Running head: RESEARCH PRE-PROPOSAL 1 RESEARCH PRE-PROPOSAL 2 Research Pre-Proposal First and Last Name Capella University Research Pre-Proposal For this assignment you will develop an original research pre-proposal. A research pre-proposal is a concise description of a research project created by researchers in order to gain approval either from funding sources or academic officers before they begin more in-depth work on a research project. If their pre-proposal is acceptable, they write a full research proposal (which corresponds to the first three chapters of a dissertation). Being able to write an effective research pre-proposal is a valuable skill to learn as your academic and professional journey continues. Your previous assignments and several discussions in this course have been building your competence to complete this assignment. If you have been collecting relevant journal articles along the way, as was encouraged, you will have already completed much of the library research for this paper. In addition to using this template as a guide, consult the scoring rubric for this assignment about what constitutes distinguished performance. You should have an actual research site in mind so that your research pre-proposal will be as realistic as possible. However, for ethical reasons you should refer to the research site using a pseudonym. For example, if the research site you have in mind is the clinic at which you work, you could refer to it as Clinic XYZ. If your research site is a college, you could call it College ABC and so on. This assignment should be between 10 and 12 pages, excluding the title page and reference section, and double-spaced using 12- point Times New Roman font. Start by developing a brief introduction immediately under the heading above. Note: according to page 63 of the APA Manual you should not create a heading entitled Introduction. The first part of your paper is assumed to be an introduction. You can find more information about how to develop an introduction at the Capella Writing Center.Research Problem Develop a concise description of your research problem. You will elaborate on the research problem by developing content under the following two subheadings. Significance of the Problem Drawing on the library searches you have done to find information about your topic, offer a concise explanation of why this is a significant problem that deserves to be researched. It is important that you go beyond your own subjective understanding of the importance of this issue by referring to literature that demonstrates it is a widely recognized issue in the field of counseling. Benefits of the Research Project Identify the primary group or groups that will benefit from this research project. Will it benefit school age children, college students, teachers, faculty, education administrators, parents or some other group or groups? Concisely explain how the research project will ben.

1. Running head: RESEARCH PRE-PROPOSAL 1
RESEARCH PRE-PROPOSAL 2
Research Pre-Proposal
First and Last Name
Capella University
Research Pre-Proposal
For this assignment you will develop an original research
pre-proposal. A research pre-proposal is a concise description
of a research project created by researchers in order to gain
approval either from funding sources or academic officers
before they begin more in-depth work on a research project. If
their pre-proposal is acceptable, they write a full research

2. proposal (which corresponds to the first three chapters of a
dissertation). Being able to write an effective research pre-
proposal is a valuable skill to learn as your academic and
professional journey continues.
Your previous assignments and several discussions in this
course have been building your competence to complete this
assignment. If you have been collecting relevant journal
articles along the way, as was encouraged, you will have
already completed much of the library research for this paper.
In addition to using this template as a guide, consult the scoring
rubric for this assignment about what constitutes distinguished
performance.
You should have an actual research site in mind so that
your research pre-proposal will be as realistic as possible.
However, for ethical reasons you should refer to the research
site using a pseudonym. For example, if the research site you
have in mind is the clinic at which you work, you could refer to
it as Clinic XYZ. If your research site is a college, you could
call it College ABC and so on.
This assignment should be between 10 and 12 pages,
excluding the title page and reference section, and double-
spaced using 12- point Times New Roman font. Start by
developing a brief introduction immediately under the heading
above. Note: according to page 63 of the APA Manual you
should not create a heading entitled Introduction. The first part
of your paper is assumed to be an introduction. You can find
more information about how to develop an introduction at the
Capella Writing Center.Research Problem
Develop a concise description of your research problem.
You will elaborate on the research problem by developing
content under the following two subheadings.
Significance of the Problem
Drawing on the library searches you have done to find
information about your topic, offer a concise explanation of
why this is a significant problem that deserves to be researched.

