Assignment Task:
To will
In today's complex healthcare environment, nurses are increasingly expected to do more than provide bedside care; we are being called to lead change. As a nurse working toward achieving a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) role, I see these expectations as a chance to help close the gap between what we know from research and what happens in practice. The DNP is not just about learning new skills but about a mindset change from carrying out orders to supporting the design of better care systems. It has not been an easy transition, especially coming from an FNP background, where the focus has often been on direct clinical care rather than systems-level change. However, with the proper education, support, and leadership, it will become possible to step into that larger role.
The DNP Matters in Making Evidence Real
There is much research out there showing what works in patient care, but too often it never makes it to the bedside. That is where the DNP comes in. We are trained to take the evidence and translate it into real-world change. Melnyk and colleagues (2022) emphasize how DNP-prepared nurses are uniquely positioned to lead improvements in safety, quality, and outcomes. This focus on applying evidence aligns directly with DNP Essential III, which uses data and scholarship to drive practice (AACN, 2006). Moreover, none of that happens in a vacuum; we also need leadership tools from DNP Essentials II to drive those changes within real healthcare systems (AACN, 2006).
As I plan my DNP project, I am grounding it in Dr. Katie Love's Empowered Holistic Nursing Education (EHNE) theory. Her work emphasizes the importance of supporting nurses in thinking critically, reflecting, and leading, not just following orders (Love, 2014). That kind of empowerment doesn't stop in the classroom. It has to be present in the workplace, too.
That's where Transformational Leadership comes in. This leadership style is about more than managing. It's about inspiring. Transformational leaders support their teams, encourage innovation, and make space for autonomy (Boamah et al., 2018). Research shows that transformational leadership improves job satisfaction, reduces burnout, and improves patient outcomes (Boamah et al., 2018). If we want empowered nurses, we need leaders who create the kind of culture where empowerment is possible. That is the vision I want to carry into my project.
Career Goals and Uncertainty
In the short term, I am still working out the details of my DNP project, and I will be honest, there is some uncertainty there. However, that is part of the journey. Coming from an FNP role where everything is protocol-driven, it is a shift to think more independently and design solutions myself. That's exactly what the DNP is helping me develop. My practicum will be key in shaping the direction of my project, which I hope will focus on a practice change initiative within a healthcare setting.
In the long term, I am not certain if I will stay in my current organization or move into a leadership role as someone who supports bedside nurses the way I wish I had been supported early in my career. There is plenty of evidence that when nurses are empowered and supported to think and act autonomously, job satisfaction goes up, turnover goes down, and patients do better (Spence Laschinger & Read, 2016). That is what I want to help create.
Conclusion:
The DNP is not just a degree. It is a transformation. It is about becoming the kind of nurse who does not just participate in the system, but helps redesign it. While my project is still taking shape, I know that grounding it in empowerment, strong leadership, and evidence-based practice will set a foundation for the project and the kind of nurse leader I want to become. I hope that implementing this kind of leadership will help me make nursing better, for the patients, and for nurses, too. Need Assignment Help?
References:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice.
Boamah, S. A., Spence Laschinger, H. K., Wong, C., & Clarke, S. (2018). Effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and patient safety outcomes. Nursing Outlook, 66(2), 180-189.
Love, K. (2014). A midrange theory of Empowered Holistic Nursing Education: A pedagogy for a student-centered classroom. Creative Nursing, 20(1), 47-58.
Melnyk, B. M., Gallagher-Ford, L., Long, L. E., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2022). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Spence Laschinger, H. K., & Read, E. A. (2016). The effect of authentic leadership, person-job fit, and civility norms on new graduate nurses' experiences of coworker incivility and burnout. Journal of Nursing Administration, 46(11), 574-580.