Resource Library

↑

Use this library to find reliable sources for DNP coursework, evidence-based practice, clinical preparation, DNP projects, certification, and the transition into advanced practice.

The resources here prioritize original guideline developers, government and regulatory agencies, established health-sciences databases, and recognized evidence-appraisal and reporting tools. Commercial point-of-care resources are identified separately.

Some databases and clinical references require university, employer, or individual subscriptions. When access is provided through your school or clinical organization, use its library portal to connect.

Resource Library Note

Clinical recommendations, regulations, certification requirements, and professional resources change. Follow the link to the original source and confirm that you are using the current version before relying on it for coursework, clinical decisions, or professional requirements.

Skip ahead:

Academic Writing & Reference Management

APA Style

  • APA Style
    Official guidance from the American Psychological Association for APA formatting, references, in-text citations, tables, figures, grammar, and scholarly writing.
  • Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide
    Practical examples of APA 7 formatting and common reference types.

Reference Management

  • Zotero
    Free reference-management software for collecting and organizing sources, managing PDFs, inserting citations, and building reference lists.
  • Your university library and writing center
    Use your institution’s librarians and writing support services for database searching, literature reviews, citation questions, and assignment-specific guidance.

Reference-management software can save considerable time, but automatically generated references should still be checked against APA 7 requirements.

Literature Searching

Health-Sciences Databases

  • PubMed
    Free biomedical and health-sciences literature database from the National Library of Medicine.
  • CINAHL
    Nursing and allied-health literature database. Access is commonly provided through university and healthcare libraries.
  • Cochrane Library
    Systematic reviews and other evidence resources focused on healthcare interventions and clinical decision-making.
  • ProQuest One Health & Nursing
    Nursing and health-sciences literature, dissertations, and related scholarly content. Institutional access is generally required.

Supplemental Search Tools

  • Google Scholar
    Useful for supplementary discovery, citation tracking, and locating versions of known articles. For structured or reproducible literature searches, use appropriate health-sciences databases as the primary search tools.
  • MeSH Browser
    National Library of Medicine tool for identifying Medical Subject Headings used in PubMed searching.

→ Writing a Strong PICO Question

→ Evidence-Based Practice & Research for DNP Students

Evidence Appraisal & Translation

Different tools serve different appraisal purposes. Match the appraisal method to the type of evidence you are evaluating.

  • Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model & Tools
    Evidence-based practice tools supporting question development, searching, appraisal, evidence summaries, synthesis, translation, and implementation.
  • JBI Critical Appraisal Tools
    Study-design-specific tools for assessing trustworthiness, relevance, and results.
  • CASP Checklists
    Structured critical-appraisal prompts for several common research designs. Use the checklists to guide appraisal rather than converting them into a numeric quality score.
  • AGREE II
    Framework for evaluating the quality and methodological rigor of clinical practice guidelines.

Research & Project Reporting

Appraisal tools help determine how much confidence to place in evidence. Reporting guidelines address how research and improvement work should be described transparently.

  • EQUATOR Network
    Searchable library of reporting guidelines for health research and improvement work.
  • PRISMA 2020
    Checklists, flow diagrams, and reporting guidance for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
  • SQUIRE 2.0
    Reporting guidance for systematic efforts to improve healthcare quality, safety, and value.

Use the reporting guideline that matches the design and purpose of the work rather than applying one reporting checklist to every project.

DNP Projects, Implementation & Evaluation

Project classification cannot be determined from a label such as “QI,” “EBP,” or “program evaluation” alone. Follow your academic program and project site’s process for determining required review, IRB involvement, privacy protections, data-use requirements, and organizational approval.

Clinical Guidelines & Preventive Care

For current clinical recommendations, start with the organization responsible for developing or maintaining the guidance.

Prevention & Health Maintenance

Major Clinical Guideline Sources

Clinical guidelines still require interpretation in the context of the individual patient, clinical setting, applicable scope of practice, and other relevant guidance.

Pharmacology & Prescribing

FDA & Government Medication Resources

  • Drugs@FDA
    FDA-approved drug information, including prescribing information, patient labeling, approval history, and regulatory reviews.
  • DailyMed
    Searchable medication labeling submitted to FDA and maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

When the specific question is the most recent FDA-approved prescribing information, Drugs@FDA is the better starting point. DailyMed is useful for searching current in-use labeling and a broader range of labeling documents.

