DNP 840 Benchmark – Comprehensive Assessment Part Two Outcomes and Reflection

Sample Answer

Comprehensive Assessment Part Two Outcomes and Reflections

The Doctor of nursing practice prepares nurse professionals in the best way possible and offers appropriate skills needed in the clinical environment, scholarship endeavors, and leadership.

Therefore, the program requires DNP learners to participate in various activities that set them on the path of fulfilling the required competencies related to the program. For example, DNP students must undertake various scholarship activities and engagements to prepare them as professionals who understand patient care and delivery and related leadership (Giardino et al., 2020).

One highlight is that the accomplishment of Direct Practice Improvement is particularly key in helping the DNP student acquire various important skills such as clinical, leadership, and research, which are all important in the organizational and hospital settings.

The implication is that it is important for a DNP student to reflect on how best or well the set objectives have been achieved. As such, the purpose of this paper is to write a reflection and assess how best the DNP core competencies have been achieved.

Outcome Number One
Outcome number one is connected to integrating and applying nursing theories and science-based theories to evaluate and analyze the phenomena related to healthcare and health.

The competency is also related to formulating and implementing relevant practice strategies (Zaccagnini& Pechacek, 2019). The Grand Canyon’s DNP 801 was particularly key in accomplishing this competency. During this course, I managed to student various nursing and science-based theories and how they relate to nursing care practice.

In addition, the critical role played by these theories in formulating and implementing evidence-based practice was explored. In the same vein, DNP 815 gave an opportunity to further explore there Imogene King’s Goal Attainment theory, and Lewin’s change model was discussed in the light of how they can support the DPI project.

As part of the assignment, I was also able to integrate Imogene King’s Goal Attainment theory and Lewin’s model toward improving patient care outcomes for patients exposed to pressure ulcers. The use of the two theories was also supported by a comprehensive literature review concerning the current trends and strategies applied in caring for patients with pressure ulcers.

Another important course in accomplishing this competency is DNP 820, through further exploration of science and nursing-based theories and how best they can be applied in nursing practice. During this course, I completed two vital assignments a draft assignment for the DPI project and a literature review.

Imogene King’s Goal Attainment theory was further explored as part of the draft project as a framework to help guide the project (Fronczek& Messmer, 2021). The theory was studied in detail, and how its principles, assumptions, and major concepts can be applied to the DPI project for its success.

I also completed various assignments in DNP 835, which were important in achieving the first competency. For example, one of the assignments was known as the implementation and evaluation assignment. This assignment was important in enhancing my skills and knowledge of nursing theories and their roles when coming up with initiatives and changes focusing on improving healthcare delivery and healthcare systems.

This assignment also entailed a discussion of potential barriers to the proposed change initiatives and some of the strategies that can be applied to help overcome the identified barriers (Li et al., 2019).

As part of the assignment, various strategies were discussed, including offering education to the staff, effective communication, and support to help them fully participate in the project. In addition, the three stages, unfreezing, change, and refreezing of Kurt Lewin’s change theory were used and discussed as a theory for managing the change.

Understanding nursing and science-based theories was not an easy task in the beginning. However, it was made simpler as time went by. Various aspects have been key to helping me better understand the theories; for example, the mentors, course instructors, and classmates helped a lot through insightful discussions.

Therefore, I am better positioned to appropriately apply the nursing and science-based theories in the DPI project and in future practice. It is worth noting that Imogene King’s Goal Attainment theory will be applied to lead the phases of the DPI project, especially the implementation stage (Fronczek & Messmer, 2021). I am also better placed to appreciate the potential limitations and gaps of the DPI project and offer insightful recommendations.

The acquired knowledge regarding nursing and science-based theories will also be important in patient care activities to identify patient care problems and propose potential solutions that can be used to overcome the problems and trigger change initiatives that can be used in improving patient outcomes.

In light of this discussion, it is evident that the first competency was accomplished by undertaking modules in the DNP. The knowledge related to nursing and science-based theories will be important for the remaining parts of the DNP and the following professional practice.

Outcome Number Two

Outcome number two is connected with the provision of leadership in the development and implementation of health care and organizational policy to help in driving effective change within organizations (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).

