Caring for Vulnerable Populations, Coursework Example

Working with vulnerable populations in a DNP role is a challenging process, as it requires a combination of expert knowledge and resources in order to improve patient care quality. There must be a greater emphasis on the development of factors related to improving policy in a leadership capacity and in advancing quality of care for vulnerable patients through an expanded focus on compassion and sensitivity in providing ethically competent and appropriate care for a given population (Anderson, 2015). For example, the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for promoting conditions that support greater patient safety within healthcare organizations (AHRQ, 2012). This Act is important because it frames the discussion and the policies that have been established within organizations in order to be effective in protecting patients from risks in situations where their safety might have been compromised.

DNP nurses possess the ability to transform the healthcare industry and provide additional oversight regarding the needs of vulnerable patients in different settings (Sickora, 2014). In this role, I am able to contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of patients and have learned that the identification of areas of improvement is a critical factor in supporting a strong learning curve for nurses. This learning curve contributes to discussions regarding the need for new policies to accommodate specific trends and other needs within the healthcare industry as a whole. DNP-prepared nurses must explore the boundaries of their training and encourage patients in their time of need through compassion, understanding, and acceptance of the disease and its impact on their lives (Hermann, 2015).

Patients in vulnerable populations also require experienced nurses at the advanced practice level who explore the boundaries of the profession in order to improve outcomes (Tyer-Viola & Davis, 2012). Nurses must work tirelessly to support quality improvement in an ethical manner to improve the effects of care and treatment for all patients.

References

Anderson, B. A. (2015). Caring for Vulnerable Populations: The Role of the DNP-Prepared Nurse. Caring for the Vulnerable, 441.

Herrmann, R. A. (2015). The Healing Relationship: DNP Scholars, Caring, and Empowerment (Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University (Delaware)).

Cindy Sickora DNP, R. N. (2014). The Transformational Role of Nursing in Health Care Reform. Journal of Nursing Education, 53(5).

Tyer-Viola, L., & Davis, S. M. (2012). A Degree Is Not a Role: DNP Education and Role Implementation. DNP Education, Practice, and Policy: Redesigning Advanced Practice Roles for the 21st Century, 99.