A DNP or doctor of nursing practice is a registered nurse who has advanced competencies in healthcare. DNPs use these skills to constantly improve the standard of care patients receive. Their doctoral training centers on critical thinking, research, and taking part in evidence-based practice, as well as translating their findings into ideas for enhancing clinical procedures. By focusing on evidence-based work, they strive to deliver the best possible leadership of their unit, support safer care, and drive up patient satisfaction levels. Furthermore, DNPs will use their innovative clinical proficiencies to recognize gaps in medical care and find ways to bridge these. 

Advancing US healthcare through DNP programs 

The nature of their work means that DNPs can have a huge impact on patient outcomes and the standard of care that people receive. It’s a very rewarding role and is ideal for nurse practitioners who want to advance their careers. In order to support nurse practitioners, and as a result advance the nation’s healthcare system, academic providers such as the University of Indianapolis have developed online learning solutions that enable professionals to study and qualify on a part-time basis. The University of Indianapolis’ online post-master’s FNP DNP programs blend remote learning, with a local clinical placement and a supportive faculty of experienced professionals. Students are trained to develop and roll out new systems of health care and make educated choices based on their understanding of the latest research. Once they qualify, DNP graduates can find roles in the highest levels of the US healthcare system and will use evidence-based values to inform their work. 

What types of evidence are considered for healthcare research purposes?

Nurses, physicians, and any other medical professionals who are engaged in conducting research will usually work with three key types of evidence. At the top, patient ethics will be considered when it comes to decision-making. This form of evidence is made up of patient preferences, cultural identities, and values, as these are relevant in any therapeutic environment. Next, the practitioner can examine scientific research, in the form of evidence that has been gathered whilst testing a hypothesis. When it comes to patient care, the practitioner takes on the responsibility of identifying what science-based evidence is relevant, evaluating its worth, and considering how it can be used to inform patient care. Finally, clinical knowledge—the expertise in treating, preventing, and diagnosing conditions that practitioners have—can be employed to develop and advance the existing standard of care. 

Along with the individual circumstances a medical professional finds themselves in, patient values, scientific research, and clinical knowledge are the foundations of evidence-based care. By getting to grips with how these are conducted and using their critical thinking skills, nurses can select the best possible treatment plan for an individual patient, or work toward finding a better overall care strategy for a wider group of patients. In either form of care, critical analysis helps professionals to structure their thinking processes, to consider how they are collecting data, and to help them make medical decisions. 

Understanding how evidence-based practice works

Evidence-based practice may sound like a modern buzzword, but in reality, it’s nothing new. It does not involve a complicated set of instructions or a team of brilliant physicians to make it work. Moreover, it does not demand that medical students think outside of the box. Rather, it’s about the fundamentals of care—it’s about practitioners making better decisions for their patients. Evidence is at the heart of most things that people do, whether it’s choosing a restaurant that usually sells great food, or preferring a certain route home from work because in the past there has been less traffic. 

People do these things because, based on their past experience and therefore the evidence they have gathered, they are more likely to get the outcomes they prefer. The evidence has informed their decisions, and, because it applies to the context and is trustworthy, it’s likely to yield the best results. In a healthcare context, ensuring that the evidence being gathered is reliable, of good quality, and also relevant, is therefore crucial. 

How do nurse researchers judge whether evidence is useful? 

In a medical setting, this is achieved in several ways. Primarily, a nurse or team of nurses engaged in research must always do their utmost to find useful evidence and overcome any challenges that are in their path. By the same token, they should be ready to identify when evidence is not sufficient. That shows they are working in a conscientious way, as does selecting the best available evidence and presenting it so that it can be scrutinized by others. This involves being judicious, critically examining the evidence that’s been gathered on the ward or through questionnaires, and cutting away that which is misleading or irrelevant.  

This aspect of evidence-based practice is important because the best studies use multiple sources of information in their attempt to discover new treatments or ways of working. Researchers then look at each source alongside the others to spot whether they support or cast doubt on each other. This gives them access to a bigger picture, keeps their minds open, and sets the stage for debate amongst the team.   

Keeping ahead of the curve when it comes to medical research

The healthcare industry relies on medical research to help keep practitioners in the loop about emerging treatments for various health conditions. Staying up-to-date, as well as having a full-time job or study commitments can be taxing, but making the effort is essential for anyone who wants to work on their analytical skill development. One of the most exciting ways to maintain a keen scientific eye is through participating in a journal club. These are groups of medical students who either meet to discuss a certain piece of research or write to each other in order to share their opinions. These clubs are especially popular amongst post-graduate students who can use the interaction with other well-educated colleagues to sharpen their critical appraisal aptitudes. 

