The Doctor of Nursing Practice Experience

1. The Doctor of Nursing Practice Experience Melanie Hardin-Pierce, RN, MSN, APRN-BC

2. Professional Background • Critical Care Nurse • Clinical Nurse Specialist • Acute Care Nurse Practitioner • Clinical Faculty, UK CON

3. Professional Goals • Nursing faculty member • Promote and implement evidence-based practice in nursing education and clinical settings • Assume leadership role in practice settings to improve the health outcomes of critically ill adults • patients who require prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation and acute hospitalization

4. Professional Goals • Translate research into practice settings • Program development, implementation and evaluation • Conduct clinical research collaboratively and independently • Manage change in organizations

5. Why the DNP? • Desire to function at the highest possible level of nursing practice • Clinically focused doctorate • Prepares for clinical research utilization • Focus on leadership, management of change at the system level • Focus on evidence-based practice • Desire to work “where the rubber meets the road” and impact health outcomes: Translate research into practice!

6. Impact of DNP Education • Ongoing critique of and search for evidence, both in classroom and clinical settings • Improved ability to analyze existing evidence to determine need for change and to identify gaps in knowledge • Ability to design and use clinical models that are evidence-based • Ability to development, implement, and test interventions in practice • Ability to conduct project and program planning, management, and evaluation

7. Impact of DNP Education • Increased expertise as a clinical faculty member with BSN and MSN students • Increased clinical practice opportunities • Enhanced ability to develop & communicate clinical proposals • Enhanced clinical scholarship skills: publications, national & international presentations

8. MSN vs. DNP • Skills to design, implement and evaluate innovations at the systems/organizational level • Greater savvy in managing change and innovations in practice and academic settings, and policy changes • Knowledge to ensure that we do the right thing for the right patient at the right time : Evidence-Based Practice

9. MSN vs. DNP • Knowledge to apply and analyze biostatistical methods and principles of clinical epidemiology • Confidence that I have the knowledge and skills necessary to make a positive impact on the lives of others

10. Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY!

11. Thank you for the opportunity to share! Questions?