Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practicum

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Hello,

I am attending Chamberlain's online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. I am in the Healthcare Systems Leadership specialty track program and I currently work full time as an Assistant Director of Nursing in a 148 bed facility (102 are long-term and 46 are short term physical rehabilitation beds). I am trying to come up with some great ideas for my practicum project which starts in about a year. The practicum must be a minimum of 125 hours so I need something I can manage but fill time with in a detailed manor. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in pediatrics, occupational health.

Hi there!

I just graduated w/ my dnp in July (cpnp-ac). I did mine at an ed in a pediatric hospital using pre/post education and implementation of ACEP guidelines on management of fever without a source in children 36 mos of age and younger.

Some of the projects done by colleagues included implementation of WAT scores for picu patients, use of nasopharyngeal airways for intubation, and treating febrile oncology patients immediately (within an hour) with antibiotics.

Of course, this was all done in pediatric settings.

You can always go to this site - National Guideline Clearinghouse | Home - and search by topics. maybe you can find something there that will give you ideas!

hope that helps! good luck! Keep us posted on what you decide!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, CCT-RN, Educator/Peds Clinical.

Great advice. Thanks

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

I have a question for the OP, and anyone else, what do you do in a DNP practicum? I've heard from countless people that they used their employer/work time as part or all of their practicum?

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Specializes in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine.
I have a question for the OP, and anyone else, what do you do in a DNP practicum? I've heard from countless people that they used their employer/work time as part or all of their practicum?

PsychGuy--

My program recommended having the preceptor be where the students worked, but that was not always the case. My preceptors were employed in the same office I was. I did not use work time to do my capstone, although some people were able to because they were doing different types of projects. One student used her nursing students as a test case in how to treat vets with PTSD. Another used an FNP program's database to see if there was a way to determine potential success in the program based on pre-admission factors. I designed a teaching module for informal caregivers of dementia patients and determined how successful it was using pre and post module testing. One student opened her own clinic and started looking at results of integrating behavioral health/psych with primary care. We had a wide range of capstones and interests.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

Ingteresting. Thank you for the reply.

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What qualifications does a preceptor need to have?

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