Professor Patti Zuzelo, DNP Program Director, announced that the three students of the first Doctor of Nursing Practice Program cohort successfully defended their clinical capstone projects during the week of December 3, 2012. According to Zuzelo, “The projects addressed cutting-edge practice issues with each project having the potential to significantly improve particular health care concerns.” Project topics included Dr. Lori Dwyer’s“Construct Validity of the DPURA: Measuring Pressure Ulcer Risk,” Assistant Professor of Nursing Dr. Anne McGrorty’s “A Pediatric Obesity Evidence-Based Teaching Plan: Foundation of a Social Media Intervention.” and, Dr. Patricia Sorrentino’s “Handoff: Communication for Patient Safety.''  ''Clinical capstone projects are similarly rigorous to dissertation projects but are designed to improve clinical practice outcomes, particularly as related to vulnerable populations,” says Zuzelo, “Each successful candidate is engaged in advanced practice nursing, including nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist roles.”