DNP project types explained
Teaching staff, introducing a workflow, and evaluating an existing service can address the same clinical problem. They do not ask the same question or require the same evidence. Start with what you intend to do, rather than the project label.
The CDC distinguishes implementation, outcome, and other forms of evaluation because their questions differ. Measuring whether a program was delivered is not the same as determining whether it caused better outcomes. [1]
Compare the purpose before choosing the label
The ten types below match the project type pages on this site. They are a practical teaching aid. They overlap and are not a universal classification or a list of projects every DNP program accepts. If you are unsure which fits, try the Project Type Finder.
| Project type | Central question | Hypothetical example |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence-based practice change | Can an established practice be put into use here? | Introduce a structured method for checking understanding of patient instructions. |
| Quality improvement | Can a local process perform better? | Test changes to reduce incomplete referral requests. |
| Educational intervention | What do people learn or do differently? | Evaluate scenario performance after communication training. |
| Program evaluation | How well is an existing program working? | Evaluate participation and goal completion in an established navigation service. |
| New practice model and pilot | Can a new model of care be delivered and accepted on a small scale? | Pilot a nurse-led follow-up call service in one clinic. |
| Health policy | Which policy option best meets stated criteria? | Compare funding options using transparent criteria. |
| Needs assessment and instrument development | What gap or need exists, and how can it be measured? | Assess resources needed for a proposed service. |
| Economic evaluation and business case | What would a change cost or save, and from whose point of view? | Estimate staffing and resource costs for a proposed service. |
| Informatics and technology implementation | Does a technology change support better work? | Evaluate a redesigned electronic referral form. |
| Evidence synthesis and guideline development | What does the evidence support doing? | Synthesize evidence to inform a local practice guideline. |
Assessment, planning, education, or evidence synthesis alone may not satisfy your program’s project requirements. Confirm the expected implementation and evaluation components before committing to a design.
One project can have more than one emphasis
Hypothetical example. You teach clinic staff how to use a new referral form, introduce the form, and track incomplete referrals. Education is one intervention component. The main project might be described as workflow implementation with quality improvement evaluation. Calling it an education project simply because you delivered a presentation would hide its main purpose.
An existing service can also be evaluated without a preintervention comparison. A postimplementation evaluation might describe reach, acceptability, and delivery. It cannot establish improvement from an unmeasured baseline. A before and after design answers a different question, although change over time alone still does not establish causation.
Your next decision
Write: “In this setting, I will do ___, evaluate ___, and use the findings to decide ___.” Review this with your advisor and site partner. Then choose measures in Valid, feasible, relevant: Choosing outcome measures and an approach in Choosing a statistical approach for your DNP project. The project label does not determine review status; see QI or research? How project review decisions work.
Sources
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). CDC Program Evaluation Framework, 2024.