Introduction
During my program, I found that ethical, biophysical, and psychosocial knowledge as mainly used. In everyday nurse practice, it is essential to follow ethical rules such as caring, respectful, honest, and sincere to the patient. Each patient deserves a decent attitude from healthcare specialists, followed by his or her benefits and autonomy. Using knowledge in biology and physiology can help nurses understand the genesis of patients’ pain, stress, and complaints. According to the adaptation model by sister Callista Roy, nursing is defined as a “health care profession that focuses on human life processes and patterns and emphasizes the promotion of health by individuals, families, groups, and society as a whole” (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). By Roy, any individual is a set of connected systems that tries to maintain a balance. From my perspective, healthcare employees need to precept any patient as an organism trying to reach hemostasis and plan their help following this principle.
Main body
As for system thinking, I realized that any issue could be solved if its observation is broad. Working with people, nurses, and doctors can meet various misunderstandings, and, to help solve any problem, healthcare professionals should try to find the root cause of a patient’s behavior. It is called a generative explanation of problem-solving, and from my experience, it is the most helpful. For instance, during my practice, I met patients who seemed irritated, moody, and dissatisfied with the treatment. However, after talking to them and letting them open up, it turns out that their behavior is a consequence of their condition. Not many people can handle pain or suffering, so sympathizing and attentive listening can help them overcome their stress. Some men, for instance, are afraid to show their true feelings and emotions to seem vulnerable; that is why they show themselves angry and irritated. Nurses can help patients to feel better by looking at the issue of an irritated patients commonly.
Scholarship and evidence-based practice are essential parts of the DNP program that can help nurses improve the healthcare system and the treatment provided to patients. The scholarship is a theoretical work that gives transformation of knowledge and brings new levels of understanding to several subjects. Evidence-based practice is a result of experimental work, including special skills, research, synthesis of relevant information, and communication with patients. I find the topic of COVID-19 inducing ketoacidosis and diabetes the most interesting for both scholarship and evidence-based practice. There are several records about non-diabetic individuals infected with COVID-19 developing symptoms of ketoacidosis and diabetes mellitus type 2. However, the available research does not show precise numbers about the premorbid factors such as obesity or hyperglycemia of these patients, their family anamnesis, etc. To develop evidence-based practice, I will need to create application forms for these patients and their blood sample analyses to evaluate the severity of ketoacidosis. In addition, to assess the duration of diabetic symptoms, I will need to take blood samples in dynamics.
Technologies and informatics are the basements for patient-centered care. They help nurses and physicians aggregate level information and use patient treatment technologies in various fields of practice. During my course, I was taught to evaluate programs of care, as well as design them. I perfected my computer skills by making presentations and doing proper research, which will be an essential part of my future work. In my opinion, knowledge of informative technologies can lead DNP graduates to make healthcare efficient and precise. In addition, learning how to analyze data can help develop better clinical thinking, which is always significant to any healthcare employee.
Nursing has a good potential to influence health care through health policy. The political activism of nurses has a rich and fruitful history beginning with Florence Nightingale in 1860 and continuing through the present (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). Professional nursing organizations, such as the American Academy of Nursing, help DNP graduates advocate for patients and be informed about healthcare policy. Protecting patients’ rights is essential because, very often, humans suffer from malpractice or ethical rules breaking. The nursing profession is a commitment to society and people. I want to be a part of nursing organizations, and after graduation, I plan to stay aware of up-to-date healthcare policy. In addition, any healthcare worker can become a patient one day, and being informed about the rights and laws can prevent various issues.
Doctors of nursing practice participate in developing and implementing practice models, standards of care, and various scholarly projects. To achieve efficiency and high productivity at work, healthcare professionals should be able to function as highly collaborative teams. Through the course of the outcome, I learned how to develop communication skills and collaborate with colleagues. During my work, I realized the healthcare environment will always need proper communication between interdisciplinary groups as patient treatment sometimes needs consultations with other specialists and additional tests. In everyday practice, I learned how to serve as a leader while talking to the patients and sound confirming, professional and precise.
Evaluating and interpreting epidemiological, biostatistical, occupational, and environmental information provides advantages for improving patients’ and community health in general. Analyzing risk groups and vulnerable populations, I learned how to develop practice guidelines for them. The prevention in the healthcare system should be primarily focused on identifying the risk factors leading to disease and preventing the initiation of it. By interpreting epidemiological data, DNPs can evaluate the current rate of illnesses and develop programs to prevent their spread.
Improving nursing practice is achieved by a better level of knowledge in clinical, faculty, and leadership aspects. During the program, I improved my education by leading nurses and attending conferences at the leader’s level. I have learned to become a better educator of my patients, providing them with essential information about their health. I feel confident, precise, and persuasive when I talk to both nurses and patients. I also helped other DNP students with ideas for papers, projects, and other items.
Conclusion
To conclude, I want to pay attention to the major points I have learned during the DNP program. Following the rules of ethics and using biological and physiological knowledge will never lead any healthcare professional to make a mistake in communication with a patient. However, if a conflict situation appears, system thinking and generative explanation can help look at the issue widely and solve it beneficially for the patient. Participating in research by making scholarships and evidence-based practices and using data and technologies in everyday practice makes our work fast and precise. By evaluating statistical information and helping develop and implement standards of care and practice models, DNP graduates can help improve the quality of medical help. Learning how to collaborate with colleagues, and use and develop leadership qualities, help Doctor of Nursing Practice to enhance collaboration between each other and improve connection with a patient.
Reference
Zaccagnini, M., & Pechacek, J. M. (2019). The Doctor of Nursing Practice essentials: A new model for advanced practice nurses. Jones & Bartlett Learning.