Introduction
In 21st-century health care, the necessity of educated and qualified nurses has increased more than ever before, which means a massive transformation in the education and training of nursing professionals. This transformation indicates that DNP education and practicum programmes arm nurses with leadership skills that will help nurses strive for practice changes, and better care is paramount. Through stakeholder meetings and a thorough evaluation of the practice areas, RNs can identify the areas for improvement and the existing gaps. Based on the information they need, they need to develop evidence-based interventions that target the identified gaps. Through this paper, I address the issues of a DNP practitioner as they work on defining and tuning up their practice issue, contacting stakeholders, implementing results-oriented approaches, considering changes that will strengthen the practice and assuming leadership roles, which proves that practice improvement is not an easy task.
Defining and Refining the Problem
The journey begins with a complete clinical area analysis to obtain the changes’ adherence. Staff can use existing frameworks, such as a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) instrument, to identify the specific practice gaps and places for improvement. For example, impending discharge plans that are unsupported by evidence-based, patient-centred strategies are likely to cause adverse health outcomes for patients with cardiac issues (Waldrop,2022). Via holding stakeholder meetings and collaborative discussions, nurses can develop their problem statement and refine how PICOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time) questions guide them when forming their change practice to make the initiative successful.
Approaches That Are Working
The ideal solutions that have been established for the practice gaps are cooperation with inter-professional staff and bringing personal and collaborative efforts of health workers into action. In this regard, collaborating with CRC personnel and exploiting their collective knowledge and skills help implement comprehensive discharge plans that compromise patient needs. Teamwork and action plans, as mentioned by Waldrop et al. (2023), help to coordinate care, ensuring there is a practical long-term patient management approach.
Approaches That Are Not Working
Trying to intensify practice, however, educational model difficulties such as high dropout rates continue to exist in cardiac rehabilitation programs. The worldwide study by Waldrop et al. (2023) revealed that difficulties related to attendance, including transport problems, lack of finances, and a sense of social comfort, are prevalent in terms of barriers. These difficulties should be addressed, and nurses must take a patient-centred approach. They must plan discharge to be accessible and sustainable, and there should be a patient response.
Changes to Consider and Implement
To warrant the effective implementation of practice modifications, nurses should deliberate on measures to enhance patient involvement and commitment to the post-hospitalization treatment plan. This will likely include spreading educational sessions through the entire behaviour chain and offering patients print versions of discharge plans to refer to as they navigate their road towards adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Evidence Supporting the Practice Change
Literature gives weight to the significance of compendious cardiac rehabilitation floors that decrease the number of hospital reentries and contribute to better health outcomings in patients. The point supported by the studies (Cowie, 2019; Raat et al., 2021) is the importance of such programs and their patient-centered approach. These interventions are intended to boost long-term adherence to such programs and improve patients’ quality of life.
Leadership Strategies Employed
Healthcare leadership is a critical factor in deploying progressive practice measures and in creating and maintaining a culture where evidence-based practice is dominant. Based on the American Association of Nursing and Allied Colleges (AACN) essentials, nurses can apply leadership strategies such as quality improvement, evidence-based practice inquiries, healthcare policy, and population health management. Through the implication of these strategies, nurses will facilitate good teamwork, determine the quality and impact of their interventions, and campaign for policies centred on positive outcomes for their patients.
Conclusion
Above all, the evolution of an NP carrying post-domestic degrees in nursing in terms of defining and restructuring the practice issues remains complex and multidimensional. Through successful partnerships with stakeholders, the introduction of targeted approaches that have been evidence-based, contemplation of significant changes, and practical leadership approaches, they can change the practice as well as the patient’s care outcomes in a big way. Nurses may overcome challenges and obstacles and bring positive change by partnering with the patients and utilizing interdisciplinary expertise.
Reference
Waldrop, J., Reynolds, S. S., McMillian-Bohler, J. M., Graton, M., & Ledbetter, L. (2023). Evaluation of DNP program essentials of doctoral nursing education: A scoping review. Journal of Professional Nursing, pp. 46, 7–12.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8755722323000285
Cowie, A., Buckley, J., Doherty, P., Furze, G., Hayward, J., Hinton, S., … & Mills, J. (2019). Standards and core components for cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation. Heart, 105(7), 510–515. https://heart.bmj.com/content/105/7/510.abstract
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