Sample Answer for NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice Included After Question
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:
-
- 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.
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- 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
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.
NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice 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
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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)
Module 2: Professional Standards for the DNP-Prepared Nurse
Much like any other professional licensure credential, the DNP-prepared nurse must aptly demonstrate the skills and knowledge that align to the AACN DNP Essentials. These are the set of foundational competencies that will be structured and emphasized throughout a DNP degree program’s curriculum.
As a future DNP-prepared nurse, you will exemplify the DNP Essentials and the core set of competencies necessary for advanced nursing practice. Throughout your program of study, you will apply the DNP Essentials with the completion of your DNP program’s milestones, including your practicum/field experience and Doctoral Project.
What’s Happening This Module?
Module 2: Professional Standards for the DNP-Prepared Nurse is a 2-week module—Weeks 4–5 of the course—in which you analyze the role of a nurse with a practice doctorate. In the Discussion for Week 4, you will engage with your colleagues as you consider the expectations associated with earning the DNP degree and reflect on your personal motivations for pursing a doctoral degree. In the Assignment for this module, you will examine the role of the DNP-prepared nurse in meeting organizational and quality improvement needs. This is an important area of focus in that quality improvement will be the theme of your Doctoral Project. As you engage with the content for this module, you will also examine the alignment between the AACN DNP Essentials and the completion of your Doctoral Project and your practicum/field experience.
| What do I have to do? | When do I have to do it? |
| Review your Learning Resources | Days 1–7, Weeks 4 and 5 |
| Discussion: The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice | Post by Day 3 of Week 4 and respond to your colleagues by Day 6 of Week 4. |
| Assignment: Linking Areas of Focus Into Future Plans for the DNP | Submit your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5. |
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice
Title: NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice
Higher education attainment has been associated with enhanced competency and knowledge within the specific field pursued by an individual. For instance, attainment of a doctoral degree is considered the highest attainment in every field, and therefore doctoral degree holders are expected to demonstrate a high degree of competence (Dos Santos & Lo, 2018). A DNP-prepared nurse is no exception and is expected of higher levels of knowledge and competency in patient care as compared to nurses without the DNP. This week’s discussion explores doctoral degrees and professional nursing practice. To accomplish the discussion, the role of a nurse with a practice doctorate and the associated expectations will be discussed. In addition, this discussion will explore how the consideration relates to my motivation to pursue a DNP and an experience with addressing practice change or gap in practice.
Role of a Nurse with a Practice Doctorate
DNP-prepared nurses have various advanced roles in the continuum of patient care. For instance, through the translation of quality improvement outcomes, and translation of evidence into clinical areas, and unique practice innovations, the DNP-prepared nurses create new knowledge (Trautman et al., 2018). The implication is that these nurses apply evidence-based research to systems and/or clinical settings for better health outcomes. They practice at the highest level of practice and formulate evidence-based strategies to optimize health and patient outcomes. In addition, DNP-prepared nurses also take executive and leadership positions in healthcare organizations to influence health policies, analyze cost-effective protocols, direct patient care, and coordinate quality improvement teams.
Expectations Associated With Obtaining DNP
DNP is the highest degree in nursing and is associated with various expectations. Those who have obtained the degree are expected to show high levels of skills in the care environment to effectively direct care and coordinate care teams. As opposed to PhDs holders who mainly focus on research, DNP is associated with improvement of patient care and population outcomes (Edwards et al., 2018). The implication is that these nurses with this degree have adequate skills for implementing evidence-based strategies to improve health outcomes for individual patients and the general population. Nurse practitioners who do not have a DNP offer specializations focusing on particular patient care aspects like a pediatric or family practitioner. This role differs from a DNP prepared nurse as they are expected to step up to more advanced roles that help shape the direction of healthcare organizations.
