Foundations and essentials for the doctor of nursing practice

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Initial Post

AACN DNP Essentials

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) highlights a set of essential competencies for Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. These competencies are essential in ensuring that graduates are prepared well to lead in clinical practice and healthcare systems. One of the key competencies that closely align with doctoral project completion is information systems/technology and patient care technology for the improvement and transformation of health care. This competency is a crucial component of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Technology has significantly transformed many aspects of human life in positive ways. It has led to efficient and improved healthcare delivery systems (Krick et al., 2019). As a DNP, technology enables me to understand diseases better and develop the best treatment plans. DNP programs incorporate information systems and technology in the nursing curriculum because they help mold nursing students into innovative individuals capable of employing advanced practices to deliver the best care. During projects, DNP graduates need to be able to leverage technology to gather, analyze, and interpret clinical data, which is vital to evidence-based practice.

I have applied this essential competency in many ways my practicum/field experience. For instance, I can use electronic health records to document patient assessments, treatment plans, and progress notes. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that authorized users can access instantly. While the records do not contain patients’ medical and treatment histories, an HER system is designed to go beyond clinical data and can include a wider view of a patient’s care. Real-time health records have been valuable during my practicum experience.

Another essential competency that aligns with completing a doctoral project is interprofessional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes. Research indicates that enhanced healthcare collaboration is a critical strategy for healthcare reform (Schot et al., 2020). Collaboration empowers nurses to make appropriate decisions while delivering care. It closes communication gaps between nurses, promotes comprehensive patient care, minimizes readmission rates, encourages patient-centered care, and promotes a team mentality among nurses (Schot et al., 2020). As DNP, I will be required to work with a team of professionals, such as physicians, pharmacists, and social workers, to complete my project.

During my practicum/field experience, collaboration have played a key role in addressing complex healthcare issues. By embracing interprofessional collaboration, I learned how to communicate better with other healthcare professionals, leading to improved decision-making in high-stress clinical environments. Collaboration establishes a healthy work environment where nurses are happy, satisfied, and are better positioned to thrive. During my field experience, I also developed interprofessional collaboration skills by actively participating in health care teams. Collaboration involves sharing project goals with colleagues, seeking team members’ input and expertise, and working together to develop interventions that improve patient and population health outcomes.

The third essential completion aligning with the completion of a doctoral project is advanced nursing practice. Healthcare is becoming more sophisticated. However, with increased knowledge, there is growth of specialization in nursing, which helps ensure competence in highly complex practice areas (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006). This competency emphasizes the development of advanced nursing practice skills such as assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based practice. For instance, evidence-based practice involves providing quality care where interventions are based on the most current research and knowledge. Evidence-based practice has several benefits, including but not limited to improved positive patient outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, increased nurse autonomy and decision-making, and enhanced critical thinking. I must apply advanced practice skills to develop and implement interventions that address complex healthcare challenges when completing my doctoral project. During my practicum experience, I have applied this essential competency by using advanced diagnostic tools and delivering evidence-based care. I can leverage advanced practice skills to develop and implement patient-tailored care plans.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). 
The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. The Association.

Krick, T., Huter, K., Domhoff, D., Schmidt, A., Rothgang, H., & Wolf-Ostermann, K. (2019). Digital technology and nursing care: a scoping review on acceptance, effectiveness and efficiency studies of informal and formal care technologies. 
BMC health services research, 
19, 1-15.

Schot, E., Tummers, L., & Noordegraaf, M. (2020). Working on working together. A systematic review on how healthcare professionals contribute to interprofessional collaboration. 
Journal of interprofessional care, 
34(3), 332-342.