NKU- DNP Theory and Research
Discussion Board for Week 1:
1. After reading Moran et al. (2020) chapters 1 to 3 reflect on and discuss why nursing leaders encouraged the development of the practice doctorate nursing degree. (Related to MO 2)
2. After reading Moran et al. (2020) chapter 3, give a minimum of 2 examples of scholarship as it relates to the practice doctorate nursing degree. (Related to MO 1,4)
3. Explain the relevance of the DNP scholarly project to nursing clinical practice. (Related to MO 1,2,3, 4)
4. Now that you have explained the relevance of the DNP scholarly project to nursing clinical practice, begin to think about what you want to improve in your clinical setting. In next module”s discussion board, you will be asked to identify what you want to improve in your clinical setting. In preparation for the next module, list here in response to this #4, one or two potential problems that you are considering for your DNP project.
Discussion should show evidence of having read the textbook and other assigned sources. Comments should not be isolated or disjointed. Communication skills such as good listening are evident in well thought out discussions. Comments show evidence of a thorough reading and analysis of the material assigned. Ideally, there is a willingness to test new ideas rather than offer only cautious or ‘safe’ comments. Students may interact with other class members by asking questions or challenging conclusions.
NEED RESPONSES ON FELLOW CLASSMATES’ POSTS BELOW
Kayla Tackett
The beautiful thing about being a part of a nursing career is that a nurse is always learning and striving to be better. In nursing, there are many routes that one can take to work in many different situations and facilities. One thing that is always definite in the nursing field is that there is always change. There is evidence-based research being performed minute by minute in the healthcare field. Many times, this research is being conducted by again, nurses. Evidence-based practice is the sometimes-lengthy process of utilizing data to review, analyze, and translate the most recent scientific evidence in healthcare (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019).
While there are nurses that use this data to research and translate the new practices, there must be nurses in the fields to help carry out the evidence-based practice research in practice. If there is a safer more effective path to care for patients, this is what should be carried out. The doctoral degree in nursing practice (DNP) brings many attributes to healthcare. Firstly, the DNP prepared nurse brings better teamwork to practice. This leads to better outcomes for patients and decreased turnover rates (Moran et al, 2020).
DNP prepared nurses can also contribute a broader range of evidence and provide the explanation for nurses and interdisciplinary practices throughout the healthcare industry. DNP prepared nurses may also provide a path to increase the opportunities to accelerate more nurse-led practice models, increasing the amount of evidence-based practice in healthcare (Moran et al, 2020). The most important value that a nurse should hold is providing the most effective and safest care for all patients. The goal for DNP prepared nurses is to promote policy change for more effective care and practice scholarship.
DNP prepared nurses commonly use scholarship in his/her practice. Scholarship in the DNP clinical role is defined as utilizing evidence-based practice research to translate into practice (Trautman et al, 2018). The goal of nursing scholarship is to improve health and transform health care. There are several different types of nursing scholarships. One type of scholarship that has seemed to be most interesting is quality improvement. Quality improvement nurses work closely with the interdisciplinary teams to continually provide the highest level of safety and quality of care (ANA, 2020). An example of a nurse working in a quality improvement role would be to monitor the amount of catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) on a specific unit of a facility. Once the nurse determined the number of CAUTIs, there would be research conducted to decide if there was a common factor. The nurse would then work among all teams to decrease the amount of CAUTIs.
Another example of scholarship of a DNP prepared nurse is measurement of quality indicators (Moran et al, 2020). With federal and private insurance reimbursements, most facilities have to reach a certain number of goals among patient care. A DNP prepared nurse in this role would monitor the quality indicators to ensure the patients are receiving the upmost care while also monitoring the reimbursements to ensure the budget is sufficient.
It is very important that nurses in the DNP program understand the importance of the DNP project. Most students that are enrolled in a DNP program do have a strong clinical background. The DNP project provides a framework for advanced nurses to prove the strength of the clinical knowledge. The DNP students introduce a situation/problem that he/she witnesses in the field of nursing in which they practice. Once the problem is introduced, the student will provide a demonstration of how practicing scholarly nurses can build new knowledge (Moran et al, 2020). It is very important to determine if a student can bridge the gap between researching a situation and putting the research into practice.
I am very interested in working on this project and providing the bridge between research and practice. There are a couple problems that I see in the practice in the area in which I live and work. Recently, a major flood occurred in my hometown in Eastern Kentucky. I have watched neighbors, elderly, coworkers, and children lose everything they own. This has been a terrible time for the mental health of the population. I am not sure what route to take with this problem; however, I would like to evaluate the mental health status of the residents that suffered from surviving the flood without losing anything versus those that have lost everything. I will continue to study the mental health issues that arise from this problem. Depression and anxiety is a major issue in our area at the moment especially among the adults that do not have the means to provide for their families. Of course, I would love to be able to Help with the health of our community.
