Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper

The practicum experience involved spending many hours utilizing a healthcare improvement methodology in developing, implementing and disseminating the outcomes of an evidence-based intervention. It (practicum experience) acts as an activity that immerses the student in applying the skills, knowledge and theory learned during the course to a real-world setting. The expectation is that during the DNP project, the focus will be on making changes that affect health care outcomes. For that matter, the practicum experience plans, implements and evaluates outcomes and process to guide policy and practice, thereby providing a good foundation for future practice (Schmidt & Brown, 2019). Towards this end, four main activities will be completed during the practicum experience; all aligned with the DNP essentials Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

ORDER YOUR PAPER HERE

First, identifying a practice problem and searching the literature for an evidence-based intervention. This activity is associated with AACN DNP essential I: scientific underpinnings for practice. This occurs through providing a solid foundation for advanced nursing practice with a focus on applying science-based concepts to evaluate and enhance health care delivery and improve patient outcomes. In addition, it is associated with AACN DNP essential III: clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice. The activity involves exploring the practice environment and reviewing available evidence to identify the practice gap. This focuses on engaging industry resources (practitioners and publications) in determining the gap between expected performance and actual performance (Schmidt & Brown, 2019). Once the gap is determined, the next step is exploring evidence on strategies to address the gap. This involves searching the current literature to identify any available evidence-based interventions that can act as solutions, and evaluating the different interventions for context and suitability for the particular situation and setting (Hall & Roussel, 2022) Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper. In this respect, this first activity is associated with two DNP essentials: identify a practice problem; and search the literature for an evidence-based intervention.

Second, starting the design process and implementing the practicum project. This activity is associated with AACN DNP essential VI: inter-professional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes. In addition, it is associated with AACN DNP essential VIII: advanced nursing practice. There is an understanding that the design, implementation and evaluation of the practicum project must take the practice setting and context into consideration. This involves translating the evidence-based intervention to fit the organization with clear goals to show significant changes that justify the use of resources in the project. In addition, the project design, implementation and evaluation must be conducted through a lens of ethical accountability that protects the project participants and practicum site from risk or harm. This requires that controls be put in place to understand and influence the project parameters, particularly the schedule, resources and potential risks (Grove & Gray, 2022). As such, this second activity is associated with two DNP essentials: design a translation science or quality improvement practice change; and implement an evidence-based intervention to address a practice problem Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

Third, ethical data collection and evaluation. This activity is associated with AACN DNP essential VII: clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health. This activity focuses on the accuracy of the project outcomes. When identifying the data sources to support the project, there is a need to consider ethics in terms of having permission to use the data to include whether the participants were consulted and informed consent provided. This understanding of ethics extends beyond broad awareness of the community’s preferences and needs, to getting approval from a research ethics board, and consulting with experienced researchers to ensure that the data collection meets ethical guidelines and standards (Gray & Grove, 2020). In this respect, this third activity is associated with one DNP essential: evaluate the outcome of the intervention Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

Fourth, disseminating the DNP project results in a manner that is reflective of what transpired from the evidence-based intervention. This activity is associated with AACN DNP essential VI: inter-professional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes. In addition, it is associated with AACN DNP essential VII: clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health. This activity focuses on having contact with a large audience, and engaging them in discussion forums that convinces them about the merits of applying the evidence-based intervention in their practice. In addition, the dissemination will get the audience to objectively question the evidence-based intervention. It is anticipated that getting the audience to objectively question the results will help the sustaining the practice change. The methods that will be considered in disseminating the project results are publishing the outcomes in journals and other publications, presenting the findings in professional association meetings and conferences, summarizing findings in a project report, and creating and distributing pamphlets and flyers as program materials (Garcia-Dia, 2019). As a result, this fourth activity is associated with two DNP essentials: disseminate the results of the practice change; and sustain practice change to improve outcomes Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

References

Garcia-Dia, M. (2019). Project Management in Nursing Informatics. Springer Publishing Company.

Gray, J. R., & Grove, S. K. (2020). Burns and Grove’s The Practice of Nursing Research: Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence (9th ed.). Elsevier Inc.