3. It is important that you go beyond your own subjective
understanding of the importance of this issue by referring to
literature that demonstrates it is a widely recognized issue in
the field of counseling.
Benefits of the Research Project
Identify the primary group or groups that will benefit from
this research project. Will it benefit school age children, college
students, teachers, faculty, education administrators, parents or
some other group or groups? Concisely explain how the
research project will benefit this group or groups. Literature
Review
You will find it helpful to visit the Capella Writing Center
and review the extensive guidance about literature reviews that
is offered there. Develop a literature review based on a
minimum of eight empirical studies relevant to your topic that
you located in the Capella Library. Non-empirical articles may
also be used, but they must be in addition to the required
empirical articles. Do not just summarize one source after
another, as if this were an annotated bibliography. Rather,
organize your review by themes that emerge from the literature
and develop a subheading to each theme, each with its own
heading. Research Design
Clearly state the research design you have selected for this
assignment. Examples are experimental, quasi-experimental,
correlational, survey, phenomenological, grounded theory,
ethnographic, narrative, or mixed methods. Research Purpose
Statement and Questions
Present your research purpose statement. Present your
research question(s). If you are proposing a quantitative study,
you may present your research questions in the form of one or
more hypotheses.Data Collection Plan
If you are proposing a quantitative study, use the following
subheadings to present your data collection plan, and erase the
subheadings for the qualitative study.

4. Participant Selection
Gaining Permission
Data to be Collected
Data Collection Instruments
Administration of Data Collection
If you are proposing a qualitative study, use the following
subheadings to present your data collection plan and erase the
subheadings for the quantitative study.
Sampling Approach
Gaining Permission
Data to be Collected
Procedures for Recording DataData Analysis and Interpretation
Plan
If you are proposing a quantitative study use the following
subheadings to present your data analysis and interpretation
plan and erase the subheadings for the qualitative study.
Preparing Data for Analysis
Analyzing the Data
Reporting the Results
Interpreting the Results
If you are proposing a qualitative study use the following
subheadings to present your data analysis and interpretation
plan and erase the subheadings for the quantitative study.
Preparing and Organizing Data for Analysis

5. Exploring and Coding the Data
Building Description and Themes
Reporting Findings
Interpreting Findings
Validating the Accuracy of the Findings
Ethical and Culturally Relevant Considerations
In this section you will incorporate ethical and culturally
relevant strategies into your pre-proposal. You may want to
revisit the material in the unit on this topic. Be specific,
providing examples to demonstrate that you know how to apply
the concepts you have learned.Conclusion
Develop a concise conclusion for your project. Part of
what you could include in your conclusion is your assessment of
the primary challenges you might encounter if you conducted
this research project at the research site you had in mind as you
developed it. Typical challenges include gaining access to the
research site, enlisting an adequate number of participants,
managing the logistics of the project. Identify these challenges
and briefly explain how you will meet each challenge.
Remember to only refer to the research site using a pseudonym.
Complete the reference section below using proper APA
formatting.
References
Use this area to list the resources you cited in your paper. The
reference below provides an example citation for an article. For
more information about References, see chapter 7 in the APA
6th Edition Manual. Delete this text before submitting your
assignment.
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Title of
article. Title of Periodical, volume#(issue#), xx–xx.

6. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice: An International
Journal, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2012
6 © 2012 Springer Publishing Company
http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1541-6577.26.1.6
EvidEncE-BasEd PracticE
On the Doctor of
Nursing Practice (DNP)
D
octoral degrees in nursing fall into two categories. The first is
the research-
focused doctorate, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of
Nursing
Science (DNSc or DNS); and the second is the practice
doctorate or Doctor
of Nursing Practice (DNP). Nurses who graduate from research-
focused doctoral
programs are or should be prepared to generate new evidence
for the profession.
Nurses who graduate from the practice-focused doctorate are or
should be prepared
to be experts in advanced nursing practice and leaders in
applying the best evidence
to improve nursing practice, whether it be clinical, academic, or
administrative. The
authors should indicate our bias upfront. We believe that the
DNP degree is meant

