NR 703 Week 3 Assignment: Simulated DNP Project Overview

NR 703 Week 3 Assignment: Simulated DNP Project Overview

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-703: Applied Organizational & Leadership Concepts

Prof. Name

Date

Simulated DNP Evidence-Based Project and Professional Leadership Capacity

Problem

This assignment focuses on designing a simulated Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) evidence-based practicum project that addresses a significant clinical issue within a hypothetical healthcare environment. The main objective is to bridge a practice gap that directly affects patient outcomes or organizational efficiency. The project should be feasible and situated within a specific clinical environment, such as a primary care clinic, surgical unit, or hospital ward.

For example, consider a community-based health clinic in an urban setting with limited access to preventive care services. The key stakeholders in this setting include nurse practitioners, physicians, clinical supervisors, pharmacists, and administrative personnel. A major clinical issue identified may be poor adherence to evidence-based hypertension management protocols, resulting in numerous patients presenting with uncontrolled blood pressure. Stakeholders would likely prioritize this issue because of its implications for patient safety, avoidable hospital admissions, and rising healthcare costs. Since the problem is specific, measurable, and achievable within an eight-week period, it serves as an ideal foundation for a simulated DNP project.

Practice Gap

A simulated organizational needs assessment reveals several weaknesses that sustain the hypertension management issue. These include inconsistent use of evidence-based guidelines, reliance on outdated patient education materials, and weak interprofessional collaboration.

Furthermore, communication among healthcare professionals is often fragmented, and patient follow-up lacks consistency. These deficiencies contribute to poor adherence to treatment plans and increase the risk of preventable complications such as stroke and heart failure. To close this practice gap, it is essential to develop structured care pathways, enhance team collaboration, and adopt patient-centered education strategies tailored to the community’s cultural and literacy needs.

Table 1

Organizational Needs Assessment: Practice Gap Identification

Assessment Area	Current Practice	Identified Gap	Supporting Evidence	Potential Impact if Addressed
Patient Education	Reliance on generic brochures with minimal engagement	Lack of culturally tailored and interactive education materials	CDC (2023); AHA (2022)	Increased adherence and reduced disease burden
Staff Training	Infrequent workshops not grounded in evidence-based practice	Limited staff familiarity with current hypertension guidelines	Johnson et al., 2022	Improved compliance with protocols
Care Coordination	Communication occurs in silos among team members	Insufficient interprofessional collaboration	Smith & Lee, 2021	Streamlined workflows and reduced medical errors
Monitoring & Follow-up	Sporadic follow-up appointments	Inconsistent tracking of patient progress	Patel et al., 2023	Early intervention and improved outcomes

Practice Question (PICOT Framework)

• Population (P): Adult patients diagnosed with hypertension at an urban community health clinic

• Intervention (I): Implementation of a standardized, evidence-based hypertension management protocol incorporating staff training, patient-centered education, and enhanced team communication

• Comparison (C): Current practice

• Outcome (O): Improved blood pressure control, measured by the percentage of patients reaching target BP levels

• Time (T): Eight weeks

Practice Question:
For adults with hypertension at a community health clinic (P), does the implementation of a standardized hypertension care protocol with patient-centered education and staff training (I), compared to current practice (C), improve blood pressure control rates (O) over an eight-week period (T)?

Leading the Practice-Change Project

Interprofessional Collaboration in Leading Project Teams

Effective leadership is essential to ensure that practice-change initiatives are successfully implemented. In this simulated DNP project, leadership focuses on fostering collaboration, mutual accountability, and respect among interprofessional team members.

The DNP-prepared nurse leader plays a key role in promoting an environment where physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and administrative leaders work in defined yet flexible roles. Regular team huddles, the use of standardized communication tools such as SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), and inclusive decision-making processes help improve transparency and team efficiency.

Leadership Strategies

• Establishing a shared vision centered on improving hypertension outcomes

• Promoting active engagement of all healthcare professionals in the implementation of the protocol

• Creating continuous feedback loops to track progress and make necessary adjustments

• Applying transformational leadership approaches to inspire motivation, innovation, and commitment among team members

Through this leadership approach, the project aims to execute interventions consistently and effectively, leading to improved patient outcomes and enhanced organizational efficiency.

Table 2

Johns Hopkins Individual Evidence Summary Tool (Modified for DNP Program)

Citation	Study Design	Population & Setting	Intervention & Comparison	Outcomes	Evidence Level	Notes
Johnson et al., 2022	Quasi-experimental	Outpatient clinics, nurses & staff	Evidence-based staff training vs. no training	Enhanced adherence to hypertension guidelines	Level III	Supports staff development as a key driver
Patel et al., 2023	Systematic review	Adults with hypertension	Standardized care pathways vs. variable care	Higher rates of BP control	Level I	Strongest evidence for intervention
Smith & Lee, 2021	Cohort study	Primary care patients	Interprofessional collaboration vs. usual care	Reduced readmissions and improved outcomes	Level II	Validates team-based approaches

References

American Heart Association. (2022). Hypertension management guidelines update. https://www.heart.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). High blood pressure: Clinical guidelines and resources. https://www.cdc.gov

Johnson, M., Roberts, L., & Clarke, P. (2022). Evidence-based staff training improves hypertension management in outpatient clinics. Journal of Nursing Practice, 18(4), 145–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnp.2022.01.004

NR 703 Week 3 Assignment: Simulated DNP Project Overview

Patel, R., Singh, J., & Torres, A. (2023). Strategies for improving hypertension outcomes: A systematic review. International Journal of Healthcare Quality, 35(2), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1097/IJHQ.2023.002

Smith, K., & Lee, H. (2021). Interprofessional collaboration in primary care: Impacts on chronic disease management. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 455. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06492-1