NURS 8002 Assignment Weeks 4–5: AACN Essentials for the Doctorally Prepared Nurse
NURS 8002 Assignment Weeks 4–5: AACN Essentials for the Doctorally Prepared Nurse
Weeks 4–5: AACN Essentials for the Doctorally Prepared Nurse
[The AACN DNP] Essentials outline the foundational competencies that are core to all advanced practice roles, including the four nationally-recognized Advanced Practice Registered Nursing roles: nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives.
— American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2006)
What does it mean to be a DNP-prepared nurse? What core function of advanced nursing practice do you hope to practice upon completion of your DNP? How will earning a DNP enhance your nursing practice?
Questions such as these may represent some underlying consideration that led you to pursue a DNP. In your role as a DNP-prepared nurse, you will likely be called upon to perform advanced nursing practice skills that not only enhance patient care but will impact the delivery of healthcare, organizational standards, and quality improvement initiatives.
This week, you consider the role of a nurse with a practice doctorate, including the expectations associated with obtaining a DNP degree. You reflect on your personal motivations for pursuing a doctoral degree and begin to examine how your proposed Doctoral Project and practicum/field experience will align to the AACN DNP Essentials.
Reference:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). DNP essentials. https://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/DNP-Essentials
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze the role of a nurse with a practice doctorate
- Analyze expectations associated with obtaining the DNP degree
- Analyze personal motivations for pursing a doctoral degree
- Explain the role of the DNP-prepared nurse in meeting organizational quality improvement needs
- Evaluate alignment between the AACN DNP Essentials and completion of Doctoral Projects
- Evaluate alignment between the AACN DNP Essentials and completion of a practicum/field experience
Learning Resources
Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)
Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(8), 447–453. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000266
Document: DNP Project Process Guide (Word document)
Discussion: The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice
A doctoral degree carries a certain set of expectations associated with the completion of advanced educational attainment. Earning a DNP degree is no exception. What are the expectations associated with a DNP-prepared nurse? How might these expectations differ among nursing staff without a DNP degree?
The role of a DNP-prepared nurse is multifaceted; they can serve as nurse educators, policy and legislation advocates, direct nursing care supervisors, or advanced practice nurses responsible for tracking, installing, and monitoring initiatives aimed at improving nursing and healthcare delivery. Regardless of the expectations associated with a DNP-prepared nurse, throughout your program of study, you will hone the skills necessary to enact each of these roles. Consider which role you are most excited about. What do you hope to accomplish in the realm of professional nursing practice with your DNP degree?
For this Discussion, reflect on your personal motivations to pursue a DNP degree. Consider the expectations associated with the DNP-prepared nurse, including how these may differ with a PhD-prepared nurse. Reflect on the DNP degree requirements, including your practicum/field experience and completion of your Doctoral Project. Then, think about how you will demonstrate the alignment of the AACN DNP Essentials to the completion of these program-of-study milestones.
To prepare:
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- Review the Learning Resources and reflect on the reasons you have chosen to pursue a DNP degree. How do you anticipate that earning this degree will support your professional goals?
- Reflect on the differences between DNP and PhD degrees. How may this relate to your decision to pursue the DNP degree?
- Review the degree requirements for completing your DNP at Walden. Specifically, consider the focus of the Doctoral Project and practicum experiences as discussed in the DNP Essentials document. Keep in mind that you will be required to identify a site or sites for completion of your DNP project and your practicum hours required for the degree. You can refer to the Field Experience requirements presented in the Learning Resources.
Photo Credit: Creativa Images / Adobe Stock
- After reviewing the DNP Essentials document and the DNP Project Process Guide for the DNP project, reflect on what it means to address an organization’s needs to attend to a gap in practice or implement a practice change. What is the difference between a gap in practice and a practice change? How does your role as the DNP-prepared nurse contribute to meeting a stakeholder need?
By Day 3 of Week 4
Post a brief explanation of the role of the nurse with a practice doctorate. Be specific. Explain the expectations associated with obtaining this degree, including how these expectations might be different for a nurse who holds a different degree. Then, explain how these considerations relate to your motivation to pursue a DNP, including a brief description of how your role as a DNP-prepared nurse will meet a potential organization’s need to address a gap in practice or implement a practice change. Discuss any experiences you have had in addressing a gap in practice or a practice change within an organization. Be specific.
By Day 6 of Week 4
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days by suggesting an additional perspective on what it means to be a nurse with a practice doctorate, offer support to the expectations with obtaining the degree that your colleague posted, or expand upon your colleague’s post.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Week 4 Discussion Rubric
Post by Day 3 of Week 4 and Respond by Day 6 of Week 4
To Participate in this Discussion:
Week 4 Discussion
Assignment: Linking Areas of Focus Into Future Plans for the DNP
In obtaining your DNP degree at Walden, you will complete a practicum/field experience and Doctoral Project. Both of these program-of-study milestones are directly aligned to the achievement of the AACN DNP Essentials.