Such policies have to consider various regulatory, external, and internal factors. Undertaking the DNP course has been important in helping me acquire and develop various leadership and management skills related to organizational policies and regulations. For example, the completion of the DNP 810 was particularly important in this respect.

A host of assignments were completed to help me develop important skills. For example, I completed an assignment that dealt with issues related to aging. Aging as an aspect was comprehensively studied; for example, I explored the use of healthcare policies to give solutions and improve healthcare coverage and access among the aging population.

Research has proven that elderly populations experience chronic conditions and hence have to use various medications to treat and manage their conditions. Therefore, as part of the DNP 810, I was able to study government policies that have been enacted and used to enhance care efficiency and access for the elderly population.

Implementing the policies requires that the professionals apply relevant leadership skills like staff coordination, coalition building, and effective communication.
Assignments related to leadership and skills used in policy have also been completed. During the Grand Canyon’s DNP 835, I managed to complete an assignment that focused on quality and sustainability.

This assignment explored various strategies that nurse leaders and organizational leaders can apply in executing the change in the healthcare environment, as well as how the change theories can be used when managing change initiatives focused on improving patient outcomes. For example, I discussed how Lewin’s change theory could be used to lead the project regarding the use of pressure ulcer bundles to deal with pressure ulcer incidences in the care environment (Floyd et al., 2021).

Another aspect explored is the importance of healthcare and organizational policies in initiating and implementing change and ensuring that stakeholders are fully involved in the change initiatives to help improve patient care outcomes. As part of the assignment, various strategies were discussed, including talking to the stakeholders, carrying out staff education, and offering support in every stage of the project to enhance a successful implementation and completion.

The educational initiatives are particularly important since they can help support the staff to initiate and sustain behavior change and ensure that the patients are able to follow the aspects of the proposed change initiatives (Gaspar et al.,2019). The course was also key in imparting skills related to finance and budgeting by exploring particular economics and finance principles. The principles were applied to formulate the proposed evidence-based project’s draft budget, which could be used in the implementation.

The skills and knowledge acquired during the DNP study in connection to healthcare and organizational policy formulation and implementation are important now and for the future. These skills will go a long way in supporting the DPI project. For instance, the knowledge and skills obtained can be used to further fine-tune the applications of the change model and the nursing theories in the DPI project of improving the care outcomes related to patients with pressure ulcers.

The principles of healthcare policy, finance, and economics will also be applied to support the delivery of acceptable health quality to patients (Stanhope& Lancaster, 2019). These principles will be important in making decisions concerning the cost-effectiveness of the proposed project and how best it can be used to impact the healthcare outcomes of the bigger populations.

Other skills will also be important. For example, skills learned on how to deal with the stakeholders will be used to bring the stakeholders together so that they can adequately support the project, from initiation to evaluation and monitoring. The same skills will also be applied to support the nursing staff to participate in activities and initiatives focused on ensuring that the patients adhere to the directions prescribed in the new initiative.

Outcome Number Three
Outcome three is connected to using the information system for mining, analyzing, and applying data to help improve information systems and organizational and patient outcomes(Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).

Therefore, the DNP journey has also been key in helping achieve this outcome. One of the courses that helped in the achievement of this outcome is DNP 820. During this course, I completed an assignment known as a project milestone was completed.

As part of this project, a comprehensive literature review and synthesis were achieved after searching various databases and extracting the needed, required, and relevant data. For example, relevant data and information regarding the use of pressure ulcer bundles to control pressure ulcers were extracted.

Relevant skills were used in this assignment. For example, I managed to refine the article search to remain with the most relevant articles, which were then reviewed and synthesized in connection to the DPI project.

Apart from DNP 820, I also managed to accomplish DNP 805, which appropriately helped in achieving the third outcome. For instance, I completed assignments that covered CPOE and CDSS and designed a system that could be integrated into an electronic health record system to help improve care efficiency and patient outcomes (Austin et al.,2019).

This system was designed by completing the assignment, which mainly focused on the electronic health records database and data management; I formulated a hypothetical system that can be used to help improve patient outcomes among patients experiencing pressure ulcers in care settings. As part of the course, I also researched various databases that can be applied to mine data with a major focus on improving patient outcomes.

