Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) prepared nurses are uniquely positioned to meet the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) call to nursing for increased involvement and action in improving our healthcare system. The DNP is a clinical doctorate that prepares graduates for advanced nursing roles that include research, leadership, academia and clinical practice. The DNP educated nurse has the unique skill set that significantly affects healthcare systems through their contributions to clinical practice, leadership, advocacy in health policy, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based research and contributions tonursing education.DNP corporate leaders of large integrated healthcare systems focus oncollaborative work for common goals. In this position, the DNP preparednurse engages interprofessional teams to improve policies andprocedures that affect patients as well as clinician practice by drivinginnovation, implementing policy changes, and improving evidencebasedskills across professions.DNP nurse executives in administration and executive leadershippositions can promote innovative approaches to problems in highlycomplex healthcare environments, exploring technologies thatembrace efficiencies, and oversee patient safety, patient and staffsatisfaction, and economic factors. DNP executive leaders effecthealthcare change by conducting evidence-based research, developingprograms that improve healthcare outcomes and addressing andadvocating national healthcare policy issues.DNP educators can impact the faculty shortage in nursing programsallowing more individuals to become registered nurses and decreasepotential future nursing shortages. Current clinical practice allows theDNP educator to teach how knowledge is applied in practice and givereal world examples of the implementation of evidence-based practice.This academic practice setting allows for influencing policy in theiracademic institutions and affiliated healthcare organizations to advancenursing and healthcare in society.The DNP nurse practitioners brings forth a differentiated and expert setof skills focusing on evaluating, translating, and disseminatingresearch into practice for the benefit and improvement of patientoutcomes. These skills are utilized to create clinical practice guidelinesand implement evidence directly into practice while ensuringaccountability related to quality care and overall patient safety. TheDNP’s enhanced and expert organizational, economic, and leadershipskills in the clinical setting afford a systems-based approach to clinicalpractice; which lends itself to effect real change in the healthcaresystem directly improving patient care and patient outcomes.The DNP prepared nurse is impacting healthcare and working to achieve the IOM goals in various roles and practice settings. The DNP isthe catalyst leading the inter-professional team to improve healthcareoutcomes.
