Transforming Doctoral Education for Nurse Practitioners, Essay Example

Introduction

The purpose of this reflection is to determine how my skills have developed as a DNP nurse. After participating in this course, I now believe that I have an enhanced ability to develop and evaluate care delivery approaches that meet the needs of patients, to ensure quality care, to develop strategies that will enhance the field’s practice, to lead the analysis of complex organizational issues, and to engage in team work to solve problems. Ultimately, I have a greater understanding of how to use the literature and my interactions and experiences with patients to enhance my personal practice. In addition, the literature read in this course has provided me with the ability to utilize my coworkers as greater resource with regards to enacting best practices and furthering the efficacy of my health care institution.

You Decide Reflection

The most important skill I learned in my DNP nurse training is the ability to research relevant articles in the literature to gain a greater understanding of the complex problems I’m trying to resolve. For example, this is particularly relevant when I am trying to understand the potential drug interactions that may occur for my patients. While the pharmacists at my institution are well-informed of the typical drug interactions that occur, I have needed to consult the literature to determine the frequency with which less common side effects can be observed (McFarland et al., 2014). This information that I obtained from this research proved valuable because it allowed me to recommend an alternative prescription that better suited the health needs of the patient.

Furthermore, this course has provided me with an increased ability to apply leadership techniques to my practices. As a DNP nurse, I have an increased responsibility to ensure that my coworkers are self-confident and knowledgeable with regards to the techniques and skills that are needed to achieve success in the field. In my personal practice, I ensure that I speak with new nurses and attempt them to provide them with some of the knowledge I have gained through my experience (Martsoff et al., 2015). In addition, I have entered into collaborative relationships with other experienced nurses to ensure that nurses receive the guidance they require at all times (Grossman, 2013).

Third, I have developed a greater understanding of how I can use my skills to resolve complex problems in my field. In many cases, there is a need for DNP nurses to find ways to close gaps in knowledge and it is therefore necessary for them to create studies that aim to enhance nursing practice in addition to the operations within a health care institution. I have learned that to do so, it is often essential to conduct a thorough literature review of the topic and to consult other experienced nurses in designing the study.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this course has enhanced my ability to function as an effective nurse. A majority of the resources that I need to be successful could be found in the research literature or be acquired from my experienced coworkers. It is necessary to use this knowledge to determine how practice can be improved within my institution in addition to finding ways that this information could support both patients and nurses in the field. Ultimately, I feel better prepared to engage in these activities due to my participation in this course.

References

Grossman SC. (2013). Transforming Doctoral Education for Nurse Practitioners through The Clinical Portfolio. Retrieved from             https://nonpf.confex.com/nonpf/2013pa/webprogram/Paper6082.html

Martsolf GR, Auerbach DI, Spetz J,  Pearson ML, Muchow AN. (2015). Doctor of nursing practice by 2015: An examination of nursing schools’ decisions to offer a doctor of nursing practice degree. Nursing Outlook, 63(2): 219–226.

McFarland MR, Filter M, Creech C. (2014). Integrating Cultural Competence into a DNP Curriculum. Retrieved https://nonpf.confex.com/nonpf/2014co/webprogram/Paper7289.html