Outcome 1
The first outcome describes nurses’ skills in using theoretical knowledge to improve the healthcare industry. First of all, I applied science-based theories to analyze the significance of health care delivery. Through personal reflection, I investigated the studies describing the transmission of gamete and eukaryotic formation to see how their analysis can impact our knowledge of sexual reproduction.
When examining case studies, I reflected on a variety of nursing theories to determine their role in the formation of nursing research. Middle-range nursing approaches, such as Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations, for example, define nursing in a way that creates a connection between grand nursing concepts and practice. According to Hagerty, Samuels, Norcini-Pala, and Gigliotti (2017), these frameworks can help one to address specific problems in healthcare delivery and assist nursing researchers in finding a focus for academic studies.
By defining the Ten Strategic Points for outlining nursing theories, I was able to synthesize all available knowledge about various practices and concepts. I understood that all approaches, while viewing patients, nursing, and health, from different angles, had some similarities in their underlying principles, including empathy and patient-nurse relationships. This particular assignment was based on data gathering as I had to analyze major nursing theories to define their role in practice and determine which of their elements were the most important.
Apart from that, I also contributed 600 min of practice hours to case reports where I was able to apply science-based theories and see how they change the course of one’s thinking about the presented problem. I used my previously acquired knowledge from genetic studies to practice genetic testing for another 600 minutes. Here, the synthesis of scientific data provided me with enough information about the subject to apply it in practice successfully.
Another example of my applying theories in practice was the examination of clinical research concerned with the field of capnography during resuscitation. The implementation of studies laid a foundation for the project for evaluating the tools’ effectiveness and their role in emergencies. As a result, this and previously discussed information contributed to by theory-based beginnings of the DPI project. I have learned that a theoretical basis for a study or program allows one to see and appraise all information that was discovered by the other scholars. Nursing theories offer many tools and frameworks which can be employed to pinpoint the exact area of concern for patients and other stakeholders. Alternatively, these science-based data show which areas remain unexplored, thus calling other scholars to narrow or expand their focus.
My use of studies during practice hours has demonstrated the extent to which case report application and scientific data can inform one’s understanding and help find solutions that will overcome previously unseen pitfalls. For my DPI project, I will utilize both the knowledge that I acquired during my research as well as the understanding of how valuable theoretical pillars can be for practice. I will employ a theoretical framework to guide my research and use the information derived from earlier studies to support my findings or compare them to see the differences.
Outcome 2
Leadership is another role that a doctorally prepared advanced practice nurse has to assume. To achieve this outcome, I first employed principles for business and economic theories to see how they may assist me in creating initiatives for improving the quality of care. In my reflections, I evaluated the present state of bureaucratic structures in healthcare and determined their incompatibility with the consistently changing needs of the patient population (Klemsdal, 2013). Instead, organizations have to strive towards learning-based structures that are flexible and dynamic enough to address the problems that arise among patients and other stakeholders (Klemsdal, 2013).
I also presented case reports which contrasted different systems of payment, devising a structure that would be both fiscally beneficial and inviting interdisciplinary collaboration. According to Kingsley (2014), economic problems in the United States health care industry lie beyond people’s misunderstanding of payment systems and are connected to the country’s historical values of individualism and personal achievement. Thus, leaders encouraging change should also address these concerns and propose a structure overcomes people’s opposition.
My literature review for the outcome included studies concerned with the improvement of healthcare quality and patient outcomes. This activity presented me with data pertinent to my future projects and created a foundation for appraising other authors’ ideas about quality change. During my practice hours, I reviewed various issues that arose in the geriatric population in relation to their aging processes. Apart from that, I analyzed various trends in informatics for my practice to see how they can be implemented in my setting to raise the speed of documenting and improve the safety and quality of patient data.
Another assignment that gave me an opportunity to improve and practice my leadership skills was participation in a People Management Leadership Seminar. For this event, I examined the role of nursing leadership in healthcare and its implementation into interprofessional collaboration to improve patient-centered care. The idea that leadership among nurses is equal to management or collaboration is erroneous – these concepts differ in their primary areas of focus. For instance, management is concerned with operations and their completion, while neglecting such areas as workers’ empowerment or professional growth (Murray, 2009).
