Evaluation of Doctor of Nursing Practice Students' Competencies in an Online Informatics Course.

BACKGROUND: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs have experienced rapid growth across the United States. With the expansion of electronic health records, DNP students are expected to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to manage data and apply informatics concepts. However, little information exists to help faculty evaluate student competency in these areas. METHOD: This retrospective analysis evaluated the competencies of a convenience sample of DNP students enrolled in an online informatics course. Two areas were assessed in this study: acquisition of informatics skills, and analysis or application of informatics concepts. RESULTS: Regarding informatics skills, postbaccalaureate students performed better than post-master's students. In analysis and application of informatics concepts, post-master's students performed better than postbaccalaureate students. CONCLUSION: Different educational strategies may need to be created to meet the varying needs of postbaccalaureate and post-master's students in DNP programs. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(6):364-367.].