Major Assignment: Membership in Professional Organizations
NURS 8000 Week 6 Major Assignment: Membership in Professional Organizations
Major Assignment: Membership in Professional Organizations
Nurses, like other professionals, require professional growth and excellence; therefore, potential avenues for fostering such growth and development must be explored.
Professional development ensures that a Ph.D. or DNP prepared nurse can identify a clinical problem and initiate a research effort to solve it.
This week’s discussion focuses on identifying a clinical problem that requires attention.
Furthermore, the discussion outlines the plans for joining a professional nursing organization.
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Problem Suitable for Investigation
The clinical practice environment entails caring for a large number of patients with a variety of clinical conditions; as a result, a variety of issues or problems usually arise that require improvement or a complete change. Some of these issues can be addressed more effectively through research efforts by DNP and PhD-prepared nurses.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are a problem that occurs in a clinical setting and is suitable for research. These are infections caused by the insertion, maintenance, and/or care of urinary catheters (Tenke et al., 2017). Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are extremely common in clinical settings due to the widespread use of indwelling urinary catheters. A recent study, for example, found that 24 percent of patients in US hospitals use indwelling urinary catheters. Furthermore, the figures in other countries are not much better, as indwelling catheters are used by 26 percent and 18 percent of patients in hospitals in Australia and the United Kingdom, respectively.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections deserve special attention because of the negative effects or impact they have on patients, health care facilities, and the healthcare system. One of the consequences is that the condition leads to longer hospital stays for admitted patients, which can expose them to other hospital-acquired infections (Cao et al., 2018). Furthermore, because of increased antimicrobial resistance, treatment becomes more difficult. Another reason why the condition merits nursing attention is that it is treatable with appropriate nursing interventions.
While there are various innovative interventions, such as cleaning the meatal region before inserting the catheters with appropriate agents such as saline or Chlorhexidine (Fasugba et al., 2019), ensuring that the indwelling catheters are promptly removed from the patient when not needed, and so on, the condition still persists and is common in healthcare settings (Mota & Oliveira, 2019).
Outline
Nursing professional organizations are essential for a nurse’s development as a scholar-practitioner. Membership in such professional organizations provides a nurse with numerous benefits, including current condition updates, advocacy opportunities, educational endeavors, and scholarships, among others (Bindon, 2017). As a result, I intend to join a nursing professional organization. I was a member of the National Student Nurse Association, an organization for nursing students. Nigeria Illinois Nurses Association is a professional organization that I am a member of. This organization has the potential to aid in the advancement of both my scholarly project and my education.
Nursing research grants are one way this organization will support my future projects.
Nursing research can be costly; however, the opportunity to receive nursing research grants from the National League for Nursing can help an individual realize their dreams of becoming a successful researcher. One of my primary goals as a nurse is to become an accomplished nurse professional, which is impossible to achieve without professional development assistance. Because the National League for Nursing provides professional development to its members, I believe that by joining this organization, I will be able to achieve my nursing professional goals.
Conclusion
This week’s discussion has centered on a clinical issue worthy of researchers’ attention.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections have been identified as a researchable problem because they can be controlled through nursing interventions.
Joining a nursing professional organization is a step toward professional development and staying up to date on current nursing trends.
References
S. L. Bindon (2017). Strategies for professional development to improve nurses’ knowledge and ensure safe practice. The AORN journal, 106(2), pp. 99-110.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2017.06.002
Y. Cao, Z. Gong, J. Shan, and Y. Gao (2018). A network meta-analysis comparing the preventive effect of urethral cleaning versus disinfection for catheter-associated urinary tract infections in adults. 102-108 in International Journal of Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2018.09.008
O. Fasugba, A. C. Cheng, V. Gregory, N. Graves, J. Koerner, P. Collignon,… and B. G. Mitchell (2019). A multicenter stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial of chlorhexidine for meatal cleaning in reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 611-619, doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30736-9.
Mota, É. C., and A. C. Oliveira (2019). Why are catheter-associated urinary tract infections not being controlled? 53, Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP.
https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-220×2018007503452
P. Tenke, T. Mezei, I. Bde, and B. Köves (2017). Urinary tract infections caused by catheters. European urology supplements, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 138-143.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eursup.2016.10.001.
