Inspiration: Remind Me, "Why Am I Doing This?"

Remind me why I’m doing this?
Host(s): Dr. Tracy Vitale

Welcome to the DNP Project Podcast where we share tips, inspiration, and more!
This is a quick inspirational tip for DNP Students. Do you ever feel down on yourself or question why you are working towards your DNP? Do you question your decision to return to school? We’ve been there. Such are the trials and tribulations of graduate school. Even as a faculty member I sometimes reflect on how I ended up where I am - not in a bad way, but more of needing a reminder of what my purpose is…

Let’s take a minute for some reflection and inspiration! 

As we talked about in one of our first podcasts, the DNP is a degree not a role. As AACN outlined in their 2006 white paper, the DNP degree helps prepare the nurse to engage in the highest levels of nursing practice. That being said, why is this so important? 

• Who’s making decisions for the way you practice - whether as a nurse, a leader, or an advanced practice nurse, or any of our other roles? Administrators, legislators, physicians? 
• Are decisions being made based on information we have to contribute to the topic?
• Do we have a seat at the table when decisions are being made? 
• Can we see the bigger picture?  Pat Polansky, who is the director of program development and implementation at the Center to Champion Nursing in America, an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation once explained it this way… Get off your 2 north runway and into the air traffic control tower. While you’re worried about your plane taking off, it’s important to see the bigger picture and appreciate the challenges of all the other planes trying to land and take off and how to coordinate the efforts. 

You’re doing this so you can have a seat at the table. Not just any seat...but one which is grounded in evidence and expertise. 

You CAN do this! Keep up the good work! 

Dr. Tracy Vitale

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