The DNP stands for Doctor of Nursing Practice and is the highest nursing degree obtainable and equips nurses for tasks outside of direct patient care that focuses on systems or clinical practice. After completing the required qualifications, nurses from DNP programs can work in clinical settings or leadership positions. This paper focuses on the role of a DNP-prepared nurse facing chaos, complexity, and changes in the work area. Deciding to pursue a DNP puts one in a difficult situation since there are varying opinions about the degree among nurses, some of which are justified by facts. The academic route leading to a DNP degree is well-known as full of challenges and opportunities. Nevertheless, the route taken by each nurse to earn a DNP degree might be unique. One may significantly increase their likelihood of succeeding by comprehending, considering, and utilizing the most effective tactics and procedures to address these problems.
A nursing doctorate (DNP) initially focused on research but has now diversified to include nursing practice. Any nursing intervention that affects the health outcomes of individuals or populations is referred to as nursing practice in this paper. It includes providing direct patient care, managing care for individuals and populations, and managing nursing and healthcare organizations (Beeber et al., 2019). Chaos among nurses has escalated into a severe issue that has a wide-ranging impact on the nursing profession. The understanding or management of nurse leaders against workplace violence in nursing was subject to scant research. Therefore, nurses who have received a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) should specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and eliminating workplace violence within the nursing industry. The important roles of a DNP-prepared nurse increase as the healthcare environment gets more sophisticated and complicated. Nurses and other healthcare professionals face challenging working conditions due to the sophisticated healthcare system. Chaos is when there is physical or verbal abuse of employees. Vertical and horizontal violence were the two types of workplace violence, each having physical and non-physical violence as subdivisions.
Complexity is the quality of being complicated; therefore, a complex system has many interconnected components and it is problematic to anticipate the system’s behavior based only on the knowledge of its constituent parts. Clinical healthcare is in steady demand, and there is a rising shortage of healthcare professionals to meet this demand. The DNP-prepared nurse will fill these healthcare system gaps (Staffileno et al., 2017). Abilities such as a strong focus on safety and quality, the analysis of genomics and genetics clinical data, and interdisciplinary care are the roles to be offered by DNP-prepared nurses. These competencies work together to emphasize the importance of doctoral education in nursing practice.
A DNP-prepared nurse is likely to change their work area. According to Kooienga (2018), the workload of a nurse leader with a doctorate in nursing is quite substantial, particularly if the workplace experiences the organizational change brought about by using electronic health records (EHR). Apart from treating patients, the critical roles of a DNP-prepared nurse include analyzing and developing specific conditions and procedures to promote excellent treatment. In addition, nurse leaders are required to help improve intra- and inter-professional cooperation, facilitate communication, and improve staff interest at their place of work. Additionally, given the case, as outlined, actions are matched with a current organizational shift. However, most of the abovementioned roles will likely be beneficial in supporting the EHR infusion. Consequently, a DNP-prepared nurse leader’s workflow comprises complex linked tasks.
The environment and context in which nurses work are essential as well. There may be particular opportunities and challenges associated with various circumstances. For instance, an acute-care hospital participating in the Magnet recognition program might benefit from various. Magnet-related advantages. They include the promotion of high-quality treatment, the acknowledgment of nurses’ contributions, and the investment in human and technological advancement. A nurse leader will likely receive several advantages in a Magnet hospital. On the contrary, rural clinic systems frequently struggle with infrastructure, money, and the availability of skilled personnel (Kooienga, 2018). These problems have numerous detrimental effects on a leader, particularly given that the implementation of EHR is a crucial element in this situation.
Generally, a leader would have some problems in both situations. The Magnet hospital is busy, the volume of patients there is probably high (Kooienga, 2018). Staffing problems in acute-care hospitals are a huge concern since the specifics of acute care also provide unique challenges, such as those related to patient safety. A nurse leader may better prepare for and respond to such difficulties by concentrating on them. The nurse could, however, adapt their strategy to the specifics of their healthcare institution and take advantage of the opportunities while managing their workload by considering the settings’ favorable aspects.
In conclusion, the DNP has emerged as a choice for nurses who wish to further their careers, knowledge bases, and skill sets, even though it is still very early. The DNP can expand the spectrum and scope of this medical sector to a more enriched field of nursing that supports the greatest patient outcomes. DNP-prepared nurses frequently work as APRNs in clinical care or as healthcare system administrators (Beeber et al., 2019). A DNP-prepared nurse, therefore, has the golden role of taking nursing to another level of healthcare despite chaos, complexity, and changes in workplaces.
References
Beeber, A. S., Palmer, C., Waldrop, J., Lynn, M. R., & Jones, C. B. (2019). The role of doctor of nursing practice-prepared nurses in practice settings. Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 354–364. Web.
Kooienga, S. (2018). Rural patientsʼ and primary care clinic staffsʼ perceptions of EHR implementation. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 41(1), 71-79.
Staffileno, B. A., Murphy, M. P., & Carlson, E. (2017). Determinants for effective collaboration among DNP-and PhD-prepared faculty. Nursing Outlook, 65(1), pp. 94-102.