BASED on the information attached create a log hours of 45 hours.

Course

Name

Instructor

Session

Essential

Activity

Time Spent

Date

Note

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential I: Scientific Underpinnings

Appraise literature for inclusion

2 hrs

10/01/2025

The two-hour exercising entailed the critical review of 15 new, peer-reviewed articles related to the effects of the switch of chronic neuropathic pain patients on high-cost opioid regimens into lower-cost and safer, antineuropathic drugs regarding their economic implications and long-term ethical consequences. I was particularly assessing the quality of financial models and data on health outcomes, and I have identified the gaps in the literature regarding patient-reported cost savings, which is inherent in the scholarly basis of the project. This profound exploration of evidence base which is essential to the Essential I: Scientific Underpinnings made use of the Knowledge of Healthcare competency as it exhibits an existing familiarity on evidence-based decision-making and translates advanced research results to the critical practice issue, pain management. The appraisal played a major role in determining the basis of evidence on the project.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential II: Organizational and Systems Leadership

Conduct assessment of practice setting

2.5 hrs

10/05/2025

I spent 2.5 hours to complete a holistic system-level analysis of the chronic neuropathic pain management protocol in the clinical environment, tracing the map of the patient pathway since the time of diagnosis to his current treatment. This entailed a sample of three charge nurses and five departmental policies, and these enabled me to find out the bottlenecks, including the slow referral process to pain specialists and the inconsistent application of effective pain assessment instruments. This critical analysis of the complex organizational issues explained the Leadership competency directly through this comprehensive process, which is one of the fundamental elements of the Essential II: Organizational and Systems Leadership. The evaluation revealed a massive quality enhancement opportunity through the standardization of the care pathway and resource allocation enhancement on antineuropathic options.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential III: Clinical Scholarship

Develop DNP project proposal (methods)

3 hrs

10/08/2025

Developing a methodology section of the DNP project proposal took the meticulous process of the planning of the patient recruitment, delivery of interventions, and measuring the outcomes with the use of validated instruments, which took 3 hours. Importantly, I also prepared a zero-based budget that will list the expenses to be allocated to project personnel and data management software and educational materials to be used in the antineuropathic intervention. The given activity is based on the core of Essential III: Clinical Scholarship, and it required the use of the Business Competency of essential number of Strategic management and financial planning to be demonstrated. Development of realistic budget and plausible schedule was a factor that made sure that the academic project was not just theoretically correct but also administratively and financially workable to be adopted by the organization.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential IV: Information Systems/Technology

Participate as team member in HIT arena

2 hrs

10/12/2025

This was a 2-hour interdisciplinary meeting with the Health Information Technology (HIT) team, clinical director, and a data analyst to address the technical specifications of data collection in regards to my project with a focus on secure and efficient data collection. It was aimed at providing the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) with the ability to identify the patients who responded to the inclusion criteria (lumbar radiculopathy and neuropathic pain) and to automatically measure the pain scores and changes in medications throughout the 8-week intervention program. This practice is consistent with Essential IV: Information Systems/Technology, and it was based on the competency of Effective Communication. I enabled technical integration that is needed to make the project successful and guarantee data integrity to conduct scholarly analysis by translating the complex clinical needs into understandable and practical IT specifications.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential V: Healthcare Policy

Participate on committee at a local level

1 hr

10/15/2025

I used one hour of my time in the local Clinical Practice Committee of the hospital, which was discussing the policy change concerning mandatory high-risk medication electronic prescribing alerts, such as opioids. My use of DNP viewpoint on the potential integration of a similar alert system to encourage first-line antineuropathic therapy use instead of opioids in some chronic pain diagnoses related the DNP project to the overall patient safety and quality objectives. The Professionalism competency was displayed in this activity, which was based on Essential V: Healthcare Policy and Information Systems. I demonstrated a willingness to improve the quality and safety of the patient care not just to my immediate project, but also to other areas of my practice by participating in the creation and improvement of the organization technology standards and safety practices.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential VI: Inter-Professional Collaboration

Consult with content experts

2.5 hrs

10/19/2025

I have 2.5 hours in an organized consultation with the chief of the Anesthesiology and Pain Management of the hospital, who is not a nurse and is the content expert in the non-nursing field. The consultation was aimed at developing a better comprehension of the ethical issues involved in the prescribing of opioids in chronic and non-malignant pain and the financial incentives/disincentives of using complex and non-opioid modalities of pain. This practice, which was necessary to assess Essential VI: Inter-Professional Collaboration, relied on the Effective Communication and Relationship Building competency, through active listening, outlining the objectives of the project, and establishing a professional partnership with one of the interdisciplinary stakeholders. This partnership would be critical to the successful implementation of the project and the organizational buy-in of the project in the future across disciplines.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential VII: Clinical Prevention & Population Health

