Name
Chamberlain University
NR-715: Scientific Underpinnings
Prof. Name
Date
The purpose of this discussion is to provide Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students with the opportunity to analyze the influence of stakeholders on practice change in healthcare systems. Stakeholders from the organizational, community, and national levels are integral in supporting and sustaining transformative change. By examining their roles, responsibilities, and challenges, students gain a deeper understanding of how interprofessional collaboration drives long-term improvements in patient outcomes. This reflection not only fosters a systems-thinking approach but also prepares students to engage diverse perspectives when designing and implementing practice change initiatives.
Question: Identify and examine organization and/or community stakeholders you anticipate will be a part of the interprofessional team when implementing your future practice change project.
Answer:
Successful practice change initiatives require the engagement of multiple stakeholders across different levels. Within organizations, nurse leaders, administrators, clinical staff, and information technology (IT) specialists are central to aligning the project with institutional goals, policies, and resource allocation. Nurse managers, in particular, help bridge the gap between leadership and frontline staff. At the community level, health departments, patient advocacy groups, and non-profit organizations provide valuable perspectives on cultural, social, and population health needs. Their involvement ensures that interventions address health disparities and remain relevant to the community’s unique challenges. Partnering with these stakeholders promotes inclusivity and equitable healthcare delivery.
Question: Integrate your key stakeholders into the constructs from the translational science model that you identified in Week 6.
Answer:
The translational science model emphasizes the progression of evidence from research to practice. Organizational leaders, such as executives and administrators, play a pivotal role in providing infrastructure, financial support, and policy alignment. Clinicians and nursing staff serve as the primary implementers of evidence-based interventions, ensuring integration into daily practice. Community stakeholders, such as advocacy groups, strengthen patient-centered care by contributing to needs assessments and outcome evaluations. National stakeholders, including accreditation bodies, professional nursing organizations, and policy agencies, ensure that interventions adhere to established standards and remain sustainable over time. This layered involvement facilitates the effective transfer of knowledge into real-world clinical environments.
Question: Analyze the barriers you might experience with these stakeholders with the proposed practice change.
Answer:
Engaging multiple stakeholders often introduces significant challenges. Within organizations, resistance to change may arise from concerns over increased workload, insufficient staffing, or competing financial priorities. Clinical staff may also express apprehension about workflow disruptions, fearing that new practices could negatively affect efficiency or patient satisfaction. Community stakeholders may encounter barriers such as conflicting priorities, lack of resources, or difficulties in establishing consistent communication channels. At the national level, bureaucratic delays and regulatory complexities may slow the implementation of new initiatives. Overcoming these challenges requires proactive communication, stakeholder education, collaborative decision-making, and strong leadership advocacy to align all parties toward shared goals.
| Stakeholder Group | Role in Practice Change | Potential Barriers | Strategies for Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organizational Stakeholders | Provide leadership, funding, policy enforcement, and oversight of the project | Limited resources, reluctance to adopt new systems | Shared governance, leadership buy-in, education, transparent updates |
| Clinical Staff (Nurses, Physicians) | Implement practice changes, deliver direct care, and evaluate patient outcomes | High workload, workflow disruption, resistance to new tools | Training programs, recognition incentives, continuous feedback loops |
| Community Stakeholders | Represent patient needs, align care practices with cultural and social priorities | Miscommunication, competing community priorities | Community engagement forums, culturally sensitive communication |
| National Stakeholders | Offer regulatory guidance, monitor compliance, and ensure sustainability of interventions | Regulatory delays, complex approval processes | Policy advocacy, aligning initiatives with national health standards |
This discussion supports the development of several DNP program competencies, including:
Organizational Leadership (PO 6): Enhancing leadership skills to guide systemic change and improve patient care outcomes.
Healthcare Technology (POs 6, 7): Leveraging advanced information systems to support practice change and improve decision-making.
Healthcare Policy and Social Justice (POs 2, 9): Critically evaluating policies to advocate for equity and reduce disparities in healthcare.
Collaborative Culture (PO 8): Fostering an interprofessional environment that strengthens teamwork and supports innovation.
Research Translation (PO 1): Applying synthesized evidence to population-based interventions that advance preventative care.
Professional Leadership (POs 1, 4): Leading with systems thinking, advanced judgment, and accountability in clinical practice.
This assignment aligns with course outcomes by:
Collaborative Leadership: Demonstrating the role of DNP-prepared nurses in leading interprofessional teams across healthcare systems (PCs 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; POs 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9).
Stakeholder Evaluation: Assessing stakeholder contributions in bridging the gap between evidence and clinical application (PCs 2, 4, 5, 6, 8; POs 4, 6, 8, 9).
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. http://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/DNP-Essentials
Hurwitz, D., Yeracaris, P., Campbell, S., & Coleman, M. A. (2019). Rhode Island’s investment in primary care transformation: A case study. Families, Systems, & Health, 37(4), 328–335. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000450
Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). (2011). The core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice. https://nebula.wsimg.com/3ee8a4b5b5f7ab794c742b14601d5f23?AccessKeyId=DC06780E69ED19E2B3A5&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). (2016). The core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: 2016 update. https://nebula.wsimg.com/2f68a39520b03336b41038c370497473?AccessKeyId=DC06780E69ED19E2B3A5&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 (Original work published 2011)
Joudrey, P., Oldfield, B. J., Yonkers, K. A., O’Connor, P. G., Berland, G., & Edelman, E. J. (2020). Inpatient adoption of medications for alcohol use disorder: A mixed-methods formative evaluation involving key stakeholders. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 213, 108090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108090
World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education and collaborative practice. https://www.who.int/hrh/resources/framework_action/en/
