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 centers on designing a simulated Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) evidence-based practicum project. The project should address a realistic clinical problem within a hypothetical healthcare setting, focusing on reducing a practice gap that influences patient outcomes or organizational performance. The selected location must be both specific and feasible, such as a primary care clinic, surgical unit, or hospital ward, to allow manageable implementation.

For example, consider a community health clinic located in an urban area where patients often have limited access to preventive services. In such a setting, stakeholders may include nurse practitioners, physicians, clinical managers, and administrative staff. A pressing clinical issue might be low adherence to hypertension management protocols, resulting in poorly controlled blood pressure levels. Stakeholders would view this as a significant concern due to its impact on patient safety, increased readmissions, and long-term healthcare expenses. The issue is sufficiently focused to be addressed within an eight-week project timeline, making it a practical choice for a simulated DNP practicum project.

Practice Gap

A simulated organizational needs assessment reveals the deficiencies contributing to the identified problem. In this case, the practice gap relates to the inconsistent use of evidence-based hypertension management protocols. Current practices rely on outdated educational resources, minimal staff training, and fragmented communication across the care team.

These gaps result in poor patient adherence and a higher risk of preventable complications. A deeper assessment shows that improving adherence requires standardized hypertension care pathways, ongoing staff development, and patient-centered education tailored to diverse populations.

Table 1

Organizational Needs Assessment: Practice Gap Identification

Assessment Area	Current Practice	Identified Gap	Supporting Evidence	Potential Impact if Addressed
Patient Education	Generic brochures, limited engagement	Lack of culturally sensitive and tailored education	CDC, 2023; AHA, 2022	Better adherence, reduced preventable events
Staff Training	Sporadic, outdated workshops	Limited knowledge of updated guidelines	Johnson et al., 2022	Improved adherence to evidence-based practice
Care Coordination	Isolated communication among providers	Weak interprofessional collaboration	Smith & Lee, 2021	Streamlined workflow, fewer errors
Monitoring & Follow-up	Infrequent follow-ups, no structured reminders	Inconsistent patient monitoring	Patel et al., 2023	Early intervention, improved clinical outcomes

Practice Question (PICOT Framework)

Population (P): Adult patients with hypertension in an urban community health clinic.
Intervention (I): Implementation of a standardized, evidence-based hypertension protocol, including tailored patient education, staff training, and structured team communication.
Comparison (C): Current standard of care.
Outcome (O): Improvement in the percentage of patients achieving controlled blood pressure levels.
Time (T): Eight weeks.

NR 703 Week 3 Assignment: Simulated DNP Project Overview

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 eight weeks (T)?

Leading the Practice-Change Project

Interprofessional Collaboration in Leading Project Teams

Leadership is central to the success of practice-change projects, particularly those requiring interprofessional collaboration. For this project, leadership would adopt a collaborative and transformational style, fostering mutual respect, accountability, and shared responsibility.

The DNP-prepared nurse would:

Establish clear roles for each professional (e.g., physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and administrative staff).
Promote regular team huddles and structured communication methods (e.g., SBAR) to ensure consistent messaging.
Develop shared goals focused on improving patient outcomes in hypertension management.
Create feedback loops to monitor progress, identify barriers, and adapt strategies.
Use transformational leadership strategies to inspire engagement, support innovation, and sustain change.

This approach ensures that team members remain aligned, interventions are applied consistently, and the clinic culture evolves toward evidence-based hypertension care.

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	Nurses and staff in outpatient clinics	Evidence-based training vs. no training	Increased staff adherence to protocols	Level III	Supports staff development interventions
Patel et al., 2023	Systematic review	Adults with hypertension	Standardized care pathways vs. variable care	Improved BP control rates	Level I	Provides strong evidence for intervention
Smith & Lee, 2021	Cohort study	Primary care patients	Interprofessional teamwork vs. usual care	Reduced hospitalizations, improved outcomes	Level II	Demonstrates benefits of collaboration

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