The Healthcare sector has undergone massive evolution over time. Today, the medical fraternity is much more well-equipped with skillsets and technology to take on health challenges. The fight against coronavirus is the tell-tale example of that.
Indeed, the pandemic has had a devastating effect on our life and the world still under the restoration process. But if it were not for the healthcare industry’s prompt response, the consequences would have been more damning.
Odd as it may sound, the ongoing pandemic has helped to boost the confidence of nurses. It is because nurses deny their due share of credit in normal circumstances. The doctors tend to get all the limelight. But it was not the case this time around. Among other health workers, the public also saw nurses working round the clock to provide the best possible services.
As a nurse, it could be a ripe time for you to take your expertise to another level by getting enrolled in a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) program. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths circulating about the DNP degree. For example, you might have heard people saying that DNP is only an excuse to milk more money out of nursing graduates. It is about time to debunk all these fabricated notions.
In reality, DNP empowers you with the authority to transform healthcare. Let’s delve into specifications and unveil how DNP, also categorized as a terminal degree in nursing, enables an individual to make the difference:
1. Taking up Leadership Roles
Leadership plays a key role in improving the performance of a health institution. Various credible studies and seasoned experts have noted that the healthcare industry is facing a severe leadership crisis. One of the best ways to fill up this vacuum is to prepare nurses to take leadership roles. That is where DNP rolls into action.
DNP’s curriculum prepares nurses to take charge of organizations. To be precise, DNP could train you to hold the following jobs:
I. Chief nursing officer: A chief nursing officer covers a broad spectrum of administrative responsibilities. The position may entitle you to track the hospital’s day-to-day activities and make sure things do not go off-track from the proposed plan. You have to encourage the staff to give their best shot.
II. Clinical operation director: Clinical operation director usually oversees multiple areas. However, the chief duties include laying out optimal work schedules, ensuring quality training, recruiting, and performing quality assurance tests.
III. Nursing department director: It is arguably the most critical job in the field of nursing. The reason being, a nursing department director, has to be on top of the communication skills. Talking about the technical skills, you must be well-versed with verifying the documents, outlining essential functions to be performed regularly, and mapping out long-term goals. Most of all, the individual must have the vision to anticipate the future.
We have mentioned only a handful of options. Having a DNP degree by your side, you could be eligible for an array of top-level roles and emerge as a leader.
2. Promoting Health Awareness
The modern-day healthcare setup can cope up with any health emergency due to a wealth of resources. But, despite the availability of extensive resources, we are not even remotely close to providing ideal health facilities to a vast majority. There are regions where millions of people still die every year from preventable diseases. One way to minimize this death toll is to run awareness campaigns in the downtrodden areas. And a DNP graduate is the ultimate candidate to spearhead such initiatives.
Health awareness does not only have a significant impact on combating diseases in third-world countries. It is also the need of the hour in developed counties. For instance, many widely cited studies illustrate that obesity is becoming a growing concern in Europe and North America. Following a well-crunched figure, as many as nearly 40 percent of the population keeps up with obesity in the USA. Worse yet, the number is not showing any sign of decline. If anything, it continues to mark the uptick at an alarming rate.
Again, DNP-educated individuals could come in handy to control the nuisance. Using their deep-seated expertise in health, they may help people offer personalized solutions instead of adopting the one-size-fits-all approach.
3. Assessing Patient Care Technology
Technology has broken into almost every sphere of our life. Health is no exception. Until recently, the healthcare sector had been somewhat slow to embrace the technology. After the coronavirus hit the scene, there is no way the latest inventions could anymore retain at bay. The reason behind this that we have realized our limitations.
Incorporating technology in healthcare is easier said than done as a single mechanical glitch could put innocent lives at stake. DNP curriculum teaches students how to evaluate the effectiveness of patient care technology.
4. Drawing Health Policies
Being a DNP graduate, you may wear the shoes of a health policymaker. What is more, working for governmental or non-governmental bodies, you could perform this service internationally. The most fulfilling aspect of being a health policymaker is that your decisions will influence a vast proportion of the human population.
The Final Verdict
As you can see, a DNP degree unlocks many opportunities. Depending on personal interest and talent, one could opt for specialization in clinical research, education, administration, and so forth. Once you complete the academic years, you will have to enjoy the autonomy to take groundbreaking decisions and subsequently change healthcare for good.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
