For 2022 NP Week, AANP has set the following theme: NPs: Rising to meet the needs of patients. For more than half a century, NPs have been leading the charge to reduce health disparities and ensure that high-quality, person-centered health care is readily accessible to people in communities nationwide. NPs continue rising to meet the needs of patients — by pursuing the advanced education and clinical training required to become an NP, by completing countless hours of continuing education (CE) throughout their careers and by increasing patients’ access to quality care. NPs practice in primary, acute, specialty and long-term care settings; via telehealth; and in mobile clinics — meeting patients where the need is greatest. With a focus on health maintenance and disease prevention, NPs play a key role in filling the growing demand for chronic, mental health and primary care. This NP Week, we join AANP with a grateful nation in recognizing NPs for their leadership, putting the health of patients ahead of their own and rising to meet the needs patients.
In honor of this celebration, we are highlighting students from our DNP program, ranked #1 in Florida, in hopes of inspiring the next generation of NPs.
Each DNP student completes a focused scholarly work near the end of his or her curriculum. This project focuses on identifying, analyzing and improving problems that impact patient care. Here, we are sharing three stories from recent 2022 DNP graduates and the projects they worked on!
Can you summarize your DNP project?
Anxiety is the most prevalent childhood mental health disorder, yet when it comes to addressing this condition in terms of treatment and counseling, children with anxiety are less likely than children with depression to receive mental health services. To date, there is not a universal screening for the pediatric population. There are evidence-based anxiety screening tools for children, however, they can be lengthy for a well-child check-up. My project included implementing the GAD-7, as an anxiety screening tool to be completed at every well-child visit for ages 11-17 years old. This 7-item questionnaire can be completed in two minutes, its usability makes it appropriate for these types of appointments that allow the clinician to track anxiety severity over time. Objective 1: Examined if this implementation affected the diagnosis rate of an anxiety disorder at well-child visits. Objective 2: Used the Mental Health Practice Readiness Inventory (MHPRI) to assess if the implementation of the screening tool affected providers’ readiness in promoting and supporting mental health services at their clinic. Both measures did not show a statistical significance with the practice change, however, a trend for each one was observed. After the practice change, there was a decrease in the rate of diagnosis and an improvement in the overall MHPRI score.
What was your favorite part of working on this project?
I enjoyed seeing something I implemented become part of the clinic’s standard of care. An idea I had, did research on and implemented became more than just a school assignment. Though my project did not result in a statistically significant change, Dr. Hogan and Dr. Love both helped me realize that it was something to be proud of.
What does receiving a DNP mean to you?
I look forward to being more active in my client’s care. As an RN, I could advocate for the client, but at the end of the day, the orders were out of my scope of practice. Now, I can create treatment plans using knowledge and experience gained as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner student. I also look forward to working in an environment where I feel more equal to my colleagues. It is one of my goals to help RNs not only feel more comfortable at team meetings but also to feel heard.
What does it mean to be a Gator Nurse?
It means to lead by example with our behavior instead of just by our words. Especially when it comes to being a team player. Gator Nurses encourage teamwork and supporting each other not by delegating others to assist but by doing it themselves.
Do you have any advice for future Gator Nursing DNP students?
Be active in choosing your clinical sites. It’s a privilege that our track coordinators find our clinical sites versus some programs that require you to find your own. But you only have four semesters of clinical, and you must make the most of it. It is not only a time for you to apply what you’ve learned in your courses, but it’s also a time for you to learn what you like and don’t like. Use the clinical sites to see if you can envision yourself working in a similar setting. Advocate for yourself, that by the end of the program you will have had clinical experience working at different levels of care and with various population groups
Can you summarize your DNP project?
My DNP project was a Quality Improvement project at my current place of employment which is an outpatient oncology institute’s chemotherapy infusion center. The focus was on reducing the time it takes from the time the patient registers with reception at the clinic/chemo infusion center to the time the nurse starts their first medication. The goal was to increase patient satisfaction, deliver timely care and utilize limited resources by enhancing the chair turnaround time. The necessity of the project came after calculating and realizing the hours of delay in starting treatments and the implications it caused throughout the clinic and infusion center.
What was your favorite part of working on this project?
My favorite part was actually working together collaboratively with our wonderful team of nurses, managers, physicians and pharmacists on this project. Everyone helped to try and ensure success and avoid unnecessary barriers. I feel it also built better morale and enhanced communication between all involved, making our small team grow closer.
What does receiving your DNP mean to you?
I look forward to using my degree to explore more educational roles, in addition to clinical, and use my new enhanced leadership skills to catapult me to another level of nursing.
What does it mean to be a Gator Nurse?
In one word “Pride.” I obtained my BSN from UF in 2005 and I can tell you I am just as excited and proud now with obtaining my DNP as I was back then. Being a Gator Nurse is an honor and I consider a great privilege to be part of one of the top nursing schools in the state, as well as ranked nationally!
Do you have any advice for future Gator Nursing DNP students? My advice is to start your journey and never give up. Lots of obstacles happen along the way, called life, and the course is always challenging. Remember it doesn’t matter how long it takes, stay steadfast and reach your goals! The wonderful deans, professors and academic advisors for the UF College of Nursing DNP program will surely help you along the way.
Can you summarize your DNP project?
My DNP project was to assess how pediatric cardiac providers interacted with the NEONATE risk score. The NEONATE risk score was developed to identify high risk patients in the single ventricle congenital heart disease population. By being able to identify which of these patients were at highest risk for mortality, it has the hopes to improve patient outcomes. I educated providers on the NEONATE risk score and then assessed their perception, usability and knowledge of the tool after they had the opportunity to use the tool on a patient scenario. I wanted to see if the tool was easy to use so that the tool could be integrated into clinical practice to help improve the outcomes for these patients.
What was your favorite part of working on this project?
My favorite part of working on this project was being in the position to lead a project from start to finish. I enjoyed the leadership role of being fully in charge of what I wanted to do for my project and how I wanted to do it.
What does receiving a DNP mean to you?
I look forward to being able to continue to seek out opportunities for quality improvement in the practice setting. I really enjoyed identifying an opportunity for practice change and figuring out a way to improve it. Health care is constantly changing and there is always room for advancement. With my DNP, I look forward to continuing to find the chances to implement the best evidence-based care.
What does it mean to be a Gator Nurse?
Being a Gator Nurse means feeling confident in the nursing journey you are on. The faculty show such dedication in not only the education they give, but in the support they provide. So much of the learning you will do in this program goes beyond the curriculum and syllabi. There is no wonder why UF is consistently ranked in the top ten percent of graduate degree nursing schools. I have extreme pride when telling people that I am a Gator Nurse.
Do you have any advice for future Gator Nursing DNP students?
My advice for future Gator Nursing DNP students is to focus on a DNP project topic that you feel passionate about. The DNP project is a big portion of your curriculum in the program and if you are able to dedicate that time to a topic you care about, it will definitely make the experience a positive one.