DQ 1
Learners in the DNP program are required to develop a Direct Practice Improvement (DPI) Project. Describe your proposed practice site and a potential patient practice problem that you are interested in exploring for your project. Explain why this is a valid topic for your practice site. How do you believe this project will contribute to the body of knowledge in your field?
DQ 2
Learners are expected to demonstrate scholarly writing throughout the program in all written work (discussion forum, assignments, final project). Reflect on writing your Scholarly Writing Using Research paper and consider which of the standards of scholarly writing are most challenging for you:
Identifying appropriate evidence for support (peer-reviewed and scholarly sources).
Writing in one’s own words and properly citing authors for ideas, findings, etc.
Writing in APA style.
Describe which is most challenging for you and why. What tools or sites did you use to address the challenges? What strategies will you use to become more proficient? (This response does not require research support.)
You are expected to use the principles of scholarly writing throughout the program without further prompting. Refer to the writing resources in the GCU Library and Student Success Center for ongoing assistance.?
Topic 3
DQ 1
Refer to the “Levels of Evidence in Research” document to assist in this discussion question.
Explain why research articles that fail to meet these criteria cannot be used to provide evidence for the DPI Project. Using these criteria, find two primary research articles for your proposed patient practice problem and explain why these are considered primary research articles and why they demonstrate support for your proposed nursing practice problem. Post the links with your references.
DQ 2
When writing in APA style, citations and references are used to give credit to the respective authors for their ideas or work. It is also preferred that ideas or work are summarized instead of using a direct quote to present the information. Explain what the difference is between a citation and reference, how using these properly will help you avoid the consequences of plagiarizing, and why a summary is preferred. How can LopesWrite help ensure you are effectively summarizing another author’s work (versus direct quotes)?
As an example, summarize and cite information from a primary research article that demonstrates support for your proposed intervention for your selected practice problem (three or four sentences).
Topic 4
DQ 1
In your own words, define critical thinking and explain why it is an important to you as a learner proposing a quality improvement project (DPI project) for your practice site. Discuss three critical thinking skills necessary for evaluating and interpreting primary quantitative research for a DPI Project.
DQ 2
Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative research. Explain why more quantitative research articles are required for support for the DPI Project as compared to qualitative research articles. Conduct a search in the GCU Library using the nursing databases for a primary quantitative article that provides support for your proposed intervention and briefly explain how the research provides evidence that the intervention would improve the problem at your practice site.
Topic 5
DQ 1
In your own words, describe personal and research bias and explain why bias is one of the main reasons for poor validity in research outcomes. How could a quality improvement project (DPI Project) be affected if the research used had bias? How would the site be affected? Using one of the primary research articles you selected for you PICOT-D, discuss potential bias that could have occurred and how this affects the research outcomes and ultimately the validity of the studies. Is it still viable research for your DPI Project?
DQ 2
Explain the difference between statistical significance and clinical significance. Provide an example for each. How do statistical significance and clinical significance apply to a quality improvement initiative, like your future DPI Project?
Topic 6
DQ 1
Review the “Literature Evaluation Table.”
Explain how the criteria on this table helps you evaluate the quality of a primary quantitative research article to determine if it will support a practice improvement project (DPI Project). Which criterion is most helpful in identifying a qualifying research article and why? How does the “Levels of Evidence in Research” chart support your search and the use of this table?
Topic 7
DQ 1
A personal worldview is based on the personal philosophy (beliefs, concepts, or ideas about the world) that one creates, ether consciously or unconsciously. These influence how one sees and interacts with the world. Reflect on the principles that have created your worldview. Were these principles developed consciously or unconsciously? Do they help or hinder? What are the main principles you use?
Based on your self-reflection, discuss two core principles from your personal philosophy and explain how they have shaped your worldview. How do these impact your ability to think critically? How does “open-mindedness” influence nursing care when caring for patients who do not share your personal philosophy or worldview? How do you think others experience you based on the actions or attitude derived from your personal philosophy/worldview? (This response does not require research support.)?
DQ 2
Discuss two principles your personal worldview has in common with GCU’s Christian worldview. Explain how these common principles align with the mission and vision from your practice site and how they fundamentally serve to promote patient care. (This response does not require research support.)
Topic 8
DQ 1
Reflect on your different experiences in this course, from learning new tools to having to think critically to learning how to accept feedback. Discuss which aspects were most challenging and most rewarding. Based on your experience, what doctoral strategies helped you navigate these new experiences successfully (or could help you in the future)? How could you use these strategies as a leader at a local level or within the broader health care system to advocate for change?
DQ 2
Sometimes topic ideas for a PICOT-D/DPI Project are intriguing, but not completely feasible for one reason or another. Based on the instructor feedback you have received, explain why you have, or do not have, a feasible topic for your PICOT-D. What changes will you need to make in order to have a feasible topic for your PICOT-D? If it is not feasible, what other topics are you considering?