Doctor of Nursing Practice National Study, Part I: Instrument Development.

BACKGROUND This article describes the development of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Leaders in Practice Assessment (DNPLPA) Tool and assessment of the psychometric properties of this 33-item instrument. METHOD This study used a descriptive mixed-methods design to collect data. A national convenience sample of 208 practicing DNP nurses completed the 28-item online tool that focused on five specific outcome sections, each followed by five open-ended questions. RESULTS Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for instrument dissemination was 0.969. Parallel analysis and scree plot results suggested that a four-factor solution was the most appropriate model. Confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed a four-factor model. CONCLUSION The DNPLPA Tool addressed many of the key recommendations listed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and offers a reliable and valid instrument to collect leadership outcome data. From factor analysis results, a wording-specific revision is warranted in one of the outcome sections.