The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program united the practice and theory of nursing. Its achievement depends on the student completing a doctoral project. The DNP project address an existing problem or phenomena in one’s setting, attempting to either appraise the literature or provide staff education (Walden University, 2018). The present paper discusses the main steps and documents necessary for project completion. It also presents a project topic of interest – the use of telehealth in nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Completing the Project
The DNP student works on the project from the beginning of the course, as it is a long process that requires many revisions. Walden University (n.d.) outlines 16 steps from the initial document review to the approved work’s finalization and publication. According to the project process guide, the following main stages can be identified:
Identify the practice problem for investigating:
- Develop the prospectus;
- Develop and present the proposal;
- Collect data for the project;
- Complete, revise, and present the project;
- Publish the project (Walden University, n.d.).
The timeline for writing the work corresponds to the steps outlined above. It should be noted that the DNP student has to go through these stages while also completing other assignments. The student also has the responsibility of scheduling meetings and presentations, as the project is written outside of classes or credit-bearing courses (Walden University, 2019). In the first few weeks, the topic is chosen and discussed so that the DNP student could start working on the prospectus.
During the work on the project at the Walden University, a student can rely on several papers. The main document is the DNP process project guide – it relays the timeline and necessary steps. However, such documents as the prospectus guide and the DNP project template are also vital to examine. The prospectus guide helps to choose an appropriate theme and start the investigation into a topic. The template shows what information has to be found and appraised and how the DNP project must be constructed. Overall, the student needs to look at many guides provided by the Walden University to fully grasp the details of project writing.
The purpose of the DNP project is described in the practicum manual. By completing this investigation, the DNP students apply their knowledge of concepts, models, and theories in a real setting (Walden University, 2019). Moreover, they receive experience as scholars, while their skills of inquiry and application of theory in practice are assessed. Finally, DNP projects prepare students for their future careers, where they will create and use the evidence-based scholarship.
Project Description
One of the topics I am interested in is the use of telehealth by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the virus’s spread, many people cannot attend a clinic (Byrne, 2020). Moreover, practitioners are overwhelmed with work, and they cannot always come to patients, exposing them to the risk of infection (Byrne, 2020). For people with chronic conditions, such lack of contact with nurses is challenging, and telehealth is one of the solutions used currently to overcome this issue (Andrews et al., 2020). Based on the prospectus guide guidelines, I would construct the DNP project as a systematic review of the literature (Walden University, 2018). I would look for studies, reviews, and cases where the topic is discussed. After collecting sufficient data, I would analyze each text and document points that align in the research to present unifying themes or contradictions. Then, I would start writing the prospectus, proposal, and project.
References
Andrews, E., Berghofer, K., Long, J., Prescott, A., & Caboral-Stevens, M. (2020). Satisfaction with the use of telehealth during COVID-19: An integrative review. International journal of nursing studies advances, 2, 100008.
Byrne, M. D. (2020). Telehealth and the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 35(5), 548-551.
Walden University. (2018). Doctoral project prospectus guide: Doctor of Nursing Practice. Author.
Walden University. (2019). School of Nursing practicum manual: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Author.
Walden University. (n.d.). DNP doctoral study: Doctor of Nursing Program capstone resources.