Assignment task:
Aligning the essentials with a gap in practice or practice change
In order to fulfill your DNP degree at Walden, you will complete non-clinical coursework, practicum hours, and a DNP Project. Both the clinical hours you will complete as part of your Practicum and your DNP Project will align with specific Domains as defined in The Essentials.
Your DNP Project will focus on a gap in practice or practice change designed to improve quality within the organization at which you are doing your Practicum. The specifics of this will be decided later on, but at this early stage of your program, you should begin thinking about 1) the types of organizations you might select for your practicum experiences and 2) gaps in practice or practice changes that could be identified within these organizations. As you do this, keep in mind how the gaps in practice or practice changes will align with The Essentials.
Resources:
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Weekly Resources:
- Dang, D., Dearholt, S. L., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2021). Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice for nurses and healthcare professionals: Model and guidelines (4th ed.). Sigma Theta Tau International.
- Chapter 3, "The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice (JHEBP) Model for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) Process Overview" (pp. 55-66)
- Chapter 4, "The Practice Question Phase" (pp. 73-96)
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education
- 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
Falkenberg-Olson, A. C. (2019). Research translation and the evolving PhD and DNP practice roles: A collaborative call for nurse practitioners. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(8), 447-453.
- Giardino, E. R., & Hickey, J. V. (2020). Doctor of nursing practice students' perceptions of professional change through the DNP program. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36(6), 595-603.
- Hartjes, T. M., Lester, D., Arasi-Ruddock, L., McFadden Bradley, S., Munro, S., & Cowan, L. (2019). Answering the question: is the doctor of philosophy or doctor of nursing practice right for me? Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(8), 439-442.
- Kesten, K., Beebe, S., Conrad, D., Corrigan, C., Manderscheid, A., Moran, K., & Niederer, M. (2023). Alignment of DNP degree competencies with employer perspectives: The value of academic practice partnerships. Journal of Professional Nursing, 48, 112-118.
- Walden University. (n.d.). Doctor of nursing practice.
Note: Be sure to familiarize yourself with the degree requirements for completing the DNP at Walden.
- Walden University. (n.d.). Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) practicum manual.
- Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Studies. (n.d.). DNP capstone resources NURS 8702 and NURS 8703
Note: Check this website for the latest version of the DNP Project Process Guide.
To prepare:
- Review the Learning Resources for this week, specifically Chapter 4 of Dang et al. (2021) addressing the practice question, AACN's The Essentials, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practicum Manual, and the DNP Project Process Guide.
- Consider the types of organizations you might select for your practicum experiences (e.g., a large acute care health system, a long-term care facility, a pediatric hospital, a community health center, etc.)
- Consider the kinds of gaps in practice or practice changes that could benefit such organizations, including those specific to the organization and those that relate to healthcare practices more generally.
- Consider how the gaps in practice or practice changes you are interested in pursuing align to The Essentials.
- Select one organizational type and one gap in practice or practice change on which to focus for this Assignment.
Note: You may select a new organizational type and gap in practice or practice change or, if you choose, you may reuse one on which you focused for a previous Assignment, Discussion, or Blog in this course.
- Also Note: These may or may not be the same organizational type and gap in practice or practice change as those you will focus on for your Practicum and DNP Project.
- Select a minimum of four domains from The Essentials that closely align with the gap in practice or practice change you selected.
Note: Be sure to review the grading rubric for this Assignment so you fully understand what is expected of you. To access the rubric, scroll down to the bottom of the Assignment page.
The Assignment: (3 pages)
Write a paper in which you address the following:
- Describe the organization type and the gap in practice or practice change that you selected for this Assignment.
- Identify the four Domains from The Essentials you identified which closely align with the gap in practice or practice change.
- Justify your Domain choices, explaining how each aligns with the gap in practice or practice change you selected.
Note: Us this week's Learning Resources to support your Assignment. Use proper APA format and style for all references and citations. The College of Nursing requires that all papers include a title page, introduction, summary, and references.