In contrast, leadership does not always apply to managers only, being a quality that defines professionals who encourage improvement in others and using themselves as an example as well (Russell, 2001; Smith, 2011). A leader can influence other members of the team to collaborate successfully, especially in the model of leadership targets the other individuals’ desire to grow and open to each other (Delmatoff & Lazarus, 2014).
The participation in the seminar allowed me to demonstrate my capabilities of a nursing leader and show my ideas for political activism. I will apply this knowledge to the initiative and purpose behind the project as well as its final steps detailing a proposal for quality change. Leadership skills allow one to see what problems need to be solved and communication with others with feedback about common issues is crucial for observing a project from all sides. The results of a project have to be informed by leadership principles to deliver actual change.
Outcome 3
This outcome’s primary goal is to teach nurses technical and analytical skills in using data and informatics for the improvement of healthcare delivery. To develop these skills and understand their current state in the US, I analyzed the federal and state laws regulating and setting standards for technology application in practice. After that, I used databases and searches to collect information about childhood obesity, particularly about the role of parental involvement. The resulting case report evaluated the statistical practices of these studies as well as their adherence to ethical guidelines of research.
For a literature review, I investigated inferential statistics and their implementation in research reports. The application of statistical analyses is one of the basic calculations in scholarly studies, as their results constitute the majority of theories and hypotheses for individual and population health. According to Bradley and Brand (2016), inferential statistics should be used with caution, but their results may demonstrate a variety of issues, changes, and differences among samples.
The exploration of this segment of analysis helped me understand how statistics are approached in healthcare research. For practice hours and the DPI project, I developed a competency matrix that outlined the main goals and objectives of the works completed. This step of the assignment is also related to technical skills as it involves data synthesis and organization into a system for future usage.
Moreover, I evaluated the current literacy practices developed by organizations for patients to increase health promotion and disease prevention. Patient education is now closely tied to healthcare technologies, and the interactivity of many materials makes necessary information more accessible to individuals than before. During my practice hours, I was able to use this knowledge as I was working with telehealth services and public health application.
Finally, I achieved the outcome by using scoring mechanisms in one of my case reports about childhood obesity and parental involvement. I also examined database structures, such as ANOVA and SPSS, as well as the completion of measurements and t-tests. In practice, I returned to my theoretical knowledge of previous topics – I tested capnography during resuscitation, utilized inferential statistics, and applied the qualitative method of inquiry.
These opportunities provided me with a well-rounded understanding of various tools, programs, analyses, and devices that are currently accepted in healthcare. Databases are helpful for many initiatives, and skills for using them are essential in healthcare research, which relies on previous findings and best practice guidelines. Telehealth and similar technology are one of the potential branches of the industry.
For my DPI project, I will mostly use the information about statistical analyses, including their importance, relevance, and application. The skills related to qualitative data gathering and statistical measurements are essential in conducting research and creating plans for the improvement of health care delivery. Data mining and implementation are crucial for all parts of a project – the literature review, formulation of a hypothesis, information gathering from participants, the evaluation of results, and potential spheres of further analysis. Thus, this outcome’s completion helps me in improving the quality of my DPI project significantly.
Outcome 4
Another role of an advanced practice nurse is that of a patient advocate. To achieve one of the objective’s smaller goals – the analysis of data related to population health – I reflected on the principles of epidemiological properties related to health disparities. Furthermore, I evaluated the bio-statistical data used in various methods to assess individual and population health. I also assessed social factors that have an impact on the population and individual health, including one’s personal and professional characteristics. Then, I collected some information about global health disparities to identify natural resource strains that lead to these major problems.
The connection between these concerns allows one to map out the plan for patient advocacy projects focused on global and local solutions – food insecurity and hunger, for instance, are among the factors that affect population health in the US (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015). Thus, an advocacy initiative that targets food-related resource strains can be developed to improve people’s wellbeing.
