How does a doctorally prepared nurse work across and between levels of an organization?
What are the challenges and/or rewards to be gained?
Does one outweigh the other?
Organizational Management
Doctorally prepared nurses serve in a number of key roles within an organization in
different areas such as leadership, change, research, program development and evaluation as
described in Doctor of Nursing Practice (2019). Principally, the role of the doctorally prepared
nurse is the delivery of patient care typically as an Advanced Practice Nurse. On the
administrative level, doctorally prepared nurses take on leadership and executive responsibilities
in the management of the health care system. The benefit of this is that these nurses are involved
on a managerial level in major decision making within the organization concerning critical
issues.For instance, doctorally prepared nurses are involved insolving system level problems
concerned with quality through coordination of quality focused teams. Doctorally prepared
nurses also fill in for other health care professionals such as other advanced practice nurses and
physicians as stated in Beeber, Jones, Palmer, Waldrop & Lynn (2016, p. 3).
One main challenge doctorally prepared nurses who serve in the primary role of patient
care provision face is lack of flexibility as their workload disables them from fulfilling any other
roles. Thus, it is difficult for them to fill in for other health care professionals when the need
arises. In Edwards, Coddington, Erler & Kirkpatrick (2018) doctorally prepared nurses can also
influence health care policies and evaluate protocols that are economical which are greatly
beneficial roles (p. 3). Academically, doctorally prepared nurses also prepare other nurses. These
nurses are known to have stronger evaluation skills than those with Master’s degrees. Doctorally
ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT 2
prepared nurses are also involved in utilization of data for problem solving and measurement and
evaluation of outcomes within health care. Consequently, the benefits doctorally prepared nurses
face outweigh the challenges across all health organizations.
References
Beeber, A.S., Jones, C., Palmer, C., Waldrop, J. & Lynn, M. (2016). Determining the Role of the
Nurse with a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree.Chapel Hill, NC:Carolina
Health Workforce Research Center.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (2019).The Unique Contributions of DNP-Prepared Nurse
Practitioners and Other APRNs.
nurses-in-advanced-clinical-practice/
Edwards, N., Coddington, J., Erler, C. & Kirkpatrick, J. (2018). The Impact of the Role of
Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurses on Healthcare and Leadership.Medical Research
Archives, 6.