DNP 810 Topic 1 Discussion Question 1 PEER Responses

DNP 810 Topic 1 Discussion Question 1 PEER Responses
Congratulations on your acceptance into the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Grand Canyon University. Earning a DNP is a major milestone for you personally and a significant contribution to your community and profession. In keeping with the expectations of DNP professionals, learners enrolled in this program are expected to display courteous and professional conduct and develop strong scholarly skills. This course will begin to prepare you for your professional journey.
In a few words, explain how your future role as a Doctor of Nursing Practice leader will serve your profession and your personal community. On a personal level, what do you expect to achieve from this program? (This response does not require research support.)
Review the “Discussion Forum Philosophy” located in the Class Resources. You are expected to post in the forum according to these guidelines without further prompting for the duration of the program.
Margaret Williams
Posted Date
Feb 21, 2022, 11:56 PM
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My future role as DNP leader will allow me to further facilitate my growth as a provider as strong leader in understanding and developing research that will provide for more effective evidence-based practices in collaboration with other healthcare providers and healthcare systems that will lead to clearer practices in providing quality care and patient safety.
This new role will help me develop teaching skills to provide for future nurses at all levels of learning. My goal in advancing my degree is to be an instructor who can teach others the power of strong leadership skills that will allow them to build a successful practice in helping to advocate for a better, stronger healthcare system that they can be proud of just like I feel about this journey I am embarking on today.
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Elsie Nlerum
replied toMargaret Williams
Feb 23, 2022, 3:28 PM
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Hello Margaret,
I am in agreement with you that a DNP degree will facilitate your growth as a provider in understanding and developing research. One of the best ways for nurses to acquire strong leadership skills is by earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree. Equipped with D.N.P. leadership skills, nurses can move into a variety of leadership roles. Those roles enable nurses to make valuable and lasting contributions to the quality of health care delivery and promote a positive working environment for all health care professionals and critical in ensuring that patients receive high-quality and efficiently delivered health care.
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EMANUELA SALAJEAN
Posted Date
Feb 19, 2022, 3:10 PM
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As a Patient Care Manager, I find myself attempting to fix issues, concerns and quality fall outs on a daily basis. Evidence-based research and implementation of practice has grown in all healthcare settings. My role as a Doctor of Nursing Practice is to continue to serve the community in order to enhance patient outcomes. I serve in several committees in order to better service the homeless population, those that are uninsured and others without home assistance in collaboration with social work and case management. The DNP program will assist me in furthering my education in order to establish better processes and protocols for the needs of all patients. I have assisted in several quality improvement projects however it is quite challenging to know where to get started without proper education and background. I know that I can gain this knowledge throughout this program. My main focus and goal is to make change and a positive impact especially on processes that are failing frequently. There are many processes that I know can be enhanced however I don’t actually know where to start. I also see this from bedside nurses. The nurses are always full of ideas for great quality improvement projects however similar to myself, it is challenging to decide a start point or to educate on how to move forward with great ideas. Altogether, change is always needed in order to save lives in our fast growing healthcare system. The census and acuity of patients from five years ago is severely different from today’s which means process and improvements are needed to better care for each individual.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has benchmarks regarding Sepsis, Stroke, CLABSI, CAUTI’s and HAPI’s. The hospital gathers nurses champions, MD’s, Advance Practice Providers, project managers, IT, and DNP’s in order to assist in developing processes to meet these benchmarks in order to have a positive impact on patient outcomes. I am eager and excited to be involved and assist in workgroups such as these.
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Tommie Wood
replied toEMANUELA SALAJEAN
Feb 19, 2022, 8:58 PM
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Emanuela,
Patient care manager play an important role in improving patient outcomes. Obtaining your DNP will provide a solid foundation of evidence-based practice to work at a higher level in your organization. It will provide the knowledge to work at the executive level to have more of an impact in policy and procedure development. The DNP program, according to AACN position statement provides advanced nursing practice, organization and systems leadership/management, quality improvement, health policy development and collaboration to improve population health (AACN, 2022). I’ve done case management and in my current role I work closely with internal and external care manager. I have much respect for care managers. Especially during the pandemic.
Personally, I’ve noticed over the past several years the acuity of patients has increased. The criteria for hospital inpatient admission changes periodically according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Although acuity for IP admission has become more difficult, in some diagnosis to meet per InterQual, Skilled Nursing has become more lenient.
I believe knowing where to start is having the awareness that there are gaps and challenges in current processes and having the desire and passion for improvement.
Reference
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2022). AACN position statement – DNP. Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/Position-Statement
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Elsie Nlerum
replied toTommie Wood
Feb 19, 2022, 11:40 PM
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Hello Emauela,
You are right that the past several years the acuity of patients has increased, High-acuity patients need frequent observation to ensure that they improve or remain stable. Since these patients can decline quickly, nurses must check on them regularly. As a result, high-acuity units and facilities must maintain higher staffing levels. Nurse managers often use acuity scales to decide how many nurses they need for shifts. A particularly high-acuity patient may need a nurse dedicated solely to their care, while low acuity patients may share their nurses with many other patients. In other words, nurse staffing ratios can change dramatically depending on the level of care each patient needs. Patients with complex care requiring attention from an RN will create different staffing needs than patients who need only the attention of nursing assistants.