For my Ten Strategic Points, I evaluated the community-based care to see how it can change the delivery of hospital readmissions. In my practice, I appraised practice guidelines to determine their effectiveness for the treatment of colon cancer – the evaluation of this data is related to establishing future standards for population care. I disseminated the information about barriers that do not allow health care providers to improve their outcome and gathered data about challenges that organizations face when addressing population-affecting diseases. Using the CPOE and CDSS systems, I was able to collect data in practice and see the potential and problems of my practice setting.
The question of healthcare accessibility is one of the central concerns in the US. My reflection about the ethical issues of making care more accessible and affordable, while improving its quality allowed me to see the scope of the problem and its connection to economic and political concepts (). The access to information and its analysis are not the only steps, however. I investigated the crucial role of knowledge dissemination and translation for patient advocacy. Without making the data understandable to populations and other specialists, one may risk failing to attract attention to the problem, which renders all advocacy actions useless.
Advocacy for social justice and equity often rely on a nurse’s preparedness to be a leader and a role model for other professionals. According to Totten (2010), the inclusion of nurses into healthcare boards is a necessary step for giving them an ability to present their opinions about individual and public health. The quality of care depends not only on available funds and workers’ professional knowledge but also their ability to listen to patients and other stakeholders and enact change when issues are identified. Thus, the process of creating advocacy projects has to rely on nurses’ soft skills, leadership style, and commitment to the profession.
The correctness of data collected as a result of scientific studies does not always result in an effective campaign if this information is not appropriately distributed (Camargo & Grant, 2015). I will base my project’s final discussion and conclusions on this idea, making sure that my proposals are based on findings and are easy to translate into practice.
Outcome 5
The evaluation of practice outcomes is a vital part of healthcare research and planning. To achieve the goals of this outcome, I reflected on strategies for change and evaluated possible bias mitigation procedures that would increase the quality of research. As a result, this assignment allowed me to see that evidence-based research has to go through a rigorous process of bias elimination in order to produce data that will be used in practice effectively. Next, I gathered and assessed studies discussing nurse migration to evaluate their quality and create strategies for improving patient outcomes using this process.
I analyzed various evidence-based strategies for health promotion and disease prevention – this step improved by skills of evaluating existing methodologies for influencing patient-centered care. The literature about innovative approaches to health promotion contains some information about accountable care – this strategy of organizing interventions is more beneficial in comparison to traditional change because it incorporates feedback and includes patients in the discussion (Institute of Medicine, 2012). I gathered the data related to this topic to gain a deeper understanding of this model.
By participating in a nursing intervention, I achieved the objective in practice. This program included the introduction of bedside rounding and the analysis of HCAHPS scores for the facility. The application of HCAHPS scores was a crucial part of the assignment, and it was an example of my using national benchmarks to evaluate practice outcomes in a clinical setting. Thus, the practical implementation of initiatives based on previous research contributed to better patient outcomes. I was a part of a Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program, which provided me with another opportunity to use theoretical knowledge in promoting health and translating research into practice.
Furthermore, I attended a Safety Together Training Workshop to enhance my skills as a safety leader in health promotion. This scholarly activity increased my knowledge about the continuum of care and its potential benefits for patient safety. The continuum of care is a concept that was created to improve the care delivery for all patients, especially those who have to transfer between different facilities and caregivers. These individuals’ mental and physical health may suffer from loss of information, inadequate nurse-patient and interprofessional communication, and other problems (Mills, Marks, Reynolds, & Cieza, 2017). Thus, by developing a framework that acknowledges these issues and introduces ways of mitigating their effects, nurses can contribute to the improvement of healthcare.
This outcome’s completion contributed to my understanding of quality improvement methods and their evaluation. It is clear that the use of national benchmarks is beneficial for medical facilities because it creates a standard of care and promotes change. Therefore, the ability of nurses to collect and praise information using the existing systems and tools is necessary for successful interventions. I will utilize this knowledge in my DPI project and ensure that the documentation, sources, and methodologies that I employ are of high quality and are supported by other resources and evidence. The project’s primary purpose will be to propose safe, equitable, and timely care.
Self-Reflection
The analysis of all competed assignments and my explanation of their connection to the course outcomes leads me to believe that I am prepared to undertake the DPI project. The finished course tested my skills as an advanced practice nurse and challenged me to apply my theoretical knowledge and communicational and leadership skills in practice. It also provided me with an opportunity to use all newly acquired information in practice.
