Dnp As A Nurse Practitioner

As a nurse practitioner, the DNP is prepared to conduct comprehensive and systematic assessments of their patient’s health and illness, as well as implement and evaluate therapeutic interventions for their patients, based on science (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006). This means, the DNP has a comprehensive understanding of advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology, as well as the use of applied and human sciences, which should be employed while assessing and making, diagnostic and treatment decisions as part of an integrative health approach (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006).

Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement and Systems Thinking Organizational and systems leadership are critical

The AACN competencies require that DNP must, “facilitate collaborative team functioning and overcome impediments to interprofessional practice” (p. 14). As the advanced practice nurse seeks to move past the historical superior/subordinate roles between nursing and medicine (Price, Doucet & McGillis, 2013), the DNP must clarify succinctly to other health care professionals and advocate for the role and the value of advanced practice nursing (Lowe, Plummer, O’Brian, A.P. & Boyd, 2012). This Interprofessional collaboration is essential for providing comprehensive care for the patient.

Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving the Nation’s Health

Preventative care, health education and health promotion, are cornerstones of DNP/NP practice. Lowe, Plummer, O’Brian, A.P. & Boyd state, “The competence of NPs to manage patient care in a comparable manner to physicians, with high levels of patient satisfaction, combined with increased advice on education, health promotion and follow-up advice has been well reported...” and that evidence suggests that, “NPs might better deliver care due to the very nature of an integrated approach to practice” (p. 679).

Advanced Nursing Practice

Lastly, the doctorally prepared NP is the synthesis of all the aforementioned core-competencies, which ultimately is the advanced practice

Essential V, Health Care Policy for Advocacy in Health Care (AACN, 2006) charges the DNP/NP with “the professional responsibility” to advocate for health care reform (Zaccagnini & Waud White, 2017, p. 201). Policy advocacy should be seen as a way to identify healthcare issues, and work towards improvement (Zaccagnini & Waud White, 2017). Nursing has a unique perspective, and a powerful position as the largest group of providers in the healthcare system (Zaccagnini & Waud White, 2017), in addition to being one of the most trusted professions. The DNP/NP should be leading the fight, by learning the skills to wield this influence, in the area of policy making, by participating in their national, state and local professional organizations (Chism, 2010). Essential VII, Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving the Nation’s Health, (AACN, 2006) charges the DNP/NP with engaging in leadership to, “integrate and institutionalize evidence-based clinical prevention and population health services for individuals, aggregates, and populations”(AACN, 2006, p. 15). Again, the DNP is called to synthesize the previous skills, in implementing EBP, advocating for social justice, policy change, and collaboration, to work towards the goals of health promotion and illness reduction. The ability to meet these goals is linked the DNP/NPs ability