Discussion
Purpose
The purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate your understanding of the characteristics of the DNP-prepared nurse and the skills inherent to your future role as a DNP-prepared nurse. The Global Burden of Disease drives the work of the DNP-prepared nurse as the consummate consumer of research. You will work to find solutions through iterative searching of evidence to address pressing issues.
Instructions
- Share your views on the unique characteristics of the DNP-prepared nurse.
- The Global Burden of Disease and National Practice Problems are the focus of your ongoing work as a DNP-prepared nurse. The National Practice Problems are multifaceted and complex in nature. As you consider one of these complex practice problems, explain which of them would you consider examining and why. Remember to keep a limited scope of a problem you would consider working on with the interprofessional team.
- Provide key points on why recently published research studies supply the solutions to the practice problem you are considering.
My Views on the Unique Characteristics of the DNP-Prepared Nurse
After completing this week’s assigned readings, I found it helpful that I can now better differentiate between a DNP-prepared nurse compared to a PhD-prepared nurse. The evolution of the DNP degree has shown the importance of advancing nursing practice by developing individuals and giving them the skillset to improve clinical practice through the use of best practices existing in the field. The goal of healthcare, no matter the setting, is to promote the highest quality of care. Individuals who obtain the DNP degree are committing themselves to excellence and also to providing invaluable input to the patient population they serve. I also enjoyed reading about the collaboration efforts that are needed between DNP-prepared nurses and PhD-prepared nurses. From the readings this week, I can surmise that the bond between the two practices must exist for the best care delivery.
Since PhD-prepared nurses often serve as researchers, the DNP-prepared nurse must work with them to see what information is being generated and how that can be translated into practice to improve outcomes. I believe that this bond will always exist and that the expertise generated by the PhD nurse will continue to contribute to the success of the DNP nurse’s endeavors in the clinical field. Also, as the nursing practice continues to rapidly change through technological advances and health issues such as COVID-19 impacts, organizations will rely on DNP-prepared nurses to navigate through these changes. In my journey to earn my DNP, my goals for future aspirations in nursing leadership align with the DNP model. I wish to help lead a team of clinicians when practice problems are identified and create evidence-based solutions.
Global Burden of Disease – Diabetes
The national practice problem that I chose to focus on is diabetes. The reason I chose diabetes is that many patients that I see in my workplace are diagnosed with diabetes, have poor control of their diabetes, and the overall cost on the healthcare system due to poor control and non-compliance. I believe that there needs to be more education and preventative care in relation to diabetes. With this, the incidence of diabetes can be better controlled. The American Diabetes Association (2018) discusses how the burden of diabetes creates increased medical expenditures, a decrease in the productivity of healthcare organizations, early death, and costs that cannot be equated in dollar amounts such as stress, pain and suffering, and overall poor quality of life. Diabetes itself is not the primary cause of the burden…