Cultural Diversity in Nursing Education, Essay Example

Introduction

The DNP Essentials (AACN, 2006) outline a number of competencies for organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking. The goal of DNP programs is to develop critical advanced medical competencies as the healthcare system in America continues to evolve and has increasingly called for nurses to embrace transformative leadership as part and parcel of their jobs. Moreover, the DNP education process also enhanced nursing knowledge in an effective manner in order to improve on patient outcomes vis-à-vis competent nursing practices that effectively address healthcare contingencies. After going through the DNP education process, a reflection on my abilities as a nurse practitioner is necessary in order to ensure that the theories, concepts, and empirical data I learned in meticulous detail effectively translates into practice within primary care settings.

Reflection

Earning my DNP through rigorous coursework and field work has encouraged me that I can adequately develop and assess patient needs on an idiosyncratic basis and how I can delivery healthcare services to patients to mitigate any future health problems in the future while controlling their current condition. I took many courses on the currency of cultural sensitivity which were invaluable to my ability to treat diverse populations from an interdisciplinary approach (Bednarz et al., 2010). As a DNP, I know that I will have to take accountability for delivering quality healthcare services to a diverse patient clientele base predicated on the theory and empirical studies within interdisciplinary sciences. Finally, DNPs must be able to address certain ethical quandaries that arise in a celeritous fashion with regards to healthcare as well as medical research. Then capacity to influence positive patient care outcomes relies heavily on a vast array of forces that nurse practitioners must take into consideration in order to make positive contributions with regards to healthcare outcomes in an ethical manner. Indeed, it is clear that nurses possess power within the healthcare system and thus have an ethical prerogative to ensure that they nurture appropriate apt relationships with their patients based on expert skill and nurse’s trenchant knowledge. DNP training has enabled me to understand ethical principles and paradigms necessary for optimal patient care (Fowler & Davis, 2013). I learned about the currency of beneficence and autonomy, which armed me as a future nurse practitioner to be a significant agent within the decision-making process with regards to caring for patients. Nurse practitioners who fully understand ethical principles and can effectively appropriate them within real world healthcare settings and thus has successfully deployed their clout through their influence over how others act and behave.

Conclusion

Upon reflection, it is clear that the process of earning a DNP will enhance my capabilities of delivering to clients the most optimal healthcare. While the healthcare system continues to evolve, it is the duty of nurse practitioners to advocate for their patients in addition to participating in the decision-making processes through collaboration with specialists and primary care physicians.

References

Bednarz, H., Schim, S., & Doorenbos, A. (2010). Cultural diversity in nursing education: Perils, pitfalls, and pearls. Journal of Nursing Education, 49(5), 253-260.

Fowler, M.D. & Davis, A.L. (2013). Ethical issues occurring within nursing education. Nursing Ethics, 20(2), 126-141.