496 ■ III: ROLE FUNCTIONS OF DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
■ CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
- Reflect deeply within yourself and identify at least three reasons you are considering a doc-
toral degree in nursing. - Identify how you hope your professional role would change as a DNP graduate.
- Consider the barriers that those bold and brave nurse practitioners of yesteryear confronted
as the role evolved. Discuss the parallels today with the new DNP academic degree. - Discuss the leadership knowledge and skills you feel you need as you translate your insights
from practice during this time of national health reform. - Explain the roles and responsibilities of DNP graduate APRNs in evidence- based practice
and practice- based evidence. - In what ways would your skills need to be enhanced to meet the AACN’s essential out-
come competency “Information Systems/ Technology and Patient Care Technology for the
Improvement and Transformation of Health Care?” - Describe your position, with its rationale, in the debate of which academic degree should be
entry into APRN practice: the MSN versus the DNP. - Identify strategies (at least two) to ensure the development of another academic degree in
nursing, the DNP, helps to unify and strengthen the worlds of nursing research and practice. - Develop a sample of a formal memorandum of understanding between you, in your role as a
DNP with a colleague, a research nurse with a PhD, for knowledge dissemination, transla-
tion, and implementation collaboration. - Using the AACN’s eight outcome competencies for DNP education, write a new job
description in your clinical setting for yourself with the enhanced knowledge and skills you
will gain with a DNP.
■ NOTE
- APRN is defined as a nurse who has met the education, certification, and licensure require-
ments to practice in one of four direct patient care roles: (a) certified nurse- midwife (CNM),
(b) CRNA, (c) CNS, and (d) nurse practitioner (NP; AACN, 2015). In this chapter, APRN is not used
Tips Examples- Lastly, never complain about the costs of
your doctoral degree. When you negotiate
your role and compensation, do your
homework. Know your market worth and
do not expect your future employer to pay
more just for the doctor title unless you can
articulate the returns on their investment
will be above and beyond what is being
offered. Seeking a practice doctorate was
your choice!- “Attitude, attitude, attitude” is critical in the
workplace environment. Attitudes reflecting
gratitude for the opportunities your
employer has provided will win support
when you propose your award winning
ideas. Attitudes of resentment that you are
undervalued and underpaid contaminate
workplace morale. If you truly believe that
is your situation, it is time to “move on”
and, equipped with your practice doctorate,
find a different role for you.
- “Attitude, attitude, attitude” is critical in the
DNP, Doctor of Nursing Practice; NP, nurse practitioner.
TABLE 22.2 Student Tips for Success in Creating Your New and Expanded
DNP Role (continued)