The exploration of various scientific, ethical, political, and economic concepts broadened my view of nursing as a profession. The participation in seminars and quality improvement initiatives prepared me as a speaker and a member of an interprofessional team with the qualities of a nursing advocate and leader. Thus, I think that the scope of my current experience has prepared me for this project.
The information that I accessed during this course has greatly informed my strategies in preparing for the completion of the DPI project. First of all, I was able to reevaluate the role and purpose of nursing in healthcare. This part of the education granted me an in-depth understanding of what exactly makes nursing research valuable for patients and organizations. The connection between nurses and patients is unique, and empathy as a basis of nursing theories influences the lens through which every improvement project is viewed. Second, the theoretical knowledge derived from various sources and databases allowed me to see the extent to which some of the topics have been explored to this day. Thus, their contents informed by the perception of the topic’s choices and the availability of data for calculations and comparison.
Third, the exploration of various quantitative methods, including tools and tests for handling gathered data improved my skills as a researcher. The investigation into inferential statistics was particularly helpful as major nursing research projects often employ this type in studies to arrive at possible conclusions. Finally, the participation in advocacy-driven events provided me with an opportunity to see how research results are implemented into practice, showing me how I should handle the outcomes of my future projects.
To successfully implement my project, I need to update my 10 Strategic points and draft to reflect the experience that I acquired during the course. For instance, I may need to review my data collection and analysis methods and ensure that they are consistent with the topic and outcomes that I wish to achieve. Moreover, I have to update my sample and location choices to maintain an unbiased presentation of results. Otherwise, both documents seem to align with the information that I accessed as a result of learning. My progress in working on the project is tied to my continuously evolving understanding of the topic and the sphere in which it exists.
While I have collected the necessary information and appraised its quality, I am still in the process of analyzing data and arriving at conclusions that completely represent the amount and quality of information. To finish the project, I need to complete data analysis and develop the discussion and conclusion that include a review of previous studies and propose limitations and strengths for further consideration and implementation.
References
Bradley, M. T., & Brand, A. (2016). Accuracy when inferential statistics are used as measurement tools. BMC Research Notes, 9(1), 241.
Camargo, K., Jr., & Grant, R. (2015). Public health, science, and policy debate: Being right is not enough. American Journal of Public Health, 105(2), 232-235.
Delmatoff, J., & Lazarus, I. R. (2014). The most effective leadership style for the new landscape of healthcare. Journal of Healthcare Management, 59(4), 245-249.
Gundersen, C., & Ziliak, J. P. (2015). Food insecurity and health outcomes. Health Affairs, 34(11), 1830-1839.
Hagerty, T. A., Samuels, W., Norcini-Pala, A., & Gigliotti, E. (2017). Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations: An alternate factor structure for patient experience data? Nursing Science Quarterly, 30(2), 160-167.
Institute of Medicine. (2012). Best care at lower cost: The path to continuously learning health care in America. Web.
Kingsley, T. (2014). Diagnosing the current problems of the united states health care system requires examining the history of health reform. Kennedy School Review, 14, 63-69.
Klemsdal, L. (2013). From bureaucracy to learning organization: Critical minimum specification design as space for Sensemaking. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 26(1), 39-52.
Mills, J. A., Marks, E., Reynolds, T., & Cieza, A. (2017). Rehabilitation: Essential along the continuum of care. In D. T. Jamison, H. Gelband, S. Horton, P. Jha, R. Laxminarayan, C.N. Mock, & R. Nugent (Eds.) Disease control priorities: Improving health and reducing poverty (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank.
Murray, A. (2009). What is the difference between leadership and management?The Wall Street Journal. Web.
Russell, R. F. (2001). The role of values in servant leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 22(2), 76-84.
Smith, M. A. (2011). Are you a transformational leader? Nursing Management, 42(9), 44-50.
Totten, M. K. (2010). Nurses on healthcare boards: A smart and logical move to make. Healthcare Executive, 25(3), 84-86.