At various points in your career as a nurse, you have most likely observed significant problems in your practice environment(s). Take a few minutes to think about the problems you have noticed.
Through the DNP degree, candidates develop the tools needed to address practice-related concerns through evidence-based solutions. In this week’s media presentation, Dr. Beechinor and Dr. Stefan discuss this process while sharing their own DNP projects and the needs these projects addressed. Candidates in the PhD program conduct research involving a problem related to practice or another area of professional interest and, as such, often work with DNP-prepared nurses.
To support your doctoral project and growth as a scholar-practitioner, you are required to join a professional nursing organization. Membership in a professional organization offers numerous benefits, including educational endeavors, advocacy opportunities, up-to-date information of interest to the profession, and much more. Some organizations offer scholarships, continuing education units, and a means for disseminating current research findings. In addition, joining a professional organization can help you to become involved in decision making at the organizational level and provide a venue for engaging in social change efforts that benefit your community.
This week’s Assignment serves as your Major Assessment for this course. You identify a DNP project or research topic and select an organization that will facilitate or be useful to you as you engage in your doctoral project (DNP Scholarly project or dissertation research). In addition, the professional nursing organization should be relevant for your current or anticipated professional practice. You then outline plans for participation in the organization and articulate how this could help you meet your professional goals and support your project development.
To prepare:
- DNP students:
- Reflect on the DNP projects Dr. Beechinor and Dr. Stefan discussed in this week’s media presentation, as well as the DNP Scholarly Project specifications outlined in the AACN Essentials. Also, review the end-of-program requirements you explored for the Assignment due in Week 5.
- Consider your professional experiences in light of new information you may have encountered in this course. With this in mind, identify a need or change related to a practice environment. Please note that the objective of this activity is to increase your awareness of potential DNP projects; you are not committing to a project idea at this time.
- PhD students:
- Reflect on the topics the experts discussed in this week’s media presentation, as well as the PhD dissertation process. Also, review the dissertation requirements you explored for the Assignment due in Week 5.
- Consider your professional experiences in light of new information you may have encountered in this course. With this in mind, identify a problem that you would be interested in researching for your dissertation. Please note that the objective of this activity is to increase your awareness of potential PhD dissertation topics; you are not committing to a research question at this time.
- Consider which professional nursing organization you would like to join and how they organization relate’s to your identified practice need or change or research problem. How might participating in this group support the development of your DNP Scholarly Project or PhD Dissertation?
- There are numerous types of organizations that qualify as professional nursing organizations, including:
- An organization that focuses on a specific area of clinical practice (e.g., Association of Operating Room Nursing [AORN], American Holistic Nurses Association [AHNA])
- A state or national nursing organization (e.g., American Nurses Association [ANA] or Texas Nurses Association [TNA])
- An area of scholarly emphasis (e.g., American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN] or National League for Nursing [NLN])
- An organization that emphasizes specific groups of nurses (e.g., American Assembly for Men in Nursing [AAMN] or National Association of Hispanic Nurses [NAHN])
- After evaluating these organizations in light of your most salient professional concerns, goals, and doctoral project select one organization to join. Complete the steps necessary for joining this professional organization.
- Note: If you are already a member of a professional nursing organization, you are not required to join an additional organization; however, you need to submit documentation of your membership and complete the Assignment below.
By Day 7
To complete:
- Write a 1-page paper describing a need or change related to a practice environment or a problem that is suitable for research. Include your rationale for why this situation or topic warrants attention.
- Outline your plans for participation in the professional nursing organization, and describe how this will help you to meet your professional goals. Also, consider how the organization may correlate with or support the development of your DNP Scholarly Project or PhD Dissertation in the future.
- Include documentation of your membership at the end of your Major Assessment as an Appendix. (You may copy and paste the e-mail verification of your membership, or copy your membership receipt and paste it into your Word doc.) Be sure to observe proper APA style for including appendices.
Due by Day 7 of Week 6.
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
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Grading Criteria
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Week 6 Assignment Rubric
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Submit your Week 6 Assignment draft and review the originality report.
Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 6
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Week 6 Assignment
Week 6: The DNP Scholarly Project and PhD Dissertation
Earlier in this course, you examined the end-of-program requirements for either the DNP or the PhD.
