Key strategies in scholarly writing instruction for doctor of nursing practice students: A Q-methodology study

Background: Development of scholarly writing skills in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students is essential to their capacity to advance nursing science after graduation. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to inform instructional design choices and teaching strategies for DNP writing courses by examining student viewpoints before and after completing a scholarly writing course. Design: Q methodology was used to explore student self-perceptions of scholarly writing skills. Setting: An online scholarly writing course at a large university in the midwestern United States. Participants: Twenty-six DNP students with either a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing. Methods: Before and after a scholarly writing course, students ranked 34 writing competency statements according to how well the statements described them. Results: Three pre-course and four post-course factors represented student viewpoints of their scholarly writing knowledge, skills, and attitudes before and after a writing course. Conclusions: Effective instruction in scholarly writing for DNPs should include explicitly directed pre-writing activities, frequent opportunities to give and receive feedback, and training on management of emotional aspects of writing.