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DNP and MEPN students translate learning into community impact

Today
By Ann Hess, U of A Nursing, Office of Marketing & Communications
Head and shoulders shot of Janay Young and Mary Estrada. Graphics are two hands shaking with circular arrows around the outside. The words, "Learning Together" and "DNP and MEPN."

This summer, students from two College of Nursing programs stepped beyond the classroom to address health needs in the Tucson community through a cross-program collaboration.

A cross-program collaboration between 42 Master of Science, Entry to the Profession of Nursing (MEPN) students and six Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students brought together nurses at different stages of their education to address two issues: preventing heat illness among older adults and helping future nurses better understand the effects of trauma.

The collaboration grew from an idea developed by Janay Young, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C, assistant clinical professor, DNP Psychiatric Mental Health specialty, and Mary Estrada, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, assistant clinical professor in the DNP program who taught in MEPN Tucson when the project began. The two began planning the partnership in December 2025. Young was working with six DNP students completing their doctoral projects, while Estrada integrated those projects into the summer population health course for MEPN students.

The DNP students were split between the two initiatives, with three students on each project alongside MEPN students. One team focused on protecting older adults from extreme heat. In collaboration with the Pima County Health Department (PCHD) and the City of Tucson, Estrada established MEPN clinical rotations at cooling centers across Tucson. At these centers, MEPN students delivered a heat-illness prevention intervention developed by the DNP students.

The project connected doctoral-level research and quality improvement with direct community outreach, giving students the chance to see how an idea moves from planning to practice. Results are still being calculated, but PCHD and community members considered the pilot an overall success.

As an MEPN student, Makinzie Hughes saw firsthand how collaboration could shape students' approach to addressing community health needs. “Working alongside DNP students taught me the importance of flexibility, humility, and collaboration across levels of nursing education,” said Hughes. “By incorporating their survey into our work at the cooling centers, we gained a better understanding of community members’ needs, including accessible resources such as a physical map showing cooling-center locations, hours, services, and connecting bus routes, as well as education on heat-related illnesses.”

The DNP students said the experience gave them a clearer understanding of what it takes to lead a quality-improvement project in a real-world setting. Working with multiple stakeholders taught them to navigate diverse perspectives and priorities while moving a project from planning through implementation.

For Estrada, the project underscored the value of bringing students from different programs together for a shared learning experience. “MEPN students gained early exposure to research and quality-improvement work, while DNP students received additional support for activities such as data collection, implementation, and stakeholder engagement,” Estrada said.

The second initiative brought DNP students into the MEPN classroom to lead a trauma-informed care workshop. The workshop examined how early childhood adversity can affect neurobiological development and influence physical and mental health. It encouraged MEPN students to consider patients’ life experiences and to approach issues such as substance use and mental health with greater understanding and less stigma.

For Young, bringing the two groups together also helped students see how nursing knowledge develops and is applied across educational levels. “Together, the two projects gave students at different stages of nursing education the opportunity to share knowledge and to see how their roles can complement one another,” Young said.

The two collaborations also shaped Estrada’s approach to her role as an educator. “This work is meaningful because it allows me to support students in a hands-on way while continuing to grow as an educator,” Estrada said. “It has helped me see the value of designing learning experiences that connect students across programs.”

The collaboration also provided Young with a practical way to advance the college’s emphasis on developing future nursing leaders. “Our mission is to cultivate leadership among future nurses and nurse practitioners. By learning to lead and work in teams, our students develop the competencies needed to improve the health of the individuals and communities we serve.”

Lindsay Bouchard, DNP, PMHNP-BC, DNP Program Director and Chair, said the collaboration underscores the value of building connections across the college’s programs. “Janay and Mary saw an opportunity to bring students at very different points in their nursing education together and turn that connection into something practical,” Bouchard said. “They created a way for MEPN and DNP students to contribute to real community needs, giving students meaningful roles while learning from one another. That kind of cross-program collaboration strengthens our students, programs, college, and the communities we serve.”