DNPs Collaboration in Practice

DNPs Collaboration in Practice

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DNPs Collaboration in Action

Many examples exist of DNP prepared nurses working collaboratively with a healthcare team. The DNP curriculum requires
the implementation of a scholarly capstone project, which often requires multiple form of collaboration to successfully
impact systems of care, patient safety and patient outcomes.
Collaboration was key for Dr. Marisa Terrigno, a DNP graduate from Ursuline College Breen School of Nursing, who
identified a problem with serious consequences for her patients who acquired catheter associated urinary tract infections
(CAUTIs). As part of her capstone project, she collaborated with the health care team in a Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH). The team included nursing assistants, nurses, medical staff, infection control staff, the Chief Nursing Officer, as well as the CEO. The program implemented an evidence-based, nurse-driven protocol for the removal of urinary catheters, and raised awareness of the serious consequences of CAUTIs.
Collaboration improved the success of the program, because every team member was involved in patient care. Marisa
specifically found the collaboration with unit secretaries particularly powerful, as they were vital to the retrieval of accurate
data. Nurses reported feeling empowered by the collaboration, with an increased awareness of their power to prevent adverse
outcomes for their patients.