The doctoral learning process is uniquely autonomous and requires self-imposed initiative to investigate, gather information and orient yourself to the expectations of the program. In order to be successful, it is important to develop strategies to maintain a healthy balance in your academic, professional, and personal life.
The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on the "Doctor of Nursing Orientation Webinar," the doctoral dispositions, and the resources introduced to you in this topic in order to prepare a plan to be a successful learner.
General Requirements:
Attend the "Doctor of Nursing Orientation Webinar."
Read the "Doctoral Dispositions and Acknowledgement of Review" document attached in the assignment.
Read the "Direct Practice Improvement Project Groups and Associated Milestones," "DNP Learner Expectations," and "DNP Direct Practice Improvement Project Recommendations."
Explore the APA resources, including the APA Style Guide.
Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments.
Directions:
After attending the "Doctor of Nursing Orientation Webinar," reading the doctoral dispositions, and reviewing all of the resources indicated, write a 500-750-word paper including the following:
Discuss what concerns you have about matriculating through a DNP program, and insights you gained from the "Doctor of Nursing Orientation Webinar" that helped mitigate those concerns.
Describe what your expectations are for the program and what challenges you might anticipate. Identify personal strengths and explain how these will help you persevere in the DNP program.
Outline a plan that you can use to be successful as a NP learner. Include strategies for time management, autonomy, and self-directed learning. Explain how you can utilize the resources introduced in this topic to help you become more proficient.
RESOURCES
Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style
View the "Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style" tutorial, located on the American Psychological Association (APA) website. You will use this resource throughout the course for assignments and discussions.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Utilize the resources on the "Doctor of Nursing Practice" page, located on the GCU Library, to assist in completing your assignments. https://libguides.gcu.edu/DNP
The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice
Familiarize yourself with the following resource. The essentials discussed in it will be reviewed periodically throughout your DNP program.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. http://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/DNP-Essentials
DNP Institutional Review Board (IRB) Project Assessment Tool
Review the "DNP Institutional Review Board (IRB) Project Assessment Tool," located in the DC Network.
You will use this resource to guide the focus of your Direct Practice Improvement (DPI) Project. The focus of the DPI Project in the GCU DNP Program is the application of strong evidence-based research to improve population/patient outcomes. As such, learners are highly encouraged to select a project topic that is anchored in either quality improvement (QI). This focus will result in the most actionable outcomes (i.e., "real-time" results). Learners need to be cautious of the scope and target population for their project or it may result in unforeseen delays in IRB