The focus of your Doctoral Project will be on a quality improvement project that you would advocate for to address a nursing practice gap or organizational need.
Photo Credit: photoechno / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
In this first course, you will begin to consider the type of Doctoral Projects you might be interested in pursuing for completion of your DNP degree. Similarly, the clinical hours you will complete in your practicum/field experience will also align to the achievement of certain competencies as defined in the AACN DNP Essentials. Consider how alignment between your future plans in completing your practicum/field experience and your Doctoral Project will represent alignment to the DNP Essentials.
For this Assignment, reflect on the Discussion Forum from Week 4 and think about how the completion of your Doctoral Project and practicum/field experience demonstrates alignment to the AACN DNP Essentials.
To prepare:
- Review the Discussion Forum from Week 4.
- Review the AACN DNP Essentials document in the Learning Resources and reflect on how the completion of your Doctoral Project and the completion of a practicum/field experience may align to these Essentials.
- Select at least 3 AACN DNP Essentials to focus on for this Assignment.
The Assignment: (2–3 pages)
- Describe the 3 AACN DNP Essentials that most align to the completion of a Doctoral Project. Be specific. Note: This is in general terms, not in relation to a particular quality improvement or organizational goal.
- Explain how the AACN DNP Essentials will relate to the completion of a practicum/field experience. Be specific.
Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632). All papers submitted must use this formatting.
By Day 7 of Week 5
Submit your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5.
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
- Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “M2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
- Click the Module 2 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
- Click the Module 2 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
- Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “M2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
- If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
- Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Module 2 Assignment Rubric
Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity
To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:
Submit your Module 2 Assignment draft and review the originality report.
Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5
To participate in this Assignment:
Module 2 Assignment
What’s Coming Up in Module 3?

NURS 8002 Assignment Weeks 4–5 AACN Essentials for the Doctorally Prepared Nurse
Photo Credit: [BrianAJackson]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty Images
In the next module, you will analyze intra- and interprofessional collaboration and the DNP-prepared nurse. You will also examine the role of the DNP-prepared nurse in fostering a community of practice in responding to and addressing the needs/challenges of their communities.
Next Module
Grading Rubric
Performance Category | 100% or highest level of performance
100% 16 points |
Very good or high level of performance
88% 14 points |
Acceptable level of performance
81% 13 points |
Inadequate demonstration of expectations
68% 11 points |
Deficient level of performance
56% 9 points
|
Failing level
of performance 55% or less 0 points |
Total Points Possible= 50 | 16 Points | 14 Points | 13 Points | 11 Points | 9 Points | 0 Points |
Scholarliness
Demonstrates achievement of scholarly inquiry for professional and academic topics. |
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in all of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in one of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in three or more of the following elements
|
16 Points | 14 Points | 13 Points | 11 Points | 9 Points | 0 Points | |
Application of Course Knowledge
Demonstrate the ability to analyze and apply principles, knowledge and information learned in the outside readings and relate them to real-life professional situations |
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in one of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two of the following elements:
|
Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in three of the following elements
|
10 Points | 9 Points | 6 Points | 0 Points | |||
Interactive Dialogue
Initial post should be a minimum of 300 words (references do not count toward word count) The peer and instructor responses must be a minimum of 150 words each (references do not count toward word count) Responses are substantive and relate to the topic. |
Demonstrated all of the following:
|
Demonstrated 3 of the following:
|
Demonstrated 2 of the following:
|
Demonstrated 1 or less of the following:
|
||
8 Points | 7 Points | 6 Points | 5 Points | 4 Points | 0 Points | |
Grammar, Syntax, APA
Points deducted for improper grammar, syntax and APA style of writing. The source of information is the APA Manual 6th Edition Error is defined to be a unique APA error. Same type of error is only counted as one error. |
The following was present:
AND
AND
|
The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
|
The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
|
The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
|
The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
AND/OR
|
The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
|
0 Points Deducted | 5 Points Lost | |||||
Participation
Requirements |
Demonstrated the following:
|
Failed to demonstrate the following:
|
||||
0 Points Lost | 5 Points Lost | |||||
Due Date Requirements | Demonstrated all of the following:
A minimum of one peer and one instructor responses are to be posted within the course no later than Sunday, 11:59 pm MT. |
Demonstrates one or less of the following.
A minimum of one peer and one instructor responses are to be posted within the course no later than Sunday, 11:59 pm MT. |
Check Out Also: NURS 8002 Weeks 4–5 Discussion: AACN Essentials for the Doctorally Prepared Nurse