Another issue that I would like to study is the population of mothers that have children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). This is the children that are born addicted to medications or substances. As a former NICU nurse, I worked closely with this population. Again, I am not sure which route to take with this situation as well. I will need some guidance with the topics to determine what would be best for the project. I look forward to working on the project.
References
American Nurses Association (ANA). Nursing quality. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/health-policy/health-system-reform/quality/
Melnyk, B.M. & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare. A guide to best practice. (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Moran, K., Burson, R., & Conrad, D. (2020). The doctor of nursing practice scholarly project: A framework for success. (3rd Ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Trautman, D., Izdik, S., Hammersla, M., & Rosseter, R. (2018, May). Advancing Scholarship through Translational Research: The role of PhD and DNP prepared nurses. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No2-May-2018/Advancing-Scholarship-through-Translational-Research.html
Raphael Omoto
1. After reading Moran et al. (2020) chapters 1 to 3 reflect on and discuss why nursing leaders encouraged the development of the practice doctorate nursing degree. (Related to MO 2).
There are many reasons nursing leaders encouraged the development of the practice doctorate nursing degree. First, healthcare has become increasingly complex, which calls for an advanced nursing degree to match complex healthcare challenges. Second, DNP-prepared practitioners would help reduce the ever-increasing cost of healthcare. In a study by Rajan et al. (2021), nurse practitioners save the cost of primary caregiving. The study supports the increased involvement of nurse practitioners in primary caregiving. Third, the deteriorating quality of healthcare requires well-trained nurse practitioners who are good and, in some cases, even better than the care provided by primary care physicians. Second, individuals holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree would contribute to a reduction in the ever-increasing cost of medical treatment. According to research carried out by Rajan and colleagues in 2021, nurse practitioners help reduce the costs associated with primary caring. The findings of this study provide credence to the concept of expanding the role of nurse practitioners in primary care. Third, the decline in the quality of healthcare necessitates the employment of well-trained nurse practitioners who offer treatment that is at least comparable to, and in some instances even superior to, that offered by primary care physicians. Fourth, nurses are leaders and managers in collaborative efforts; nurses need to have the highest degree of qualification, DNP, to match their counterparts in healthcare. Lastly, DNP-prepared nurses are better placed to influence healthcare policy and advocacy decisions on the best evidence available.
2. After reading Moran et al. (2020) chapter 3, give a minimum of 2 examples of scholarship related to the practice doctorate nursing degree. (Related to MO 1,4)
• Research: DNP-prepared nurse practitioners who are prepared in research and practice-focused doctoral programs make essential contributions to developing and implementing the science that shapes nursing practice.
• Ph.D. and DNP collaboration: Ph.D. and DNP-prepared nurses are allies in accelerating the pace at which new nursing interventions are translated from research to practice. Ph.D. and DNP-prepared nurses ensure that contemporary nursing practice remains relevant and reliable enough to meet evolving patient needs.
3. Explain the relevance of the DNP scholarly project to nursing clinical practice. (Related to MO 1,2,3, 4)
The scholarly Capstone Project is a requirement for a DNP program. The project identifies a current problem or needs in clinical practice through evidence-based search strategies and critical appraisal of the literature. According to Newland (2022), DNP scholarly project is relevant to nursing practice because it focuses on applying evidence to the identified problem, consequently improving patient quality of care and health outcomes.
4. Now that you have explained the relevance of the DNP scholarly project to nursing clinical practice, begin to think about what you want to improve in your clinical setting. In next module’s discussion board, you will be asked to identify what you want to improve in your clinical setting. In preparation for the next module, list here in response to this #4, one or two potential problems that you are considering for your DNP project.
• Reducing the metabolic side effects of antipsychotics.
• Pharmacotherapy for anxiety bipolar disorder.
Reference
Rajan, S. S., Akeroyd, J. M., Ahmed, S. T., Ramsey, D. J., Ballantyne, C. M., Petersen, L. A., & Virani, S. S. (2021). Health care costs associated with primary care physicians versus nurse practitioners and physician Helpants. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 33(11), 967–974. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000555Links to an external site.
Newland, Jamesetta (2022) scholarly projects change practice. The Nurse Practitioner: April 10, 2022 – Volume 38 – Issue 4 – p 6 doi: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000427597.86572.0d