This can be of use when it comes to evaluating research studies, as not every study that’s carried out is of high quality. By focusing on articles that show high-level research practices that are relevant to their work, DNPs can save themselves a lot of time. The ability to use critical appraisal allows a practitioner to distinguish good evidence from misreporting and assess whether the work is clinically applicable to their field. Essentially, it’s about separating the significant evidence from that which is less useful. To do so, it is necessary to ask questions such as: “Is this research adding something new to my specialism?”, “What questions are being asked?”, and “Was the study designed appropriately?”. Finally, the DNP will consider if they can see some way of better managing the needs of their patients as a result of reading the paper.

Following the latest trends in print and online 

Subscribing to newsletters and paper medical journals is a useful way of keeping on top of the latest medical research. Through these, nurses who are hoping to broaden their analytical skills can absorb a huge range of information and research data, as well as find updates on studies that they have previously read about. Some journals offer a couple of articles free every month through their website, whilst others have a discount for health professionals. It’s a good idea for anyone who is planning to expand their knowledge to select publications that include their specialism, as well as a few that are related to it. The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine are both excellent starting points. 

Leveraging the power of social media 

Social media can also be used to learn. The social media pages of health professionals and publications such as the American Medical Association can be useful sources of information. Many health professionals use their accounts as a platform to share ideas and updates, plus younger NPs or DNPs can ask questions and join in conversations to broaden their knowledge. 

As well as reading about medical research, practitioners can learn more about recent research at medical conferences. These events are also good places to network and maybe pick up ideas for carrying out individual research projects. There are often seminars, presentations, and lectures during which professionals will discuss their feelings about new developments. They offer the opportunity to learn about the types of technologies and ideas that may change patient care moving forward. 

Using research software to collect and analyze data

Data collection, collation, and analysis of this work involves a number of different skills. Primarily, an NP or a DNP would need to establish the type of method they will use to carry out the study. Some go for quantitative methods which involve gathering numerical data. This is a great option for answering binary questions such as how often, how much, or how many. The practical skills to master in this field are the use of observations and surveys, and the analysis of secondary data. Qualitative research methods are different because these studies attempt to capture perspectives, experiences, and meanings rather than definitive data. These projects tend to answer what-if, how, and why-type questions. In this field, nurses will run focus groups, carry out interviews, open case studies, and analyze documentation.

Considering the bigger picture and applying professional expertise 

To accomplish their goals in any area of research, there are various types of research software available to nurses. These programs allow medical professionals to format their findings but also to re-use existing data from other records or reports and then apply new queries to them. With experience and practice, nurses will also learn that their perspective is an important part of the data collection and analysis process. From designing the study to recruiting participants, administering the questions, and storing the results, nurses have to monitor their work carefully. This ensures they learn to be accurate, consistent, and ethical in their approach. 

Taking part in research projects 

Nurses make up a huge proportion of the country’s healthcare professionals and as such, they make a critical contribution to medical research. Nurses who have yet to get involved with a project but want to before continuing their studies can start by playing a supporting role in a study that another practitioner is carrying out, before moving on to create and lead projects of their own. They can do this by finding out which studies are currently being run in their place of work and learning more about how patients or other members of the public are asked to take part. Usually, people will be recruited into a program that includes a clinical trial, the development of a new drug, or the provision of a new care pathway. 

Most hospitals and larger clinics have a research program, and they will be able to provide information on other projects that are underway in the local area. Nurses can also check out nearby jobs in research and consider academic development, as there are certifications in nursing research that provide a good grounding in the occupation. Furthermore, the National Institute of Nursing Research always has requests for information and funding option ideas, so if nurses are not inspired by what’s on offer in their facility, they can look further afield for more exciting opportunities. 

Why are analytical methods of working so important for DNP students?

Within the nursing profession, the doctor of nursing practice is an influential role. Graduates are expected to have a significant impact on the care outcomes of the patients in their facility, and they will achieve this through collaborations, expert leadership, and continued professional growth. Each DNP will build on their skills, learn from their continued experiences in healthcare, and remain committed to patient-centered policies. At the heart of these essential traits is a dedication to expanding their knowledge of evidence-based practice, and then using it to drive improvements and prompt discussions on healthcare policy.