How The Considerations Relate to My Motivation to Pursue a DNP
Growing up, I have had a passion for seeing everyone lead a healthy life devoid of health complications. While doing my undergraduate degree, I realized that such goals cannot be achieved by solely focusing on what happens in the care environment but also what happens in the surroundings, such as policies and funding. One of my motivations to pursue a DNP is to get to executive and leadership positions where I can participate in effectively influencing healthcare policies and decisions. As such, the role of the DNP-prepared nurse resonates and relates well with my motivation. Translating research evidence into clinical practice also helps in improving patient outcomes (Trautman et al., 2018), which is among my motivations for pursuing a DNP. Indeed, with a higher degree, I believe I will accomplish such a goal more efficiently.
Among the top organization needs is to be leaders in providing improved patient care and enhance the patient experience. Improving the quality outcome to enhance patient experience requires that the healthcare organization addresses the quality gaps (Trautman et al., 2018). As such, my role as a DNP-prepared nurse will help in various ways to such effect. For instance, in assuming the leadership roles of leading and coordinating care teams, I will be able to effectively lead other nurses into a careful analysis of quality data, organizational standards, and government standards to identify gaps in practice. This will lead to a formulation of the most relevant and effective strategies to address such gaps and meet the goals. Besides, I will also be able to lead the organization into a literature search for evidence that can be translated into practice to address practice gaps or lead a practice change for patient quality improvement.
The experience I have Had With How our Organization addressed a Practice Change
Organizations usually strive to achieve the central aim of offering patient optimized and improved patient care. As such, organizations either undertake steps to implement a practice change or address a gap in practice (Yip et al., 2019). I have had experience with the implementation of practice change within an organization. In one of the healthcare organizations, I have worked. There was a year where the rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infections were growing month after month. A decision was then made to explore initiatives to deal with the threatening growing rates of infection. One of the chosen strategies was using a protocol to evaluate patients and use the indwelling catheters only when it is a must and ensuring that the time of usage of the catheters by the patients be reduced to as minimum as possible. As such, nurses accomplished a comprehensive one-week training on the protocols. After the training, the catheter use rates reduced by 20% as nurses were able to avoid unnecessary catheterization. Coupled by minimizing the duration of catheter use, the rates of infection dropped by an impressive 47% by the second month due to the practice change.
NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice Conclusion
In conclusion, the doctoral degree prepares individuals for greater and more advanced professional roles. DNP-prepared nurses have a special role to play in the care environment, one of which is translating evidence into practice for improved patient outcomes. This week’s discussion has covered the roles of a DNP-prepared nurse, expectations associated with DNP, and an experience with a practice change implementation.
NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice References
Dos Santos, L. M., & Lo, H. F. (2018). The Development of Doctoral Degree Curriculum in England: Perspectives from Professional Doctoral Degree Graduates. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 13(6), n6. https://doi.org/10.22230/ijepl.2018v13n6a781.
Edwards, N. E., Coddington, J., Erler, C., & Kirkpatrick, J. (2018). The Impact of the Role of Doctor of Nursing PracticeNurses on Healthcare and Leadership. Medical Research Archives, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v6i4.1734
Trautman, D. E., Idzik, S., Hammersla, M., & Rosseter, R. (2018). Advancing scholarship through translational research: The role of PhD and DNP prepared nurses. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(2). DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No02Man02.
Yip, W., Fu, H., Chen, A. T., Zhai, T., Jian, W., Xu, R., … & Chen, W. (2019). 10 years of healthcare reform in China: progress and gaps in universal health coverage. The Lancet, 394(10204), 1192-1204. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32136-1
A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice
Title: NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice
The role of the nurse with a practice doctorate
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the one of the higher education levels in nursing, and it makes the way for leadership opportunities in diverse areas of nursing, healthcare, and educational facility settings. The DNP’s nursing understanding can positively impact nursing decisions in all healthcare organizations in patient outcome, leadership, healthcare policies, implementation, and evaluation. (Beeber, 2019).