7. to prepare leaders to improve practice and thus the focus of the
degree should be
on implementing practice change that improves outcomes for
patients, nurses, and/
or students. Thus there should be a strong evidence-based
practice (EBP) compo-
nent in the curriculum, and the capstone in these programs
should be on evidence
synthesis and/or practice improvement projects (which can also
be administrative
or educational in nature), not research.
The DNP degree has continued to blossom since the American
Association of
the Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released their Position
statement on the Practice
Doctorate in Nursing in 2004. There are currently 153 DNP
programs in the United
States with an additional 160 nursing schools planning similar
programs (AACN,
2011). Existing DNP programs follow either a clinical,
educational, or adminis-
trative track to prepare leaders in each of these areas. All DNP
programs are
expected to include in their curriculum the seven Essentials of
Doctoral Education
for Advanced Practice Nurses developed by the AACN (2006).
Included in the
Essentials is the edict that DNP graduates be able to “ . . .
demonstrate refined
assessment skills and base practice on the application of
biophysical, psycho-
social, behavioral, sociopolitical, cultural, economic, and
nursing science as
appropriate in their area of specialization” (AACN, 2006, p.
16). The DNP degree

8. was conceived as an educational program to prepare graduates
to be experts
and leaders in evidence-based practice. The DNP clinician is
ideally prepared
to improve healthcare outcomes by facilitating the translation of
current, best
evidence into clinical practice.
Evidence-Based Practice 7
The DNP is proposed by AACN as the terminal degree for
advanced practice nurses.
DNP graduates may continue to work in the same practice
environments with other
nurses with different educational levels as well as other health
care disciplines.
Many organizations are still trying to determine how to utilize
the DNP graduate
within their practice environments. With pending health care
reform, the threat of
reduced reimbursement for poor outcomes, and the ongoing
shortage of primary
care providers, it is crucial for current best evidence to be
quickly translated into
clinical practice to improve outcomes for the patients and
communities we serve. In
addition, many healthcare organizations are applying for
Magnet status, a recogni-
tion program developed by the American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) for
high-quality nursing care. Magnet hospitals must demonstrate
their contribution to
generating knowledge, innovations, and improvements for the
professions through

9. the translation and application of existing evidence and by
identifying areas where
new research is needed (ANCC, 2011).
Despite the Institute of Medicine’s (2011) challenge for nursing
to reconcep-
tualize the role of nurses while developing innovative solutions
to care delivery,
many barriers to full implementation of evidence-based
practice still exist. Nurses
continually report lack of time as the most common barrier to
applying evidence-
based practice approaches to clinical practice (Bertulis, 2008;
Brown, Wickline,
Ecoff, & Glaser, 2009; Pravikoff, Tanner, & Pierce, 2005).
Other barriers that have
been reported include the difficulty accessing resources, poor
computer skills,
poor understanding of statistics and research technique,
inadequate preparation
to critically appraise research, lack of support from
administration and other staff,
and a disbelief that evidence-based practice can improve
outcomes (Bertulis, 2008;
Brown et al., 2009; Pravikoff et al., 2005).
There is a misconception among many nurses about the value of
research in
practice. Nurses follow clinical practice protocols developed by
their agencies,
many of which are not based on the best and highest levels of
evidence but are
instead based on expert opinion and tradition. When a practice
question needs to
be answered, many nurses turn to a colleague rather than search
for answers in

10. current research. Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2002) called for
the development
of an evidence-based practice mentor, an advanced practice
nurse with in-depth
knowledge and skills in evidence-based practice and
organizational change. This
is part of the foundation of DNP education. The DNP graduates
need to be prepared
to challenge these barriers to evidence-based practice by
becoming a role model
for integrating evidence-based practice into their practice
setting.
DNP graduates in the advanced practice clinician role have a
unique perspec-
tive on evidence-based practice due to their direct patient care
role in the practice
setting. Within their clinical roles, DNP graduates can evaluate
current practice and
develop clinical questions relevant to their practice. Evidence-
based practice can
then be integrated and implemented to directly improve care. By
becoming a role
model, coach, and teacher, while creating an environment that
encourages evidence-
based practice, the DNP clinician can empower other staff.
Melnyk and colleagues
(2004) demonstrated that nurses who have a mentor that
facilitates evidence-based
8 Evidence-Based Practice
practice are more likely to practice within an evidence-based
framework. Levin,

