Reflection Learning

Reflect upon your readings and professional experience regarding strategic management and innovation and address the following.

Examine ways that a DNP-prepared nurse can be more involved in strategic management decisions.

      The DNP is intended for nurses pursuing a final degree in nursing and serves as a credible option to research-focused PhD programs. DNP-prepared nurses are well-equipped to fully execute the science established by PhD, DNS, and other research-focused nursing doctorates-prepared nurses. Leadership skills and roles are essential aspects of nursing. The capacity to adjust and adapt to the ongoing changes in the health care business is a vital leadership skill in nursing (Trautman et al., 2018). Nurse leaders must deal with the uncertainties of their daily lives as well as the continuously changing environment of medicine. Leaders must also explain these adjustments to their subordinates in an efficient manner. One of the primary functions of leaders is to develop and champion the strategy of the organization. As leaders, DNP nurses practitioners also need to be involved in strategic planning.  The article will focus on discussing the techniques to involve DNP nurses in strategic management decision-making.

One of the critical techniques to ensure that DNP practicing nurses are part of the strategic planning and management is through having a strategic management plan. A practical nursing strategic plan lays the groundwork for the future. It provides nurses with a clear path to follow and may revitalize and reinvigorate an organization. A solid strategic strategy is essential for providing exceptional patient care and achieving the best potential outcomes. The second technique is through having an effective communication channel. Communication is an essential aspect when it comes to strategic planning and management. Through communication, every DNP practicing nurse becomes involved as they understand their role and when they should do so. Lastly, training is another essential technique for making sure DNP practicing nurses are involved in strategic planning and management. Through training, they are equipped with essential leadership skills essential for the process.

Explore initiatives and/or strategies that the DNP-prepared nurse can employ to build a culture of quality and safety.

       Various groups have defined the phrase “safety culture.” A safety culture represents an organization’s shared perceptions, ideas, principles, and attitudes that combine to form a commitment to safety and an endeavor to limit harm.  Better safety culture and cooperation can assist health systems in reducing patient harm across whole hospital systems and numerous forms of harm. Organizations that fail to prioritize a safety culture risk the following adverse outcomes: Unreported safety incidents and a lack of progress. DNP trained nurse has a role to play when it comes to developing and ensuring a culture that supports quality and safety within the organization where they are working. The article will focus on establishing the initiative and strategies that DNP-trained nurses can implement to ensure quality and safety culture in the organization.

To support a quality culture within the healthcare systems, DNP-trained nurses need to embrace evidence-based care when treating patients. Evidence-Based Practice represents the careful, precise, and thoughtful application of current best evidence in making choices regarding individual patient treatment. It entails combining personal clinical experience with the most acceptable external clinical evidence available via scientific investigation. This helps in the elimination of mistakes and confusion in clinical processes and procedures.

To promote the culture of patient safety, DNP-trained nurses need to conduct patient safety rounds. Making frequent rounds with nurses and other clinicians to discuss patient safety is an excellent method to learn about the team’s difficulties. Again, there is a need for the development of a safety issue reporting mechanism. When a patient safety culture supports health professionals, they are more likely to report safety issues.

References

Trautman, D. E., Idzik, S., Hammersla, M., & Rosseter, R. (2018). Advancing scholarship through translational research: The role of PhD and DNP prepared nurses. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(2). Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0029655418305852 (Links to an external site.)

Zonsius, M. C., Miller, J. M., & Lamb, K. V. (2021). An innovative course to prepare advanced practice registered nurses to spearhead quality and safety initiatives for older adults. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 33(1), 57-65. Retrieved from