The role of a practice nurse co-exists with that of a research practice nurse but clearly has some differences. Earning DNP helps to provide outstanding therapeutic care to patients at various levels. DNPs in leadership positions are constantly working to improve and ensure the quality of patient care. DNP can function in the following areas: as Director of Nursing, Nursing Administrator, Director of Patient Care Services, Chief Nursing Officer, or Nursing department Director, and can produce excellent patient care plans (Beeber, 2019).
Practice doctorate as clearly stated is solely practice-focused involving showing performing nursing care or skills that provides services advance skills in that does not only enhance patient care but has the capability to impact the delivery of healthcare, improve organizational standards, and quality improvement initiatives. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006), practice-focused doctoral program is structured to prepare experts in specialized advanced nursing practice. These experts focus heavily on practice in that is innovative, evidence-based, and reflects the application of credible research findings improving outcomes (AACN, 2006).
Expectations associated with obtaining a DNP degree, including how these expectations might be different for a nurse who holds a different degree.
My expectation related to obtaining DNP is that the program prepares me as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for an advanced clinic position and joins in advocating for a better policy in the healthcare system. I look forward to an excellent interdisciplinary collaboration in establishing a specialized nursing practice. I anticipate improving patient care outcomes within the community, county, and vulnerable populations (Beeber, 2019). Nurses with different degrees are not expected to or have the capacity to function in such a level that demands expanded skills sets and knowledge.
Organizations will clearly state the required and preferred qualifications of certain positions depending on the skills needed for that position when searching for workers. DNP-prepared nurses when employed in administrative or quality-centered positions, their employers appreciate them, and they are found to be nurses with broader perspectives and policy backgrounds needed in improving outcomes in their organizations (Beeber et al 2019).
Motivation to pursue a DNP and how the role as a DNP-prepared nurse will meet a potential organization’s need to address a gap in practice or implement a practice change.
My Motivation in pursuing a DNP degree has always been to improve and increase access of mental health services to the less privileged communities. Obtaining a DNP will not only increase the skills I need but will provide the leverage of advocating and understanding what needs to be changed in the system to make this happen. DNP functions on evidence-based practice in various practices, assessment, patient outcomes, and economics. However, in DNP research, there are ways to increase the cost- effectiveness of all patient care, and all patient care plans should be evaluated and made based on research, instruction, and evidence-based practice.
Discuss any experiences in addressing a gap in practice or a practice within an organization.
With my status as an Assisted Living Director, nurse manager, and the owner, my role is to ensure that all my clients are receiving the individualized care they need, looking into quality assurance and process improvement strategies to enhance efficiency in the care delivery model in the assisted living. Behavior such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and substance use from the clients, especially from the psychiatric patients with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder PTSD and so on; these groups of patients require some support system to help them function and adhere to medical instruction. This problem or gap is a significant issue in managing the psychiatric patient; during a risk committee meeting, I recommended forming a social support group with other nurses that own their assisted living where we share some concerns and come up with some clinical decision in managing the clients. Some of these clients’ behaviors are lack of care, they need to know that someone really cares for them. After implementing the social support system, we noticed some changes in some of the clients’ behaviors. Patients with social support tend to adhere to their medication and are less challenging to manage. Therefore, the goal of nursing practice is physical and emotional comfort for the patient. (Lima et al., 2017
Reference
Beeber A. S., Palmer, C., Waldrop, J., Lynn, M. R., Jones, C.B. (2019). The role of Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared nurses in practice settings. Nursing Outlook, 67(4) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2019.02.006.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). DNP essentials. Retrieved https://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/DNP-Essentials.
Lima, J. V. F., Guedes, M. V. C., Silva, L. D. F. D., Freitas, M. C. D., & Fialho, A. V. D. M.
(2017). Usefulness of the comfort theory in the clinical nursing care of new mothers: critical analysis. Revista gaucha de enfermagem,37
NURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice Rubric Detail
Select Grid View or List View to change the rubric’s layout.