Grove, S. K., & Gray, J. R. (2022). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an Evidence-Based Practice (8th ed.). Elsevier Inc.

Hall, H. R., & Roussel, L. A. (2022). Evidence-Based Practice: An Integrative Approach to Research, Administration, and Practice (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Schmidt, N., & Brown, J. (2019). Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses: Appraisal and Application of Research (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Documentation of the Practicum Experience

ORDER YOUR PAPER HERE

Discussion

Purpose

As already mentioned, you are required to complete practicum hours for the DNP program. This may seem daunting at first; however, reviewing the different types of activities that align with each DNP Essential and how to document the hours correctly and consistently will help you prepare for the experience. The purpose of this assignment is to examine practices and processes used to accurately document the DNP practicum experience Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

Instructions

Reflect on your readings this week and review the Project & Practicum Activities Form. Then, describe activities that you might complete during your Project & Practicum courses and identify the associated DNP Essential.

Please read below information to assist with writing the discussion post.

Documenting, Evaluating, and Disseminating Project Outcomes

As you have learned in previous courses, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is a practice-focused doctorate, in comparison to the PhD, which is a research-focused doctorate degree. The DNP degree prepares you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to advance nursing practice. This is demonstrated through the implementation of evidence-based practice interventions, quality improvement processes and programs, and advanced leadership projects in the clinical practice setting (Bemker, Ralyea, & Schreiner, 2022) Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

Your DNP degree program will culminate with the completion and dissemination of your final DNP practice change project. The DNP practice change project will demonstrate the achievement of the following competencies:

Competency Course Image

  • Identify a practice problem
  • Search the literature for an evidence-based intervention
  • Design a translation science or quality improvement practice change
  • Implement an evidence-based intervention to address a practice problem
  • Evaluate the outcome of the intervention
  • Disseminate the results of the practice change
  • Sustain practice change to improve outcomes

So far in your DNP degree journey, you have identified a practice problem, searched the literature for an evidence-based intervention, and started the design process for your practicum project. It is crucial that you design, implement, and evaluate your project through a lens of ethical accountability, protecting your participants and the practicum site from harm or risk. As you learned last week, informed consent may be required prior to the implementation of your project. This is one way of demonstrating ethical accountability for your participants and the practicum site Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

Ethical practices are vital during the data collection and evaluation phase of your DNP practice change project as well. All data collected related to your project must be protected and recorded precisely to ensure the accuracy of your project outcome. Your disseminated outcomes must be reflective of what transpired as a result of your evidence-based intervention.

As DNP projects are disseminated in print, at conferences, and through databases, large audiences of nursing professionals view the outcomes. The opportunity to significantly impact populations, far beyond the brick and mortar of a practicum site, exists within the potential of every DNP project. It is for these reasons that judicious procedures must be used when gathering data and disseminating the outcomes of your DNP practice change project. The highest ethical standards must be maintained throughout the four Project & Practicum courses and during the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of your DNP practice change project Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper.

Documenting Practicum Hours

When you enter Project & Practicum I, you will begin documenting your DNP project practicum hours. You will document your practicum activities in each of the four Project & Practicum courses. You are required to complete a minimum of practicum hours to complete your DNP degree. It is critical that you document your practicum activities consistently as they occur so that you do not forget the activities but rather have an accurate portrayal of your practicum experience. A best practice is to document your practicum hours daily or at a minimum each week. This will help you stay on track and meet the required hours for each session.

ORDER YOUR PAPER HERE

There are many activities that you may complete outside your practicum site while preparing for your project that will support the achievement of the program outcomes and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing DNP Essentials (AACN, 2006). For some students, your Master of Science in Nursing degree may have included a practicum experience, which may partially satisfy a portion of the practicum hour requirement Practicum Experience Essay Discussion Paper

DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES

For each documented practicum activity, address the following:

  • Align with an appropriate AACN DNP Essential.
  • Provide enough detail to substantiate not only the selected essential but also the amount of time documented.
  • Reflect and support the actual time you were involved in the activity in your submissions.
  • Use the following increments: