DNP Projects
Date of Award
7-28-2026
Document Type
Graduate Paper
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Dr. Carrie Hoover
Subject Categories
Nursing
Abstract
Background: Registered Nurses employed in critical access hospital settings are required to care for patients across the lifespan with varying levels of acuity. The registered nurse (RN) must be competent in providing medical, surgical, pediatric, obstetric, and intensive care-level services. However, the additional training they receive to care for their patients may be minimal or nonexistent, leading them to seek employment at other facilities due to safety concerns. Leadership within the organization believed that implementing targeted monthly nursing skills boot camps could increase nurses’ competence, confidence, and retention in critical access hospital settings.
Aims: This program evaluation project aimed to assess the effectiveness of enhancing nursing staff confidence and competence in their routine medical-surgical-pediatric nursing skills through additional didactic and hands-on education that was provided by nurse leaders within the organization. A secondary aim was to reduce nursing staff turnover, thereby reducing organizational costs.
Methods: The third floor of this organization’s hospital cares for patients requiring medical, surgical, pediatric, obstetric, or intensive care. Registered nurses with less than one year of experience working on the third floor were recruited to participate in the monthly skills boot camp program. The participants were then asked to complete the 2024-2025 Target Nursing Boot Camp Impact Analysis survey after completing the program. Then, survey participants were asked to complete the same survey three months later to assess whether the boot camp teachings remained relevant to their nursing practice.
Results: A total of 11 RNs participated in the initial survey. The initial survey revealed that most program participants found that the program improved their nursing skills, knowledge, and confidence on the job. The second survey revealed similar results; however, the study attrition rate was 45%, with only five of the original eleven participants completing the follow-up survey. This was largely a result of the initial participants finding employment elsewhere that offered full-time day-shift opportunities with similar, if not higher, pay.
Conclusion: Findings suggest targeted education may enhance nursing readiness but may have a limited impact on retention without broader organizational strategies
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Popp, Nicholas, "Targeted Nursing Bootcamps for Critical Access Hospital Nurses: A Program Evaluation." (2026). DNP Projects. 24.
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/nursing_dnp/24