Analyze epidemiologic data

3 hrs

10/22/2025

This three-hour session entailed the analysis of regional and county-level epidemiologic data of the State Health Assessment (SHA) and local hospital discharge records. The objective was to establish differences in the pain management outcomes of adult patients having neuropathic conditions, namely researching the differences in access to pain specialists and prescription rates of opioids and antineuropathics among various socioeconomic groups. The Knowledge of Healthcare competency was shown in this stringent analysis which is core to Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health. Knowing the population health situational context, including the impact of the care delivery systems on vulnerable populations, I made sure the DNP project is focused on removing health inequity in pain treatment.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential VIII: Advanced Nursing Practice

Consultation with experts regarding nursing practice

1.5 hrs

10/26/2025

I also had a 1.5-hour consultation with a DNP-prepared Director of Clinical Quality to consult the ideas on how to overcome the possible opposition of the staff to the proposed change to the opioid-centric to antineuropathic-centric pain management protocols. We have discussed change management theory and reflective practice techniques in order to predict and overcome the obstacles of the change implementation in the most efficient way, with the emphasis on the education and support that should be provided to the nurses during the shift. This practice, which was consistent with Essential VIII: Advanced Nursing Practice, applied the Leadership competency. Through reflective practice and the consultation of the advanced nursing colleague, I willingly formulated practical strategies to encourage desired behavior and guarantee the success of the adoption of the evidence-based project.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential I: Scientific Underpinnings

Synthesize literature (review)

2 hrs

10/29/2025

I spent two hours in summarizing the results of the literature appraisal into a coherent narrative review, namely in organizing the argument around an appropriate theoretical framework that underlies the intervention of the project. It included entwining evidence on the cost, efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction of the two opioid and antineuropathic treatment options, which led to an evidence-based clear justification of the PICOT question and the proposed intervention. The competency of Professionalism was shown in this activity which was at the center of Essential I: Scientific Underpinnings. I made a direct contribution to the progress of the theoretical foundation of evidence-based practice in the nursing profession and academic community by creating an evidence-based written synthesis of high quality.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential II: Organizational and Systems Leadership

Develop a SWOT analysis

2.5 hrs

11/02/2025

The 2.5 hours were used to work on a comprehensive SWOT analysis with the help of a unit manager to determine the level of organizational preparedness towards the DNP project. Engagement of a nursing team was one of the Strengths, whereas the absence of standardized guidelines on antineuropathic protocols and insufficient staff education was one of the Weaknesses. Opportunities were aimed at new reimbursement models, and Threats were the possibility of resistance of the protocol change by physicians. This strategic planning instrument directly linked to Essential II: Organizational and Systems Leadership, was based on Business Skills competency. Through theoretical analysis of the organizational context, I was able to demonstrate the skills of using the principles of strategic management to come up with the most effective, resource-sensitive course of action when implementing the quality improvement initiative.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential III: Clinical Scholarship

Consult with statistician

3 hrs

11/05/2025

I also had a 3-hour meeting with the assigned research statistician of the hospital to determine the analytical method that would be used in the project to guarantee its rigor and validity. This was discussed to clarify the correct statistical tests (e.g. ANCOVA to control the differences in the baseline), minimum clinically important difference of the pain outcome measure and power analysis to ensure adequate sample size. This practice, which is fundamental in Essential III: Clinical Scholarship, necessitated the Effective Communication and Relationship Building competency. I achieved an important working relationship with a non-nurse expert by effectively explaining the variables and research design of the project to them, which is essential to achieve the quality of scholarly implementation and interpretation of findings.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential IV: Information Systems/Technology

Evaluate web-accessible training or educational material

1.5 hrs

11/09/2025

I spent 1.5 hours on the assessment of publicly available, web-based educational resources (e.g., patient portals, government health websites) that dwelled on the self-management of chronic pain. To determine the value of the resources to the target patient group, an evaluation criterion was based on a standardized quality rubric evaluating the accuracy of the content, its readability, ease of use, and cultural sensitivity. This assignment, which is connected with Essential IV: Information Systems/Technology, revealed the Knowledge of Healthcare competency. By reflecting on the patient-care technology and digital resources, I made sure that the health information shared with patients to manage their health was credible, up-to-date, and beneficial to the changes in evidence-based practice, and thus used technology to improve patient outcomes.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential V: Healthcare Policy

Analyze health policy proposal

2 hrs

11/12/2025

I took two hours to critically examine a draft of a federal health policy to expand the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and the suggested restrictions of the opioid refill periods. This analysis was done to establish how the given policy would impact the logistic and compliance requirements of my DNP project that would promote the use of antineuropathics as a safer alternative. The Leadership competency was applied in this policy review which is important in Essential V: Healthcare Policy. The knowledge of regulatory and payment concerns that impact healthcare organizations and the active examination of the potential effects of the proposed policy helped me to develop the strategies of adapting my project to the new governmental requirements, demonstrating the role of the DNP in shaping care delivery.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential VI: Inter-Professional Collaboration