The skills and knowledge obtained in relation to outcome number three will also be key to completing the DPI project. For instance, as part of the comprehensive literature review, I managed to spot various knowledge gaps that still exist in relation to the use of pressure ulcer bundles to treat, manage and control pressure ulcers and recommend possible ways of filling such gaps (Floyd et al.,2019).

Successful completion of the DPI project will require that I be in a position to locate and use relevant databases with key information connected to the DPI project. Therefore, as part of the plan, I will need to retrieve additional literature that discusses the use of pressure ulcer bundles to help reduce pressure ulcers, which further underlines the importance of the skills and knowledge acquired in relation to outcome three.

Besides, the analytical skills obtained will also be applied in identifying and applying relevant literature and information for the DPI project. For example, the knowledge of the levels of evidence will be used to help apply the most relevant and strongest evidence to support the DPI project.

Outcome Number Four

The fourth outcome focused on articulating and implementing strategy and advocating for ethical and equitable delivery models that can be used to improve the management of health among individuals and populations (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).

The DNP courses have been key and helpful in achieving the outcome. For instance, the assignments accomplished in DNP 810 were important. One of the assignments dealt with genetic disorders and various aspects such as the gene mutation analysis, the disease causes as well as the chromosomal analysis.

This assignment also discussed other aspects, such as the influence that genetics has on policy issues and various patient advocacy strategies that can be used to improve patient outcomes. Besides, this assignment also explores the ethical issues and considerations for the diseases and what can be done to reduce the healthcare burdens due to the condition.

The assignment also entailed an exploration of healthcare policies connected to disease management and advocacy avenues that can be used to improve access to healthcare. Therefore, the accomplishment of this assignment has enabled me to acquire relevant skills connected to social justice and ethical policy advocacy.

As part of the DNP course, I managed to study various strategies that can be used to improve access to care and lower healthcare costs for people from minority groups. The minority groups were the point of focus since minority groups have been shown to face various healthcare barriers related to access to care, particularly those people with various chronic conditions (Manuel et al., 2019).

As such, professionals should focus on applying strategies that can enhance equitable resource distribution and equitable access to healthcare among these populations. One of the courses that enabled me to achieve this competency is DNP 835. During this course, I completed assignments such as those which dealt with the factors that lead to health disparities that cause health inequity in the local communities and the ethical issues that can negatively impact access to care and the provision of quality care.

As part of this assignment, I also explored initiatives related to faith and ethics that can be used to reduce health inequities and change sustenance in the healthcare system.
The discussions indicate that I have managed to accomplish several activities to help me achieve skills and knowledge connected to outcome number four.

Therefore, such skills and knowledge will also be duly applied to help in the completion of the DPI project. For example, in regards to the minority groups, I will be able to explore how the use of proposed pressure ulcer bundles can impact the health outcomes of individuals from the minority groups as well as the vulnerable populations who can easily be impacted by pressure ulcers (Manuel et al.,2019).

Besides, it is possible to explore the disparities associated with patients experiencing pressure ulcers and how to effectively use the proposed intervention to positively impact their health outcomes.

It is important to note that the ethics-related skills and knowledge acquired in the course will also be important to the completion of the DPI project. I will strive to explore the relationships between ethics and ethical concerns and the use of pressure ulcer bundles to help improve patient outcomes, and how to motivate patients and the staff to adhere to the guidelines of the proposed intervention (Floyd et al.,2019).

As such, the ethical principles will be followed, and the patients will not be coerced to participate in the program, but they will be allowed to willfully participate. As part of the program, I will also strive to uphold patient autonomy in all activities and follow every direction given by the institutional review board and the ethical committee. The skills and knowledge obtained will also be used to support health policy proposals that target equitable access to healthcare and resource distribution for improved patient outcomes.

Outcome Number Five
The next outcome focuses on practice outcome evaluation and the use of research, evidence-based practice, and national benchmarks to design, direct, utilize, and evaluate quality improvement methodologies focused on patient-centered care (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).

As such, completion of DNP 820 was particularly helpful in achieving this outcome, especially those assignments which focused on the implementation of evidence into practice. As part of the project, a critical appraisal of the gap that exists between the research findings and implementation into practice was explored. The effort was supported by a thorough assessment of the current trends in implementation into practice and the potential barriers to the implementation strategies.