11. Fineout-Overholt, Melnyk, Barnes, & Vetter (2011) tested this
proposition in a pilot
study and validated the need for nurses to engage in an
evidence-based practice
project with a mentor to achieve significant gains in evidence-
based practice beliefs
and implementation behaviors.
The DNP graduate should be primed to take on a formal or
informal mentorship
role. As a leader of practice improvement in the clinical area,
the DNP graduate
also needs to take on the role of educator to teach the skills
necessary to effectively
utilize evidence-based practice to frontline clinicians. The DNP
graduate can also
promote evidence-based practice through journal clubs where
current research is
appraised and encourage nurses to ask questions at the point of
care. Evidence-
based answers can then be sought, critically appraised,
implemented, and evaluated
in practice as part of unit-based performance-improvement
projects to improve
healthcare outcomes for consumers and promote professional
development for
health care providers, whether in indirect or direct roles.
As the number of DNP graduates entering practice continues to
grow, these indi-
viduals need to be promoted as practice experts and leaders in
their field. By being
a champion for evidence-based practice, promoting an
environment that fosters
clinical inquiry and critical thinking, nurses and other members
of the health care

12. team will see that the integration of current best evidence is an
integral component
of their everyday practice.
REFERENCES
American Association of the Colleges of Nursing. (2004).
AACN position statement on the
practice doctorate in nursing. Retrieved, from
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/dnp/position-
statement
American Association of the Colleges of Nursing. (2006). The
essentials of doctoral education
for advanced practice nurses. Retrieved, from
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/dnp
American Association of the Colleges of Nursing. (2011). The
doctor of nursing practice fact
sheet. Retrieved, from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-
relations/fact-sheets/dnp
American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2011). Magnet
Recognition Program® Model. Retrieved,
from
http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet/ProgramOverview/N
ew-Magnet-
Model.aspx
Bertulis, R. (2008). Barriers to accessing evidence-based
information. Nursing Standard,
22(36), 35–39.
Brown, C. E., Wickline, M. A., Ecoff, L., & Glaser, D. (2009).
Nursing practice, knowledge, atti-
tudes, and perceived barriers to evidence-based practice at an

13. academic medical center.
The Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(2), 371–381.
Institute of Medicine (2011). The future of nursing: Leading
change, advancing health. Washington,
DC: The National Academies Press.
Levin, R. F., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., Barnes, M.,
& Vetter, M. J. (2011). Fostering
evidence-based practice to improve nurse and cost outcomes in
a community health setting:
A pilot test of the advancing research and clinical practice
through close collaboration
model. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 35(1), 21–33.
Evidence-Based Practice 9
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2002). Putting research
into practice. Reflections on
Nursing Leadership, 28(2), 22–25.
Melnyk, B. M., Fineout-Overholt, E., Fischbeck Feinstein, N.,
Li, H., Small, L., Wilcox, L.,et al.
(2004). Nurses’ perceived knowledge, beliefs, skills, and needs
regarding evidence-based
practice: Implications for accelerating the paradigm shift.
Worldviews on Evidence-Based
Nursing, 1(3), 185–193.
Pravikoff, D. S., Tanner, A. B., & Pierce, S. T. (2005).
Readiness of U.S. nurses for evidence-
based practice. American Journal of Nursing, 105(9), 40–51.
Correspondence regarding this article should be directed to

14. Rona F. Levin, PhD, RN,
1 Scarsdale Rd. – Apt. 408, Tuckahoe, NY 10707. E-mail:
[email protected]
Jason slyer, DnP, rn, FnP-BC
Montef iore Medical Center, New York, New York
rona F. levin, PhD, rn
Consultant in Evidence-Based Practice and Practice
Improvement
Professor Emeritus, Felician College, Lodi, New Jersey
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.