DNP Role Development for Doctoral Advanced Nursing Practice, Second Edition

164 ■ II: ROLES FOR DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE

this second author was able to examine protocols and isolation practices used by experts
in hematopoietic stem cell transplants. This practicum provided insight on current ver-
sus traditional practices for isolation and outcomes associated with various isolation
interventions. The overall focus of this practicum was to evaluate the impact of leader-
ship on the development of practice policies, standards, processes, and patient outcomes.
Throughout the DNP program, each student works with a patient population for
which she must identify an evidence- based health care intervention to implement. Other
critical components associated with the intervention and/ or practice change includes
cost- effective analyses, program evaluation, literature review in search of best practices,
and identification of stakeholders that may influence the practice change and/ or be
affected by the change.
Another key focus of the DNP program is program evaluation. Several options for
evaluation are introduced to students, which include utilization- focused evaluation, and
formative and summative evaluations. In comparison to the master’s of science in nursing

Site Experience Purpose/Focus

Worked with the VP of Nursing for a

week to observe, listen, learn, and

participate on a project to alter the

organizational structure at facility.

This experience was beneficial

because it focused on the

importance of communication,

identification of all the stakeholders

to make change and the importance

of changes in the organizational

infrastructure and its subsequent

impact on the decision making,

span of control, and the re-

alignment of staff, lines of authority,

and potentially to changes in the

organizational culture.

A portion of student’s course

research was to identify the

effectiveness of traditional

versus nontraditional

interventions to prevent

infection among stem cell

patients post transplantation.

MD Anderson is a premier

cancer center that conducts

more than 500 stem cell

transplants annually so it

provided a good

sample size for

evaluation.

Worked with a combination

of nurse leaders at the

cancer center for a 1- to 2-week

experience to identify

practices incorporated to

protect immuno-suppressed

hematopoietic stem cell

transplantation patients from

environmental

bacteria/germs.

• Met requirements for leadership
  course early in program that
  focused on effective use of self to
  impact change; the process of
  leadership, constituency, and
  organizational development
  
  
  • The final product included
    a paper titled
    “Leadership: The Pathway
    to Excellence”
  
  
  
  


• This paper addressed stakeholder
  involvement with change and
  leadership effectiveness and the
  ability of the individual to lead
  during tumultuous times in
  health care.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Medical Center: Lebanon,

NH

MD Anderson Cancer

Center: Houston, TX

FIGURE 6.1 Student’s practica experiences.