Sample DNP Assignment for Walden University (NUR8006)
The Assignment: (2–3 pages)
Write a paper in which you address the following:
- Describe the organization type and the gap in practice or practice change that you selected for this Assignment.
- Identify the four Domains from The Essentials you identified which closely align with the gap in practice or practice change.
- Justify your Domain choices, explaining how each aligns with the gap in practice or practice change you selected.
Aligning the essentials with a gap in practice or practice change
There should be extensive support of safe discharge planning to ensure the smooth reintegration of patients from acute hospital settings back into their community. Any poor discharge planning will lead to some adverse consequences, including mismanagement of medication, readmission, and disruptions in continuity of care. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Essentials for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) can fill this gap by establishing a framework of best practices. This paper examines four Essentials domains that support safe discharge planning in acute hospital settings and describes how each of these domains addresses this practice gap.
Description of the Organization Type and Gap in Practice
For this assignment, the acute hospital setting is chosen. Acute hospitals are settings where the nature of the illness or injuries has been sudden and severe. In this acute care hospital environment, the most critical gap to be addressed would be assuring safe discharge planning: preparing patients for those instructions, resources, and follow-up care needed after discharge to prevent complications(Author & Secord, 2021). Filling this gap would ensure safety, prevent readmissions, and increase patient satisfaction by facilitating a smooth transition from the hospital to the house or other care environments.
Essentials Identification Domains Safe Discharge Planning Aligning
Four AACN Essential domains aligned to that objective include: Domain 1, Knowledge for Nursing Practice; Domain 2, Person-Centered Care; Domain 5, Health Equity and Ethical Practice; and Domain 9, Clinical Prevention and Population Health(Flaubert et al., 2021).
Justification of Domain Choices
Knowledge for Nursing Practice (Domain 1): This is the backbone within which the nurse’s scope of knowledge can be found to comprehensively assess any patient need. Evidence-based practice needs to be brought fore to make appropriate, tailored patients’ plans who have complex illness and apply evidence-based guidelines into risk factors to be known appropriately by patients for medications and even follow-up after discharge reduces undesirable outcomes(García‐Sierra et al., 2023).Person-Centered Care (Domain 2) is aligned with discharge planning since it focuses on individualized care based on the needs, values, and preferences of every patient. Person-centered discharge planning is communication with the patient and their family on their role in recovery as well as consideration of home environment and social support in the plan.
Domain 5 focuses on Health Equity and Ethical Practice. In the light of discharge planning, access to healthcare resources must be provided equitably; that is one of the most fundamental considerations. Therefore, this area encourages the consideration of socioeconomic barriers a patient might have toward compliance with discharge instructions-for instance, the costs of medications or costs of follow-up care. Equitable support across all the diverse backgrounds leads to the promotion of ethical care with better health outcomes in filling post-hospital disparities(Flaubert et al., 2021).Domain 9 Clinical Prevention and Population Health this provides support for discharge planning, by encouraging preventive steps which will minimize readmission rates for improved public health. As an advocate of the “doing before disease occurs” motto, nurses educate their clients about best practices of preventing illness and managing symptoms well(Kisling & Das, 2023). This way, potential problems can be recognized at its onset, and follow-up care is scheduled; such a patient is allowed to take prophylactic measures to promote lasting stability and prevent the consequences of rehospitalization risks.
Conclusively, it allows the usage of Essentials domains in the discharge planning so that a systematic and patient-centered approach to filling this gap in acute care is made. This would improve the process of discharge planning because nurses emphasize knowledge, individualized care, equity, and prevention to ensure safer transition and a better health system.
References
Author, & Secord, S. (2021). Contributing Factors to Acute Care Hospital Flow: International Ideas: CADTH Health Technology Review. In PubMed. Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592732/
Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021). Educating Nurses for the Future. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573912/
García‐Sierra, R., Fernández‐Cano, M. I., Jiménez‐Pera, M., Feijoo‐Cid, M., &Arreciado Marañón, A. (2023). Knowledge about the best practice guidelines in the nursing degree: A non‐randomized post‐test design. Nursing Open, 11(1), e2074. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2074
Kisling, L., & Das, J. (2023, August 1). Prevention Strategies. National Library of Medicine; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537222/