Consult with mentor/preceptor

2.5 hrs

11/16/2025

I took two hours to critically examine a draft of a federal health policy to expand the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and the suggested restrictions of the opioid refill periods. This analysis was done to establish how the given policy would impact the logistic and compliance requirements of my DNP project that would promote the use of antineuropathics as a safer alternative. The Leadership competency was applied in this policy review which is important in Essential V: Healthcare Policy. The knowledge of regulatory and payment concerns that impact healthcare organizations and the active examination of the potential effects of the proposed policy helped me to develop the strategies of adapting my project to the new governmental requirements, demonstrating the role of the DNP in shaping care delivery.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential VII: Clinical Prevention & Population Health

Implement/evaluate health promotion intervention

3 hrs

11/19/2025

I spent three hours on the design and refining of a culturally suitable health promotion flyer on patients with lumbar radiculopathy with the theme of the use of non-pharmacological measures (e.g., physical therapy, heat/cold therapy) as the first-line alternative to pharmacotherapy. The flyer was written in a low-literacy style and was to be visually stimulating to enable patients to actively participate in their pain management and avoiding opioid chronic dependence. The Professionalism competency was revealed through this practical implementation of a prevention strategy, which correlates with the Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health. I was able to engage in the process of patient autonomy and supported the promotion of public health activities through the active provision of high-quality and evidence-based educational content.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential VIII: Advanced Nursing Practice

Disseminate knowledge to other providers

1.5 hrs

11/23/2025

I took 1.5 hours to prepare and present an evidence-based focused, in-service, presentation to a team of registered nurses and medical assistants about the ethical basis of minimizing long-term opioid use and increasing antineuropathic pain management alternatives. The workshop also incorporated case studies to demonstrate possible harms and ethical requirements in relation to patient safety to develop a greater insight into the change in practice. This knowledge dissemination activity that is identified as required in Essential VIII: Advanced Nursing Practice involved the Leadership competency. Through training and motivation of a change in practice among other healthcare professionals, I was able to show the influence of the DNP to shaping professional behavior and enhancing clinical standards in the organization.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential I: Scientific Underpinnings

Construct/Refine PICO question

2 hrs

11/26/2025

The two-hour discussion was devoted to the final and most thorough refining of the PICOT question, making sure that all its components (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time) were not only clinically relevant, but also perfectly met the feasibility limitations of the organization and the rigid demands of the institutional ethical review board (IRB). The definition of what constitutes pain management outcomes was slightly modified to make it be able to be precisely measured through the EMR system. This is the refinement process and the Keystone of Essential I: Scientific Underpinnings since it was based on the knowledge of Healthcare competency in aspects that illustrated a solid understanding of patient care delivery systems and the use of evidence based practice concepts in practice.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential II: Organizational and Systems Leadership

Develop a business plan

2.5 hrs

11/30/2025

The time I dedicated to the formulation of the main elements of a formal business plan was 2.5 hours aimed at ensuring the long-term organizational acceptance and support of the project through intervention funding. This involved calculating the Return on Investment (ROI) according to the cost savings estimates in the form of estimated opioid reduced prescriptions, adverse events reduced, and patient satisfaction scores. Staffing, continued supply, and key performance indicators were also operational requirements to be outlined in the plan. This is an important venture, which is aligned with Essential II: Organizational and Systems Leadership, and illustrates the Business Skills competency. I used financial management principles so that the project would be having a clear strategy of transitioning to a permanent value-driven service line.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential III: Clinical Scholarship

Prepare final DNP project paper and/or manuscript

3 hrs

12/03/2025

The amount of time I spent on the complete Review of Literature section of the DNP project manuscript was three hours of writing and thoroughly editing it. This entailed the shift of the scholarly synthesis to formal and academic writing with all sources being cited properly with the logical development of the narrative developing the case of the intervention and its significance in the present healthcare environment. It was aimed at keeping the tone clear and scholarly which would be fitting in a peer-reviewed journal or in the end project paper. This practice, which is in line with Essential III: Clinical Scholarship, was a direct application of the Effective Communication competency. The emphasis on the production of the written materials of high quality allowed me to show the DNP-level competency to share the scholarly work with the rest of the healthcare community.

DNP 7800

Dr. DeVarona

Fall 2025

Essential VI: Inter-Professional Collaboration

Participate in an interpersonal team in member role

2 hrs

12/07/2025

I joined the Quality Improvement (QI) group during two hours of work, during which I concentrated on completing the data collection metrics of the project and developing a collaborative approach to the intervention fidelity. This entailed collaborating with a physician, physical therapist and a clinic manager to develop a lean and multi disciplinary patient flow plan. Together as a team work, a competency of Effective Communication and Relationship Building was applied in this teamwork process which is also in line with Essential VI: Inter-Professional Collaboration. Through my effective interaction as a team member, the inter-professional relationship was reinforced, and the implementation strategy of the DNP project was realistic, combined, and backed by all the essential clinical stakeholders.