The graduates of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) are equipped with the knowledge and skills in research and in nursing practice. The development of the specialized nursing program as compared to other nursing programs began when the need for the highest level of leadership and practice was acknowledged in the field of nursing. The two different components that comprise the DNP program include: (1) development of foundational competencies proven to be important factors in the development of competencies and qualities of DNP graduates; and (2) development of competencies which are specialized enough to help in the shaping and learning of the DNP graduates (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
The foundational competencies consist of 8 essentials which include: (1) Scientific foundations; (2) Organizational and Systems Leadership; (3) Learnings, tools, and procedures both for clinical and analytical evidence-based practice; (4) Use of technology and information systems; (5) Health care policies; (6) Interprofessional collaborations; (7) Knowledge when it comes to clinical prevention and population health; and (8) Advanced nursing practice (Chism, 2014; Jenkins & Ozbolt, 2007; Sperhac & Clinton, 2008; Emergency Nurses Association, 2008).
As a DNP nurse, I can assess my competence with regards to the competencies mentioned above. For the first essential: Usage of Scientific Foundations, I believe that I have the course equipped me with a broad knowledge on the sciences. As a clinical scholar, the knowledge I gained allowed me to understand different scientific facts and theories effectively and efficiently. By being able to process the said facts, I am more confident when it comes to applying different scientific theories in my research. As a healthcare system leader and as an educator, the broad knowledge allowed me to have a good foundation when it comes to sharing different scientific knowledge to other nurses and healthcare practitioners (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
For the second essential, the DNP course allowed me to develop and strengthen my leadership skills as a clinical scholar, healthcare system leader, and as an educator. Due to the different activities and project, I was able to efficiently manage my time when it comes to providing care to my patients as well as addressing the different needs of my target population. The leadership skills that I developed in the course allowed me to design, apply, and evaluate a healthcare delivery approach which can be an answer to the current issues on geriatric health (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
For the third essential, being able to incorporate different clinical and analytic methods and tools helped me as a clinical scholar for the proper evaluation of my DNP project. Despite having the foundation for this essential, I still believe that I need additional knowledge when it comes to the collection and analysis of different data. As a healthcare system leader and educator, it is necessary to have a broad and in-depth knowledge in the different analytical and clinical tools because these are crucial factors in the accomplishment of DNP projects (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
For the fourth essential, I can say that I am already knowledgeable when it comes to the usage of technology and information systems. The knowledge is necessary in the evaluation and monitoring of the outcomes and findings of my DNP project. As a clinical scholar, healthcare system leader, and educator, knowledge in technology and information systems is necessary to deal with different evaluation and resolution issues usually associated with ethics and legality. Additionally, my competency in this essential allows me to evaluate different necessary evidences with regards to accuracy, timeliness, and appropriateness (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
For the fifth essential, I have already developed confidence when it comes to critiquing different proposals and policies. This confidence also allowed me to become an assured leader and educator especially when it comes to the development and implementation of different health policies which can help in the improvement of the health status of the different population (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
For the sixth essential, I can confidently say that I am already equipped with this essential as a clinical scholar, leader, and educator. As of writing, I am already able to communicate effectively with my coworkers. Additionally, I can also lead different teams when it comes to the analysis of different health issues, practices, and even policies (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
For the seventh essential, the course allowed me to have adequate experience and immersion to develop my skills when it comes to the promotion of health and reduction of risk among different population. My knowledge and competence in the different essentials equipped me with the skills to analyze data and information from different scientific sources (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
For the eight essential, the course in its entirety allowed me to practice advanced nursing practice. As a clinical scholar, leader, and educator, I have been equipped with the necessary skills to conduct assessments in the field of healthcare. Additionally, I was able to develop, apply, and evaluate different intervention programs, and maintain a good relationship with my target population as well as my co-workers. Lastly, I was also equipped with the knowledge to train and guide other nurses when it comes to different assessments and interventions (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. Washington, DC: American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Chism, L.A. (2014). The Essentials of the Doctor of Nursing Practice: A Philosophical Perspective. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Emergency Nurses Association. (2008). Competencies for Nurse Practitioners. NP Competencies. Retrieved from http://www.nonpf.org/?page=14 [Accessed on 26 Nov 2016]
Jenkins, M. and Ozbolt, J. (2007). Informatics in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Curriculum. AMIA Symposium Proceedings.
Sperhac, A.M. and Clinton, P. (2008). Doctorate of Nursing Practice: Blueprint for Excellence. Journal of Pediatric Health Care 22(3): 146-151.
