Creighton DNP program application

[MegaPedsNurse]

I have a question regarding for any one who has applied to a DNP program regarding personal statements. There is one question for the personal statement portion that has me stuck. Here is what they want included in the personal statement for the Creighton DNP program:

• Your short- and long-term educational and professional goals
  
• How earning the DNP degree will aid in reaching those goals
  
• A practice problem you've encountered and a description of your role in effecting change to alleviate or correct the problem
  
• Your area of interest for the evidence-based quality improvement (QI) project and a description of one outcome you would like to address. (Post-Graduate to DNP (MSN-DNP) Applicants ONLY)
  

The part that has me stuck is the third bullet point.

As a nurse with a little less than 2 years experience I don't feel like I've made a change to correct a practice problem.

Here is a little background about my career. After graduating from Creighton with my BSN in 2014 I started in an adult intensive care unit. I started in ICU because I thought I wanted to be a CRNA and I loved surgery. However I wasn't completely convinced that I wanted to work with adults and found out pretty quick that this wasn't a good fit for me. After 6 months I left the ICU and was pretty down about being a nurse. I wanted to find out if I enjoyed pediatrics so I started in a pediatric clinic. I loved working with the kids but felt I was loosing some of my nursing skills and I couldn't see my future being in primary care. I just transfered to the pediatric hospital who also owned the clinic and I'm now in their pre-op, PACU, and phase II unit. I am loving what I am doing now! I feel like it is what I was meant to do. I work with some NP's who work with the anesthesiologist and see their patients before surgery, prescribe any premeds, and do H&Ps if needed. After working with them I feel like I want to pursue my DNP to have a similar career.

Any ideas/suggestions for answering the third bullet point for the application? Thanks!!

[Collor]

I remember when I was in nursing school (many moons ago) our community health class required us to find a "community" issue and work towards solving it. While most of the class picked big issues (teen pregnancy, HIV testing, etc.) my group stuck with a simple problem involving an unsafe playground in a low socio-ecomonic neighborhood. We addressed it by posting warning signs on equipment and writing a letter of concern to town supervisor.

So perhaps think about a small thing that you may have contributed to....the small stuff matters, too!

[Boomer MS, RN]

The way I interpreted this was the that it was only for those already with a MSN who needed to include that on their application. Since you have a BSN, I don't think it applies to you. Sounds as if you're applying to the BSN-DNP program. In master's programs, students sometimes work on such projects so already have that background. The only way to be absolutely sure is to contact the school for clarification.

From your experience, I bet you could come up some ideas though. Pick the brains of some of the NPs, since they have all been to graduate school. Someone may have ideas. But as I said, it may be a non issue since you are not a "MSN-DNP Applicant only".