FNP Program Outcomes: Narrative Analysis of Graduate Learning

Introduction

This paper provides a narrative analysis of the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program and how I have adapted the program outcomes to my professional expertise within the field of healthcare. It also identifies how these objectives were reached by providing evidence from my graduate experiences. In addition, this narrative analysis offers insights into how I met these objectives and how these program outcomes have improved my expertise as a nurse. Emphasis is placed on program outcomes and how they align with those of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) along with the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Core Competencies. The analysis concludes with an explanation of how each of these elements coalesce to provide a complete and comprehensive learning experience.

FNP Program Outcomes

The program outcomes are designed to prepare nurses with a high-quality, comprehensive, and patient-centered learning experience. One of the most impactful program outcomes was PO3, which is centered around lifelong personal and professional growth. This outcome also looks to establish an appreciation of cultural diversity. It was very essential to my overall learning experience, as it provided a strong sense of accountability for learning objectives throughout life. The healthcare and nursing professions are unique in that regulatory and technological change is constant. The emergence of sophisticated technologies such as telehealth and telemedicine requires a very distinct and broad array of skills to leverage effectively. Likewise, nurses must possess the ability to continually learn these processes in an effort to provide high quality of care to patients and other key stakeholder groups within the community. This becomes especially critical as technology continues to disrupt the traditional business models of healthcare institutions around the world. Within America alone, major infrastructure changes are currently underway, as the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many weaknesses within the system. These systemic flaws not only hindered patient access to care but also inhibited the overall quality of outcomes for patients seeking high-quality service. The changes required have been both political and technological in nature. For nurses to properly assimilate these changes into their own practice, PO3 related to lifelong learning and growth will remain imperative (Adams, 2014).

Another element embedded within PO3 that improved my psychomotor and cognitive domains was an appreciation for cultural diversity. Research has shown that the nursing profession has undergone significant improvements related to diversity. These improvements are in part a result of the Affordable Care Act, which provided health insurance access to millions of Americans who otherwise would not have obtained coverage. In addition, the industry is experiencing rapid growth as a result of an older population, strong healthcare demand, and rising costs. New entrants within the industry are increasingly reflective of the broader population, with African Americans and Hispanic Americans accounting for 23% of new industry employees. As a result, maintaining a strong appreciation for cultural diversity is important for sustaining these positive trends across the industry.

Program Outcomes 2 and 5 also helped to improve my cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. Program Outcome 2 focuses heavily on creating a caring environment and achieving quality health outcomes. As noted in the introduction, quality healthcare outcomes have not manifested in society commensurate with the expenditures required to achieve them. Both the qualitative and quantitative elements of healthcare assessment validate this point. Nearly 18% of America's GDP — approximately $6.2 trillion — has been spent on healthcare expenditures, accounting for roughly $11,500 per person, which is by far the highest of all developed nations in the world. Analysts predict that by 2030, healthcare expenditures will account for roughly 20% of GDP, also the highest in the developed world. However, outcomes have not manifested in a manner commensurate with these costs. Research has indicated that the United States has the worst healthcare outcomes relative to other developed nations. This juxtaposition between outcomes and costs has been a catalyst driving many of the healthcare innovations occurring in America today. Program Outcome 2 reinforces the need for nurses to contribute to changes that improve quality and lower costs — requirements the COVID-19 pandemic only intensified. It has reinforced the need for solutions that are both efficient and effective in delivering high-quality healthcare results. To achieve this, a nurse must remain abreast of new and emerging technologies within the healthcare field and be able to provide guidance on how best to leverage them to improve quality of care outcomes.

More importantly, I have learned that PO2 requires nurses to heavily focus on health promotion and prevention to help improve overall outcomes. It is imperative for a nurse to emphasize education and counseling in order to empower patients to make healthier choices while also lowering the cost of healthcare. To properly achieve this, a nurse must be highly knowledgeable across a broad array of subjects, including pathophysiology, treatment and management of infectious diseases, and the use of technology platforms. These form the basis for improving outcomes while lowering costs to both patients and providers. As the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, a nurse must also serve as an educator for the general public — providing accurate and complete information related to the prevention of communicable diseases, screening techniques, and tertiary prevention. Each of these elements helps to better inform the public, minimize the degree of infection, lower healthcare costs, and reduce pressure on healthcare infrastructure. As with PO3, it is therefore important for nurses to stay current with the epidemiological dynamics of diseases, especially those that spread easily.

Program Outcome 1 also made a substantially impactful contribution to my educational experience within the healthcare industry. This outcome advocates for high-quality, safe, patient-centered care grounded in holistic health principles. The focus on holistic health principles has been of particular interest to me, and technology has helped to improve the application of these principles within a healthcare setting. My personal experience with electronic health records (EHRs) and the innovations within this application have been substantial to my growth as a nurse. EHRs have allowed me to improve patient care through higher efficiencies, a reduction in errors, and an overall improvement in the patient experience. The ability to access a complete prior history for an individual in a single, secure location helps to improve the application of the principles espoused in PO1. This is particularly beneficial in the acute care setting where I have worked, where patients often suffer from severe illnesses and injuries requiring immediate care. In these settings, time is extremely valuable and can often be a determinant of life or death. The ability to quickly access complete and accurate patient records allows healthcare professionals to make better-informed care decisions and to advocate for the principles embedded in PO1.

Conclusion

The competencies related to independent practice and ethics have been demonstrated through my coursework and real-world experience within the healthcare industry. Although difficult to demonstrate in literary form, I have acted ethically in my dealings in both academic and professional settings. I have also leveraged my learning throughout the program to study a variety of ethical frameworks and apply them to real-world circumstances. Equally challenging to showcase in written form, I have also demonstrated accountability for my area of oversight within the organization. Together, these program outcomes, AACN MSN Essentials, and NONPF Core Competencies coalesce to provide a complete and comprehensive learning experience that has meaningfully strengthened my expertise as a nurse practitioner.