Introduction
The current healthcare settings offer a more challenging working environment for Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) calling upon them to devise new rules. The ever-growing number of DNP-prepared nurses from different medical institutions graduating each year creates a more competitive environment that before. Additionally, modern education programs prepare graduates for more diverse tasks leaving no room for traditional Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.D.) (Montgomery and Porter-O’Grady, 2010). The healthcare sector is in a move to change from traditional methods of healthcare delivery to modern and advanced methods. The process calls upon all healthcare employees to embrace new changes and assume new roles in order to achieve the health care organizations goals. Personally, I have different views on changes in DNP role for the last four months. The following paper provides a self-evaluation of my progress in the DNP role since I enrolled in a nursing course.
Change of views on DNP role
I have been experiencing different views on the role of DNP since the start of the semester upon realizing that the healthcare environment changes each day. One of the most important roles of colleges and universities offering nursing education is ensuring students graduate with the necessary knowledge of the practitioner. Producing DNP nurse leaders with enough knowledge on the current and future health care practices serves as a catalyst for an innovative approach to education (Dearholt, Poe, Pugh & White, 2008). Additionally, some health care groups such as Healthy People 2020 calls upon availability of extensive healthcare in all regions of the country in through provision of quality health services that improves health outcomes. Presence of this and many other organizations changes the role of DNP from just knowledge of medicine, but also other health issues affecting the modern society.
The changing roles of nurses today focus on improving the quality of health and achieving healthcare goals set by the U.S. Department of Health. Initially, my aim of joining the nursing college was to acquire nursing knowledge and earn money. With time, the roles have changed. According to Tiffin (2013), the nursing role keeps evolving because nurses get new tasks every day because of the growing nature of the health care sector and an increase in a diverse population. Nurse’s roles no longer revolve about caring for the sick but also extend to other responsibilities involved in improving the quality of health in the nation and the world at large. Additionally, the increased cases of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and others shows that the healthcare sector deals with increasing number of complex cases. The nation has a limited number of DNP an indication that their roles should be diversified in order to care for the high demand of health care (Tiffin, 2013). Understanding the following points has changed my view on nursing career into a more involving and demanding profession (Scott, White, & Roydhouse, 2013).
My vision for joining nursing school was to foster evidence-based practice and compassionate care in the society. Evidence-based practice helps in achieving healthcare outcomes by ensuring the safety of patients and growth of the profession of nursing. Currently, I still hold my vision but changes in the healthcare sector call for more roles. College students have a weakness of resisting learning new approaches and techniques used in the modern society. Lack of extensive knowledge on modern technologies impairs the patient’s ability to think through multidimensional and highly interactive mind. The faculty of nursing has played a major role in guiding us on how to apply the knowledge effectively we gain in class and from external activities in diversifying our roles as DNP. Moreover, we were tasked with new challenges that are not related to health care. These tasks broaden our minds on other issues affecting the society apart from illnesses.
The health needs of the population leads to the emergence of new needs in the healthcare sector. Study of nursing aims at providing added value to the role of Nurse Practitioners and offer a flexible learning environment for the professionals in order to meet the emerging needs of the population. Preparation for the tasks ahead forms the main aim of studying the nursing profession (Institute of Medicine (U.S.)., & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). Presence of effective educational programs helped in changing my DNP role, and focuses more on the future changes in the healthcare sector. One of the tools that helped in changing my views of the nursing role is the mind map application. Mindmap application helps in improving understanding on new learning techniques and links the present world into the future world. Nursing students using this application find it easier to cope with class challenges and excel well in their studies. Through the mind map application, I was able to translate and apply complex adaptive system concepts that made me understand changing roles of DNP.
Finally, my views of the DNP role changed because of the need to grow my career to the maximum. The country suffers from a limited number of nurse practitioners because most people fear the career. When I started the course we were very many in the class but currently a number of students have dropped, or changed into other careers. The demanding nature of nursing career requires a person to sacrifice their time and resources in order to achieve the desired outcomes. There is a need to study more in nursing in order to become an agent of change to the society and encourage others to join in the fight against unhealthy living.
Personal evaluation of growth
Since the beginning of this course, a lot have happened that requires extensive evaluation. Firstly, the knowledge gained throughout the semester has changed my views towards studying DNP. My ideas of just becoming the normal nurse have changed to greater expectations where I expect to study more and achieve higher grades in order to explore more to my career. My evaluation on the course progress shows that I have managed to acquire more skills and knowledge that have changed my initial goals and aims of joining the nursing school. Additionally, I have been involved in different programs aimed at changing the lives other members of the society by encouraging healthy living lifestyle. My evaluation has played a major role in growing my career and ensuring I become a successful person in the future. Success in my career depends on my efforts and guidance from tutors. Technology also plays a major role in ensuring I effectively embrace the necessary changes and promote growth of my career in the future.
On the other hand, at the beginning of the course I could only focus on ending my education and getting employed. With the changing roles of nursing and the rapid growing health care needs of the society, I now focus more on establishing my healthcare center and providing medical needs to the needy in the society. At the beginning of the semester, I also thought the nursing program is just an easy course that requires less concentration. With the use of mind map application, I could easily evaluate my performance and compare with those of my course mates. Additionally, the use of learner-centric approach tools helps in promoting learning and change at every learning milestone in the course (Montgomery and Porter-O’Grady, 2010). I have managed to focus more of future trends and abandon traditional beliefs on the study of nursing. I clearly understand the role of nurse practitioners in health care setting and the expected challenges that help shape my future nursing career. Additionally, evaluating my progress helps broaden my mind and explore other dynamic world in order to ensure the future of healthcare system is favorable and caters for the needs of every individual.
Conclusion
Understanding the current healthcare needs act as the main source of success for DNP. The society needs professionals who understand their roles and provide proper guide to the younger generation in order to embrace change and promote growth. Since the beginning of the semester, my views of the role of DNP have changed into more acceptable and adorable roles by the society. Additionally, the federal government works hard to ensure the healthcare environment is favorable for nurse practitioners in order to encourage more professionals in the industry. Finally, self-evaluation of my progress since the start of the course shows that I have managed to overcome many barriers that discourage people from continuing with a career. I am now more dedicated to my studies and hope to conduct more research on how to improve the health status of my community and that of the general public.
References
Dearholt, S. L., Poe, S. S., Pugh, L. C., & White, K. M. (2008). The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model And Guidelines. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 39(9), 432-432.
Nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Washington, D.C: National Academies
Press.
Montgomery, K. L., and Porter O’Grady, T. (2010). Innovation and learning: Creating the DNP
Nurse Leader. Retrieved November 18, 2014 from
http://www.tpogassociates.com/reference/Innovation_and_Learning.pdf
Scott, K., White, K., & Roydhouse, J. (2013). Advancing the Educational and Career Pathway
For Clinical Trials Nurses.The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 165-170.
Tiffin, P. (2012, March 28). Beyond the Bedside: The Changing Role of Today's Nurses.
Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-tiffin-phd/nursing-school_b_1384285.html