Barriers can greatly hinder the implementation of patient outcome improvement strategies; therefore, as part of the assignment, I focused on strategies for overcoming the discussed barriers and the resources that can be applied to help transition research into practice.

Another assignment explored in DNP 820, which helped achieve the outcome, is formulating a proposal that can be used to reduce the development of pressure ulcers among populations. The proposal was progressively developed from the earlier DP courses and fine-tuned in DNP 820.

As part of the proposal, I carried out research on the current evidence-based practice sources dealing with the use of pressure ulcer bundles to improve patient care outcomes among patients with pressure ulcers (Mervis & Phillips, 2018). This assignment also involved an appraisal of the sources of evidence that can be used to support the proposed initiative. An appropriate literature search and analysis was key in identifying the use of pressure ulcer bundles as an intervention to help reduce and manage pressure ulcers.

The fifth outcome was also accomplished by completing an assignment in DPN 820A, which focused on the literature review. During this assignment, I carried out a comprehensive literature review regarding the use of pressure ulcer bundles in the prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

The retrieved relevant articles were critically appraised, and analysis of methods and designs used in the articles were all explored (Mervis & Phillips, 2018). The implication is that I managed to achieve the necessary skills connected to the strategies for quality improvement and equitable access to healthcare.

The acquired skills and knowledge will also be key to the completion of the DPI project. For example, the skills obtained will be used in project evaluation as it is one of the most vital stages of the evidence-based practice project cycle. Therefore, I will be able to effectively evaluate the proposed project of using pressure ulcer bundles to reduce the incidences of pressure ulcers among the chosen population.

I am also in a better position to use the information from evidence-based practice and national benchmarks to formulate strategies and initiatives which can be applied to help improve patient outcomes. For example, I can embark on further efforts to explore strategies that can be applied to improve aspects of pressure ulcer bundles to help improve outcomes.

Self Reflection
The journey to DNP program is near completion. However, the DNP 840 will also add to the prospects of a successful implementation and completion of the DPI project. Nonetheless, the completion of the courses can be evaluated.

The knowledge and skills acquired in practice, coursework, and immersion hours will all be important in completing the DPI project. In particular, the knowledge and skills gained in relation to nursing and science-based theories will be key as I will be able to apply them in the completion of the DPI project. The skills acquired will be important in the implementation phase since it is one of the most complex phases.

The leadership styles, theories, and approaches learned in the DNP program will also form the backbone of the formulation and implementation of policy initiatives that can be used to improve patient outcomes. The program has also improved my knowledge and skills regarding research, such as how to obtain relevant data from various databases and analyze the data to help improve patient outcomes.

Such knowledge will particularly play a critical role in my DPI project in the final stages. For instance, I will be in a position to analyze data obtained from the project through relevant software and tools to obtain relevant information that can be used in evaluating the impact of the project or intervention.

The content and outlook of the DPI project have greatly been enhanced by fine-tuning the ten strategic points of the project. Nonetheless, I will have to accomplish some revisions as appropriate. In particular, I will need to adjust aspects related to data collection and analysis for better results.

One aspect which will help in adequate revision and fine-tuning is the incorporation of the instructors’ comments and revision suggestions and aligning every phase and process with the project goals and outcomes. Therefore, based on the discussions and explanations, I am better placed to proceed with the DPI project and ensure that it is complete.

Conclusion
This assignment focused on the second part of the comprehensive assessment and assignment on how the DNP course has fostered the achievement of the five major outcomes. The discussions have shown that the expected outcomes have largely been met and achieved, implying that I am better placed to tackle the final stages of the DPI project and successfully implement it.

It is worth noting that the help of the faculty, mentor, and instructors will still be important to ensure that everything remains on course for the completion of the program. In addition, this assignment has also explored various ways through which the obtained skills and knowledge will be applied in the future, especially toward completing the DPI project and the DNP program.

References
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Floyd, N. A., Dominguez-Cancino, K. A., Butler, L. G., Rivera-Lozada, O., Leyva-Moral, J. M., & Palmieri, P. A. (2021). The effectiveness of care bundles including the Braden scale for preventing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers in older adults hospitalized in ICUs A Systematic review. The Open Nursing Journal, 15(1). http //dx.doi.org/10.2174/1874434602115010074
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