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Patricia Etheridge
replied toEMANUELA SALAJEAN
Feb 20, 2022, 12:52 PM
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Hi Emanuela,
Nice post, you stated that you see many processes at your institution that could be enhanced and you don’t know where to start. This DNP program will help you do exactly that: Solve a clinical concern at your instruction using the most current research. I look forward to watching you grow in this process. Take care, Dr. Etheridge
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Angela Zafke
Posted Date
Feb 19, 2022, 2:02 PM
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As healthcare evolves and becomes more complex, nursing needs to be actively involved in research and know how to translate the research into practice. The skills of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) leader are developed to interpret and apply research to nursing practice. This allows for DNPs to practice in a variety of roles within different organizations and blends research into nursing practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 2020).
It is my hope that I can help advance nursing knowledge in my region by pursuing my DNP. Currently, there is only one DNP nurse within my facility. In my current position, I actively read research and try to incorporate evidence into daily practice. However, at times, this can be extremely challenging, especially if it involves change on behalf of medical providers. As part of my DNP training, I am eager to learn how to better implement research into bedside practice. I would like to be a resource for nurses at any organizational level who strive to drive practice change. It is imperative for nurses to remain current in practice and not become complacent. Complacency can alter patient outcomes and possibly lead to patient harm if we do not challenge the status quo and look for ways to improve quality. By obtaining my DNP, I hope to motivate my team to seek ways to improve nursing practice and realize each person can have a role in improvement and change.
Personally, earning a terminal degree has always been my goal. As I go through this program, I am looking forward to networking with my peers from different areas of the country. I am eager to develop my research and leadership skills. Ultimately, I hope to inspire others to consider advancing their degree. I firmly believe education is necessary for quality drive patient care and for advancing the nursing profession.
Reference
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2020, October). AACN fact sheet – DNP. Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/DNP-Fact-Sheet
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Patricia Etheridge
replied toAngela Zafke
Feb 19, 2022, 1:27 PM
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Hi Angela,
I loved your opening comment that ” as healthcare evolves and becomes more complex, nursing needs to be actively involved in research and know-how to translate the research into practice”. This is exactly what you will learn and do in this program…. This is the basis of the DNP Prgram. Nice post, Dr. Etheridge
DNP 810 Topic 1 Discussion Question 1 PEER Responses
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EMANUELA SALAJEAN
replied toAngela Zafke
Feb 19, 2022, 7:15 PM
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Hello Angela,
I am glad you brought up the challenging aspect of change amongst medical providers. This is a challenge amongst our institution as well which can be unfortunate since the medical team often are key drivers in quality improvement and patient outcomes. Most recently, our department has implemented a sepsis bundle and care path based on patient’s arrival symptoms, vitals signs and nursing completing an infection screen. This is completed for early recognition of sepsis in order to activate an order set. I have been working on this change amongst other peers and one of our fall-outs are incomplete or a-la-cart orders by providers with incomplete documentation. I find it is quite difficult to educate and drive a project to the nursing team where some of the medical group is either not up to date or resistant. Altogether, it is a team effort and I believe this program will assist in collaborating efficiently and effectively with those hesitant to change.
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Beverly Quiza
Posted Date
Feb 19, 2022, 1:59 PM
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As a Nurse leader, I am expected to oversee nursing units, ensure nurses staff follow protocols and procedures that provides patient safety. I enrolled to GCU DNP Program because I believe that it will help me in end to focus the responsibilities , essential qualities and leadership style that I want to practice. After my program I hope that I have gained my advance knowledge and skills to apply in my organization. I hope that I can be a better improve and effective leader as I transitioned to a new job role. In order for me to be an effective leader I should incorporate what I’ve learned and share it to my staff that current evidence-based practice into nursing practice in order to provide high quality care for patients. I chose this path because I want to make difference both for nurses and patients. Having this degree I know that I would be able to educate and teach my staff the skills, knowledge and improve patient health outcomes. Providing them all the tools they need for delivering top-quality care. It is my responsibility to make sure that we are all patient advocates and our staff has initiatives to better themselves. Being a nurse leader I should be able to communicate with all the team members openly and efficiently to provide care. I should focus on understanding healthcare management and should be able to work with other stakeholders to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
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Angela Zafke
replied toBeverly Quiza
Feb 19, 2022, 1:18 PM
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Beverly,
Your staff are fortunate to have a dedicated leader driven to look at the current evidence based practice that ultimately affects the quality of care patients received. I have similar goals as well. I am an informal leader as I work as the nurse educator in my unit. I am looking forward to developing my leadership skills in order to drive quality driven nursing care and battle complacency that can be so prevalent. To me, the DNP degree is a nice bridge between academics and research in to practice or direct patient care. I appreciate your recognition of the various stakeholders that are involved and impact outcomes. Having the DNP degree will give tools of data interpretation and return of investment which is a topic of interest for many stakekholders.
