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Foundations And Essentials For The Doctor Of Nursing Practice. LINKING AREAS OF FOCUS INTO FUTURE PLANS FOR THE DNP
• Points 100
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.
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.
• 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.
Foundations and Essentials for the Doctor of Nursing Practice
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) outlines eight essential competencies that Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates should possess upon completing their DNP programs (AACN, 2006). These essential competencies, known as the DNP Essentials, guide DNP curricula and ensure DNP graduates can assume leadership roles and have the necessary knowledge and skills to advance nursing practice. In this post, I will discuss how three selected DNP Essentials align with completing a DNP project and practicum experience.
DNP Essential I: Scientific Underpinnings for Practice
Completion of a DNP project allows students to integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sciences to improve healthcare outcomes (AACN, 2006). For example, a DNP student may develop and implement an evidence-based project to reduce hospital-acquired infections on a medical-surgical unit. This project demonstrates the application of scientific knowledge from nursing and other disciplines.
DNP Essential III: Clinical Scholarship and Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice
The development and evaluation of a DNP project involves critically appraising existing literature, designing and implementing processes to evaluate outcomes, and disseminating findings (AACN, 2006). For instance, a student may conduct a quality improvement project to implement a screening tool for depression in a primary care clinic. Outcomes would be measured and analyzed before and after the intervention to determine if the tool improved screening rates.
DNP Essential VI: Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes
A practicum provides opportunities to strengthen collaborative skills through interactions with other professionals to address health issues (AACN, 2006). For example, a student may complete hours in a community health center collaborating with social workers, physicians, and health educators on an initiative to reduce obesity.
In summary, the DNP project and practicum experience allow students to demonstrate achievement of DNP Essentials I, III, and VI through work that applies scientific knowledge, employs analytical methods to evaluate outcomes, and involves collaborative relationships with other professionals. Upon completing these program requirements, DNP graduates will be well equipped to assume leadership roles and practice at the highest level.
AACN. (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/DNPEssentials.pdf
Barker, A. M., & O’Donnell, P. (2018). Research: An empowering component of the DNP degree. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No02PPT55 Write a dissertation.
Chism, L. A. (2019). The doctor of nursing practice: A guidebook for role development and professional issues (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