The DNP is the highest practice-oriented degree available. As such, it requires a final project that reflects depth and applicability to clinical practice. Leadership, evidence-based practice, and adept collaboration distinguish the DNP degree, and these same characteristics influence the DNP Scholarly Project that candidates complete by the end of the doctoral program.
The PhD is a highly interdisciplinary research degree. PhD candidates engage in original research and disseminate their results to advance the body of knowledge in nursing. Writing the dissertation is a comprehensive process that is contingent upon the identification of a viable research problem.
This week, you begin the extensive process of developing a DNP Scholarly Project by exploring problems in your own practice environment, or developing a PhD Dissertation by identifying problems that you may wish to research. In addition, you consider which professional organization could best support your growth as a scholar-practitioner and your doctoral project.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Outline plans for participation in a professional nursing organization that supports a DNP scholarly project or PhD research topic
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Zaccagnini, M. & Pechacek, J. M. (2021). The doctor of nursing practice essentials: A new model for advanced practice nursing (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.
[For DNP students ONLY]
- Chapter 10, “A Template for the DNP Project”This chapter discusses the AACN proposals for the DNP project. The project should address practice-based problems and propose evidence-based solutions. The DNP project is further defined with a comparison to the PhD thesis. The authors provide nine steps that should be incorporated into the structure of a DNP Scholarly Project.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/DNP-Essentials
- “Final DNP Project” (p. 20)In this reading, the AACN provides examples of suitable DNP projects.
Walden College of Nursing. (2011). Doctor of nursing practice program manual. Minneapolis, MN: Author. Retrieved from http://ecampus.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Faculty/StudentFaculty_18625.htm
- To access, click link and scroll down to Program DocumentsThe Walden College of Nursing program manual provides valuable information that guides you through your program.
Forsyth, D. M., Wright, T. L., Scherb, C. A., & Gaspar, P. M. (2010). Disseminating evidence-based practice projects: poster design and evaluation. Clinical Scholars Review, 3(1), 14-21.
In the health care field, DNP projects are not as available publicly as more traditional research-based thesis projects. The authors of this article propose strategies for resolving this gap in access to the literature.
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2011c). The DNP project [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.
In this media presentation, Dr. Linda Beechinor and Dr. Susan Stefan describe their DNP projects, including the applicability of these projects to the practice environment.
Optional Resources
DNP students:
Walden University Center for Research Quality. (n.d.). DNP doctoral study process and documents. Retrieved from http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/DNP-Doctoral-Study-Program.htm
PhD students:
Walden University Center for Research Quality. (n.d.). Ph.D. dissertation process and documents. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/formandstyle/programs/phd
Major Assessment Rubric for
Doctorate of Nursing Practice NURS 8000 and
PhD in Nursing NURS 8000N
© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 1 of 3
ASSIGNMENT
PROMPT
Target
5 points
Acceptable
3 points
Unacceptable
1 point
Score
/Level
Rationale for
joining this
professional
organization
Part 1:
Student’s
plans for
participation
in the
selected
professional
nursing
organization
Program LO:
7 (Lifelong
Learner)
Exemplary quality.
Demonstrates
advanced critical
thinking skills. Uses
specific examples
and/or personalized
reflections. Excels in
meeting
expectations for
graduate level work.
APA format used
correctly throughout.
Student fully meets
expectations for LO
7.
Well–developed
good quality work.
Shows clarity of
thinking, It meets
expectations for
graduate level
work. APA format
used with minimum
errors
Student meets
expectations for LO
7.
Superficially
developed,
unacceptable
quality. May show
inconsistent clarity
in thinking. Lags
behind
expectations for
graduate level
work. Weak writing
quality and/or little
evidence of
correctness of APA
format.
Student DOES
NOT meet
expectations for LO
7.
Part 2:
Student’s
description of
how
membership
or
participation
will help
achieve the
student’s
professional
goals.
Program LO:
7 (Lifelong
Learner)
Exemplary quality.
Demonstrates
advanced critical
thinking skills. Uses
specific examples
and/or personalized
reflections. Excels in
meeting
expectations for
graduate level work.
APA format used
correctly throughout.
Student fully meets
expectations for LO
7.
Well–developed
good quality work.
Shows clarity of
thinking, It meets
expectations for
graduate level
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