Angie
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Patricia Etheridge
replied toBeverly Quiza
Feb 19, 2022, 1:25 PM
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Hi Beverly,
Good post, I liked your comment regarding DNP’s as Leaders and advocates. You already “Lead” and a DNP will enhance it. It will help you to understand the role that Nurse Leaders can take when they are trying to solve for a clinical concern and take the most current research, implement it at their institution and make positive changes for patients. Take care, Dr. Etheridge
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Elsie Nlerum
Posted Date
Feb 19, 2022, 12:24 PM
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I totally aligned with the opinion of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (2020) that to ensure exceptional patient outcomes, the changing needs of our country’s complex healthcare system necessitate the highest degree of scientific knowledge and practice skill. Thus, acquiring a doctoral degree in Nursing is highly important.
My desire for improvement in clinical outcomes for patients, career advancement, independent research skills, and active participation in making healthcare-shaping policies as being my motivation for pursuing a doctoral degree in Nursing. This desire was further shaped by a personal experience with a Doctor of Nursing Practice at my workplace. I witnessed this Nurse coordinating high-level care effectively and actively participating in making policies that improve care. I aim to acquire these high-level skills and I see the program as an avenue to maximize my potential as a nurse.
To be effective in reconceptualized roles and to be seen and accepted as a leader, I must see the policy as something I can shape and develop rather than something that happens to me, whether at the local organizational level or the national level. I will speak the language of policy and engage in the political process effectively and work cohesively as a profession. I should have a voice in health policy decision-making, as well as be engaged in implementation efforts related to health care reform. I also should serve actively on advisory committees, commissions, and boards where policy decisions are made to advance health systems to improve patient care. I will build new partnerships with other clinicians, business owners, philanthropists, elected officials, and the public to help realize these improvements.
Reference
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2020). AACN Fact Sheet – DNP. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/DNP-Fact-Sheet
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Patricia Etheridge
replied toElsie Nlerum
Feb 19, 2022, 1:06 PM
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Hi Elsie,
Nice post. Your comment regarding seeing policy as something you can shape and develop rather than something that happens to you either locally or nationally is so true and relevant, as it describes the Leadership found from a DNP. You have the clinical experience and the foresight to know what is best for patients. As a DNP graduate, you will ask the important clinical question, study the research, find an evidence-based intervention that may answer your question, try it at your institution, disseminate the results and then help make or influence policy change. Take care, Dr. Etheridge
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EMANUELA SALAJEAN
replied toElsie Nlerum
Feb 21, 2022, 10:30 PM(edited)
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Hello Elsie,
Great stand on policy reformation. In my current role, I have assisted with policy making however prior to this role I was unaware of the views of those that endorse these policies. At times, I find myself speaking up when a policy is drafted as it does not always pertain to every department. I am hoping this program assists with policy decision-making and partnering with other clinicians as you mentioned. I find that most policy changes do circle back to evidence-based practice. The AACN (2020) mentions that the DNP is the highest level of scientific research in order change demands in healthcare. I am proud that we all have taken this step to change nursing education in order to eliminate negative patient outcomes.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2020). AACN Fact Sheet – DNP. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/DNP-Fact-Sheet
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Carolyn Smith
Posted Date
Feb 18, 2022, 8:21 PM
Status
Published
Replies to Margaret Williams
The Nursing profession has evolved over the years. It has become more research and science oriented. Nurses who are prepared in research and practice-based doctoral programs play important roles in the development and implementation of the science that shapes nursing practice. The DNP program has greater focus on innovative and evidence-based-practice. Therefore, DNP prepared nurses make important and significant contributions to nursing practice through the application of valid research findings (Trautman et al, 2018).
The DNP program is designed to equip nurses with critical thinking and problem skills to enable them make rational judgements. Nurses in advanced leadership roles such as DNPs should be able to make decisions that follow ethical and legal standards. The goal of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is to produce leaders in nursing. Such nurses possess the highest level of nursing expertise and work either in clinical settings or leadership roles. DNP holders are highly knowledgeable enough to influence healthcare outcomes through organizational leadership, health policy implementation, and direct patient care (LeVick, 2021).
As a future DNP, and in consonance with academics and research, I expect to serve as a steward of the nursing profession with the responsibility to foster quality nursing practice by translating research into implementation of evidence-based practice to improve community and overall national health outcomes. As a DNP prepared nurse (APRN), I will use my clinical expertise and leadership skills to address the complex issues that face patients and the present-day American Healthcare System.
In my opinion, I believe it’s about time nurses engaged in active politics so that we can have a voice in the process of enshrining health policies and practices into law. On top of all these commitments, on a personal note, I will feel satisfied and fulfilled that I have reached the pinnacle of my nursing career and self-actualization. I always desired it, but given the circumstances, and experiences I have encountered, I least expected to get this far. This has proved to me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
References
LeVick, D. (2021). What Is a DNP and Is It Worth It?
Trautman, D. E et al. (2018). Advancing Scholarship through Translational Research: The Role of PhD and DNP Prepared Nurses.