Name: NURS_8002_Week4_Discussion_Rubric
| Excellent
90%–100% |
Good
80%–89% |
Fair
70%–79% |
Poor
0%–69% |
|||
| Main Posting:
Response to the Discussion question is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. |
40 (40%) – 44 (44%)
Thoroughly responds to the Discussion question(s). Is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. No less than 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three current credible sources. |
35 (35%) – 39 (39%)
Responds to most of the Discussion question(s). Is somewhat reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. 50% of the post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three credible references. |
31 (31%) – 34 (34%)
Responds to some of the Discussion question(s). One to two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed. Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Cited with fewer than two credible references. |
0 (0%) – 30 (30%)
Does not respond to the Discussion question(s). Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria. Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Contains only one or no credible references. |
||
| Main Posting:
Writing |
6 (6%) – 6 (6%)
Written clearly and concisely. Contains no grammatical or spelling errors. Adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style. |
5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Written concisely. May contain one to two grammatical or spelling errors. Adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style. |
4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Written somewhat concisely. May contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Contains some APA formatting errors. |
0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Not written clearly or concisely. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style. |
||
| Main Posting:
Timely and full participation |
9 (9%) – 10 (10%)
Meets requirements for timely, full, and active participation. Posts main Discussion by due date. |
8 (8%) – 8 (8%)
Meets requirements for full participation. Posts main Discussion by due date. |
7 (7%) – 7 (7%)
Posts main Discussion by due date. |
0 (0%) – 6 (6%)
Does not meet requirements for full participation. Does not post main Discussion by due date. |
||
| First Response:
Post to colleague’s main post that is reflective and justified with credible sources. |
9 (9%) – 9 (9%)
Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Responds to questions posed by faculty. The use of scholarly sources to support ideas demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. |
8 (8%) – 8 (8%)
Response has some depth and may exhibit critical thinking or application to practice setting. |
7 (7%) – 7 (7%)
Response is on topic and may have some depth. |
0 (0%) – 6 (6%)
Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. |
||
| First Response: Writing |
6 (6%) – 6 (6%)
Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. |
5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Communication is mostly professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are mostly answered, if posed. Provides opinions and ideas that are supported by few credible sources. Response is written in standard, edited English. |
4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Response posed in the Discussion may lack effective professional communication. Response to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Few or no credible sources are cited. |
0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Responses posted in the Discussion lack effective communication. Response to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited. |
||
| First Response: Timely and full participation |
5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Meets requirements for timely, full, and active participation. Posts by due date. |
4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Meets requirements for full participation. Posts by due date. |
3 (3%) – 3 (3%)
Posts by due date. |
0 (0%) – 2 (2%)
Does not meet requirements for full participation. Does not post by due date. |
||
| Second Response: Post to colleague’s main post that is reflective and justified with credible sources. |
9 (9%) – 9 (9%)
Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Responds to questions posed by faculty. The use of scholarly sources to support ideas demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. |
8 (8%) – 8 (8%)
Response has some depth and may exhibit critical thinking or application to practice setting. |
7 (7%) – 7 (7%)
Response is on topic and may have some depth. |
0 (0%) – 6 (6%)
Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. |
||
| Second Response: WritingNURS 8002 DQ The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice |
6 (6%) – 6 (6%)
Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English. |
5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Communication is mostly professional and respectful to colleagues. Response to faculty questions are mostly answered, if posed. Provides opinions and ideas that are supported by few credible sources. Response is written in standard, edited English. |
4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Response posed in the Discussion may lack effective professional communication. Response to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Few or no credible sources are cited. |
0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Responses posted in the Discussion lack effective communication. Response to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited. |
||
| Second Response: Timely and full participation |
5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Meets requirements for timely, full, and active participation. Posts by due date. |
4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Meets requirements for full participation. Posts by due date. |
3 (3%) – 3 (3%)
Posts by due date. |
0 (0%) – 2 (2%)
Does not meet requirements for full participation. Does not post by due date. |
||
| Total Points: 100 | ||||||