Reflection on Learning

Week 1.

The most important concept learnt during earning the DNP course is how it creates a blend of clinical, leadership and organizational skills that places us uniquely in a position to criticize existing nursing programs (McDonald, 2017). It also places us in a position to create programs for patient care that are economically feasible can be accepted by the targeted population, and would have impact on the health outcomes of the targeted location. The course will prepare those who partake it for direct patient care and also for the role of heading a nursing organization.

I feel prepared to carry out my role as a nurse because I have prior experience as a nurse which I acquired working as a nurse before coming to further my education. Further, I am passionate about what I do which further gives me an advantage. However, the one thing that poses a challenge to me is the role of leadership; making decisions that will influence a group. All decisions made when designing a plan will not only influence me but also are supposed to have a positive impact on the population (Zaccagnini, & Pechacek, 2019).

Week 2.

The objective of this week was to become a rational thinker who could employ the processes and current nursing research to step up and improve health care outcomes. The objective was attained by demonstrating professional knowledge of up to date research so as t improve health care outcomes. The demonstration could be done through identifying scientific and mathematical research principles that could be practically applied in healthcare.

To grow as a nursing scholar, I need to be able clearly communicate my thoughts and ideas through written means. My writing will have to be up to the professional standards, be well referenced and show evidence pf higher thinking. I will further be able to know whether I can make predictions, draw inferences from stated data and causal and effect relationships (McDonald, 2017).

Week 3.

The week’s objective was for all nursing professions to advance a culture of learning through embracing excellent professionalism skills that would be achieved through lifelong learning. The understanding of the culture of banking can be demonstrated through improving moving competency skills and promoting professional skills. Demonstration of comprehensive professional knowledge is done through integration of nursing standards of excellence.

The personal value that was challenged during the course of the week’s learning is my belief that one should make the decision that first and foremost favors the patient. However, under professionalism, the most apt decision for a person to make is that which reflects the greater good for the largest number of people. I would like to reaffirm this and consider giving the patients for whom the decision will influence a chance to air their views (Zaccagnini, & Pechacek, 2019).

Week 4.

The objective of the week was to teach caring and culturally responsive communicators to effectively lead interdisciplinary healthcare teams. Demonstrating caring was done through communication that was culturally responsive and applying knowledge of the healthcare system to leadership roles. Effective communication was also achieved through clear logical written communications. The leadership theory is the one that interested me much in the course of the week because it taught that being a leader matters and leadership depends most of all on communication (McDonald, 2017).

I had not considered the issue of the importance of communication when analyzing the importance of leadership. However, I have now learnt that to be a good leader, one must also be a good communicator. The two are skills that every student of DNP should be good at.

Week 5.

The week’s objective was to become ethical as a nurse and to advocate for influencing policies that will improve healthcare and make it effective and equitable to all society members. The objective was achieved through demonstrating a competent understanding of ethical principles by translating competent ethical nursing values. Decision making and policy designing should be such that it reflects nursing scholarship in nursing. As a future nurse ethics in nursing will play an important role in all the decisions that I make ranging from how I relate with patients to how I interact with members of the staff and my fellow colleagues (Roussel, Thomas & Ratcliffe, 2016).

I had not considered that ethics in nursing would be a topic that would cover an entire course. I have always considered ethics from Kant’s perceptive, treating others as what you would expect to become the universal law. It than comes as a surprise to me that any nurse could even think of disregarding this (McDonald, 2017).

Week 6.

The week’s objective was to become an effective collaborator of healthcare who is committed to improving practices in promoting health, preventing diseases and upholding quality and equality. The objective was achieved through demonstrating a comprehensive professional knowledge of best practices in promoting health and preventing diseases. Further, demonstration of showing a relation between professional scholarly sources was required (Zaccagnini, & Pechacek, 2019).

To continue showing competency, I need to gain professional comprehensive knowledge to enable me to champion for delivery of quality, safe and competent healthcare services As a student, I will be required to assimilate this knowledge from different sources and to apply it in my professional life. I will need to continue developing my leadership skills as it is only as a leader that one can effectively call for and attain changes in the health care.

Week 7.

The week’s objective was to become an advanced nursing practitioner. To attain the objective, we are expected to refine and finesse our assessment skills and apply them in the areas that we specialize. This was a goal I achieved by going out to the field and working in a hospital setting for a given time span. The core values that would define a DNP practice scholar are hard work, integrity, and above all passion that drives the scholar to learn more. As scholars, we have to believe that we are not limited to the classroom only but rather, we are the vessels that should learn from the past and by so doing, impact the present and future(McDonald, 2017)..

Knowing what is expected of a scholar will influence how I conduct myself as one. It will allow me to make informed decisions by questioning whether the decisions I make will have a positive impact upon the practice of nursing. I will need to implement leadership skills and further be more confident that the decisions I make are those that best fits the situation at hand (Roussel, Thomas & Ratcliffe, 2016).

References.

McDonald, M. E. (2017). The nurse educator's guide to assessing learning outcomes. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Roussel, L., Thomas, P. L., & Ratcliffe, C. (2016). Leadership theory and application for nurse leaders. Management and leadership for nurse administrators, 25-47.

Zaccagnini, M., & Pechacek, J. M. (2019). The doctor of nursing practice essentials: A new model for advanced practice nursing. Jones & Bartlett Learning.