and all scholarly project tutorials must also be completed. The texts are Roush, A Nurse's Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Dissertation or Capstone, and Moran et al., The Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project.
CITI human subjects training (75 points) and two SPSS assignments (75 each) are training and software work with no guide here. Everything else builds one document: the proposal.
Textbook named in the published guide: Rousch, A Nurse's Step by Step Guide to Writing Your Dissertation or Capstone. (2019). Moran et al., The Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project (2017). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
NURS 839 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum 1 | 50 | Not set in the guide; a thread and 2 replies |
| 1 | Article Critique and Leveling | 75 | Not set in the guide; follow the course instructions |
| 2 | Level of Evidence Table Utilizing the Melnyk Pyramid | 100 | Not set in the guide; a level of evidence table |
| 3 | Scholarly Project Proposal Introduction and Literature Review | 100 | Not set in the guide; the proposal's introduction and literature review sections |
| 4 | Scholarly Project Proposal Methodology Paper | 100 | Not set in the guide; the proposal's methodology section |
| 6 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 50 | Not set in the guide; a thread and 2 replies |
| 7 | Scholarly Project Proposal | 150 | Not set in the guide; the full proposal per the Scholarly Project Guide |
| 8 | Scholarly Project Proposal Defense PowerPoint | 150 | Not set in the guide; the Scholarly Project PowerPoint Template |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A thread on the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Care and the role of the IRB, with replies to two classmates. How to write NURS 839 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 1: Article Critique and Leveling
Critique a research article for your scholarly project and assign its level of evidence, following the instructions in the course. How to write NURS 839 Week 1 Article Critique and Leveling.
Week 2: Level of Evidence Table Utilizing the Melnyk Pyramid
Build a table of your project's evidence, each source leveled with the Melnyk pyramid. How to write NURS 839 Week 2 Level of Evidence Table Utilizing the Melnyk Pyramid.
Week 3: Scholarly Project Proposal Introduction and Literature Review
Draft the introduction and literature review sections of your scholarly project proposal, following the Scholarly Project Guide. How to write NURS 839 Week 3 Scholarly Project Proposal Introduction and Literature Review.
Week 4: Scholarly Project Proposal Methodology Paper
Draft the methodology section of the proposal: design, setting, sample, intervention, data collection, analysis and ethics. How to write NURS 839 Week 4 Scholarly Project Proposal Methodology Paper.
Week 6: Discussion Board Forum 2
A thread on the proposal's anticipated results, discussion and dissemination, with replies to two classmates. How to write NURS 839 Week 6 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 7: Scholarly Project Proposal
The complete scholarly project proposal, assembled and revised from the earlier assignments, following the Scholarly Project Guide. How to write NURS 839 Week 7 Scholarly Project Proposal.
Week 8: Scholarly Project Proposal Defense PowerPoint
A PowerPoint, on the course template, supporting the defense of your scholarly project proposal. How to write NURS 839 Week 8 Scholarly Project Proposal Defense PowerPoint.
How NURS 839 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The full proposal and the defense PowerPoint are 150 each. The level of evidence table, the introduction and literature review and the methodology paper are 100 each, the article critique 75, the two forums 50 each, CITI training 75, the two SPSS assignments 75 each, and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Scholarly Project Proposal | 150 |
| Scholarly Project Proposal Defense PowerPoint | 150 |
| Level of Evidence Table | 100 |
| Introduction and Literature Review | 100 |
| Methodology Paper | 100 |
| Article Critique and Leveling | 75 |
| Discussion Board Forums (2) | 100 |
| CITI Training | 75 |
| SPSS Assignments (2) | 150 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 960 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach NURS 839
Use the Liberty Scholarly Project Guide assigned in Weeks 3 to 7 as the template for every proposal section; the instructions in the course say which section each assignment drafts.
Finish CITI training in Week 2 as scheduled; the guide says CITI and all scholarly project tutorials must be complete by the end of the course.
Questions students ask
Do I defend my proposal in NURS 839?
Yes. You prepare a scholarly project proposal defense supported by a PowerPoint, due in Module/Week 8, and must defend the proposal successfully at the end of the course.
What pyramid does NURS 839 use for leveling evidence?
The Melnyk pyramid (levels of evidence from Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt), used for the Week 2 level of evidence table.
Working through NURS 839 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.