Evolution of the DNP Degree and the Advanced Practice Role

The distinction between nursing science and medicine lays the groundwork for the holistic aspect in which patients are treated. While medical science predominantly addresses disease and response to it, nursing science is a wide category that encompasses taking care of the promotion of health, prevention of disease and taking care of patients’ emotional support (Flaubert et al., 2021). This is the basis on which advanced practice nurses are capable of offering high-quality care that addresses the physical problems and the patients’ surroundings, the available support, and their self-defined health objectives: Evolution of the DNP Degree and the Advanced Practice Role.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum has steadily gained recognition since its inception, beginning as an advanced clinical practice degree and expanding into an extensive curriculum centred on leadership, systems thinking, and evidence-based practice (EBP). This metamorphosis mirrors the increasing intricacy of the healthcare system and the exigency for nurses to work in different spheres (Boland & Loos, 2020).

The 2021 AACN Essentials delineate principles which should guide the practice of DNP-prepared nurses; that is, understanding when and how to exercise their clinical judgement alongside systems leadership. These program essentials have been identified to capture the knowledge acquired through formal education, practical experience, and theoretical understanding, from which advanced nursing practice occurs by incorporating scientific evidence and experiential wisdom.

The distinction between practice and research doctorates rests on the primary focus and intended outcomes of each. Whereas PhD programs prepare nurses to generate new nursing knowledge through research, DNP programs prepare nurses to translate existing evidence into practice and improve healthcare delivery systems (Graves et al., 2021). This differentiation is crucial in taking the nursing profession forward through complementary approaches.

Subsequently, evidence-based practice (EBP) and scholarship go together in nursing. The scholarship provides evidence to support EBP. The EBP creates an opportunity to form new scholarships by providing the outcomes of evaluation and quality improvement. This relationship, as shown by Myren et al. (2022), is a self-driven cycle of continual development toward accomplishing quality and safe care for the patient. Scholarship will result in knowledge and the development of theories, whereas EBP yields results or benefits in developing healthcare systems which bring improved health consequences for patients.

References

Boland, M. G., & Loos, J. R. (2020). Spotlight on Nursing: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): Preparing Hawai‘i’s Nursing Care Providers. Hawai’i Journal of Health & Social Welfare, 79(6), 204. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7281346/

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021). Supporting the health and professional well-being of nurses. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573902/

Graves, L. Y., Tamez, P., Wallen, G. R., & Saligan, L. N. (2021). Defining the role of individuals prepared as a doctor of nurse practice in symptoms science research. Nursing Outlook, 69(4), 542–549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.01.013

Myren, B. J., de Hullu, J. A., Koksma, J. J., Gelderblom, M. E., Hermens, R. P. M. G., & Zusterzeel, P. L. M. (2022). Cyclic workflow to improve implementation of learning points from morbidity and mortality meetings. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08639-2

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The student is responsible for completing the discussion board assignments for each module. Discussion boards are ongoing interactive processes that occur throughout the course. Interactions with other class members offer enriched learning. Each student is responsible for an initial posting and responding to at least TWO peer’s postings during each discussion board.

Discussion Board Guidelines:

• The questions from the readings are intended to engage the student and to demonstrate an understanding of the DNP Essentials and how each DNP Essential relates to practice, leadership, and scholarship.
• You are encouraged to share your worldview from the perspective of a learner-scholar, expert nurse, nurse leader, and/or struggling student in the discussion.
• Last-minute posts do not demonstrate your best work.
• Contributions are evaluated on the presentation of a meaningful ‘informed opinion, in which your ideas are supported by literature, and it includes a synthesis of your preparation on the topic, interaction with peers and faculty, and ongoing learning.
• Substantial posts may include and are not limited to:
  • Posting your ‘take’ on the issue, which is informed by your prep and not a gut reaction.
  • Asking critical thinking questions to the peers and/or faculty.
  • Inviting a collaborative learning experience for the entire group
  • Summarizing a discussion or argument or clarifying a point.
  • Offering alternate interpretations and additional insights.
  • Using at least one reference (i.e., course or outside text/article/resource) to support each posting:
    • Note: A link alone is not a reference. All references must be in APA 7th edition format.
      

      Evolution of the DNP Degree and the Advanced Practice Role

Discussion Board Instructions:
The Discussion Board assignment includes all three (3) postings.

• Initial postings are due by Thursday at midnight (23:59) and the second and third postings must be completed before Sunday by midnight (23:59) of each week.
• Initial postings should be concise and thorough, in one to two paragraphs per question.
• Peer Responses should also be concise and offer further insight, ask for clarification, support or challenge a line of reasoning, etc. Length should not exceed one or two paragraphs.
• Late postings without notice will result in no credit.
• Failure to post 3 times will result in a grade reduction.
• As a large part of the final grade, students are expected to participate regularly in Discussion Board assignments.

Typically, grading with feedback on discussion boards will be completed within 3 days after the assignment due date.

Discussion Board Prompts:
Please address these prompts in your initial Discussion Board posting:

• Why is differentiating nursing science from medical science necessary to thoroughly address the needs of patients who are served by advanced practice nurses? (CO1, CO4)
• Describe the evolution of the doctor of nursing practice curriculum and its potential impact on the future of nursing. (CO1, CO2, CO5)
• Briefly explain how the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2021) Essentials for advanced practice education may be used to conceptualize today’s DNP-prepared nurse. Within the framework of the AACN Essentials, what is the significance of knowledge for nursing practice? How do knowledge, theory, and experience combine to support the DNP-prepared nurse’s practice engagement? (CO2, CO5)
• Discuss the distinction in scholarship between the practice doctorates in nursing versus the research doctorate. (CO1, CO2)
• Explain the relationship between scholarship and evidence-based practice (EBP). How do scholarship and EBP support and complement one another? What are the outcomes of each activity? (CO3)