Clinical Drug References

These commercial references may be available through your university, clinical site, or employer.

  • UpToDate Lexidrug
    Drug reference and medication decision-support resource formerly known as Lexicomp.
  • Epocrates
    Medication reference and clinical decision-support platform.

Use current prescribing information and patient-specific factors when making medication decisions. A secondary drug database should not replace regulatory labeling or applicable clinical guidance when those sources are required.

Point-of-Care Clinical References

Point-of-care references synthesize evidence for rapid clinical use. They are useful for answering clinical questions, but they serve a different purpose from an original guideline, regulatory document, or primary research article.

  • DynaMed
    Evidence-based clinical decision-support resource with continuously updated clinical topics. Subscription access is required.
  • UpToDate
    Evidence-based clinical decision-support resource covering diagnosis, management, treatment, and other clinical questions. Subscription access is required.

Your university or employer may provide institutional access to one or both resources.

For academic assignments, follow your program’s expectations regarding whether point-of-care summaries are acceptable sources or whether you should cite the underlying guideline or research.

Clinical Calculators & Decision Support

Clinical calculators are most useful when the tool has been developed and validated for the patient population and clinical question in front of you.

  • ACC CVD Risk Estimator Plus
    Current American College of Cardiology cardiovascular risk-estimation tool.
  • AHA PREVENT Calculator
    Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic risk equations developed for primary cardiovascular prevention.
  • MDCalc
    Collection of clinical prediction rules, scores, equations, and decision-support tools. Review the evidence and intended population for the individual calculator you use.
  • CDC Growth Charts
    Growth-chart resources and guidance for pediatric growth assessment.

A score or calculated risk estimate contributes to clinical assessment. It should be interpreted within the clinical context and according to the guidance associated with the specific tool.

Certification, Licensure & Regulation

→ Start with the YourDNP FNP Certification & APRN Licensure Guide

National FNP Certification

Use the certifying organization’s current candidate handbook and examination content outline when preparing to apply or test.

APRN Regulation

State nursing regulatory bodies and applicable statutes and rules are the primary sources for licensure, scope of practice, prescriptive authority, and renewal requirements.

Federal Provider Resources

Professional Organizations

Professional organizations can provide continuing education, professional development, advocacy, networking, practice resources, and specialty communities.

Advanced Practice, Nursing & Education

Specialty Nursing Organizations

State, regional, and specialty organizations may become more useful as your clinical interests and professional role develop.

Career Development

→ Start with the YourDNP Career Development Guide

Additional career resources:

Scholarships, Loan Repayment & Financial Support

Scholarship cycles, eligibility requirements, funding amounts, and service obligations change. Check the sponsoring organization directly before planning around a specific opportunity.

Nursing Scholarships

Loan Repayment & Forgiveness

Also check:

  • Your university’s financial-aid and scholarship office
  • Employer tuition-assistance programs
  • Health-system and hospital foundations
  • State workforce programs
  • Local nursing organizations
  • Specialty professional organizations

Read service obligations carefully before accepting scholarship or loan-repayment funding.

Choose the Source That Matches the Question

Different resources answer different questions.

If you need to know…Start with…
What current research saysPubMed, CINAHL, or Cochrane Library
How to critically appraise a studyJBI or CASP
How to appraise a clinical guidelineAGREE II
How to report a systematic reviewPRISMA
How to report healthcare quality improvementSQUIRE
What a current clinical guideline recommendsThe organization that developed the guideline
What the current FDA-approved drug labeling saysDrugs@FDA
What your state legally permits an APRN to doYour state nursing regulatory body, Nurse Practice Act, and rules
What an FNP certification exam requiresNPCB/AANPCB or ANCC
How to answer a point-of-care clinical questionDynaMed or UpToDate, when available
What a scholarship or loan-repayment program currently requiresThe organization administering the program

A convenient secondary source can help you find an answer quickly. When the exact wording of a regulation, guideline, drug label, certification requirement, or program rule affects the decision, follow the information back to the organization responsible for it.

Using This Library

The Resource Library is intended to make trustworthy information easier to find. It does not replace faculty guidance, clinical supervision, institutional policies, state or federal requirements, or patient-specific clinical judgment.

External organizations control their own content and may revise or relocate resources. Verify time-sensitive information at the point when you need it.

Content last reviewed: