Dedrik 

r. Baldomero,

          The following PICOT question will serve as the basis for the DNP project: “For adults with COPD in an internal medicine clinic, what is the impact of implementing the GOLD guidelines for the management of COPD via digital application, compared to current practice, on the rate of COPD exacerbations over 8-10 weeks?”

          A professional mentor who helped guide my practice project is Dr. M. Nathan, the practice owner of the free-standing clinic. She provided insight into how stakeholders and free-standing clinics are affected by various guidelines, structures, and processes. Several areas affected are patient health outcomes, quality of care, reimbursement, and incentive systems. In NR 705, instructor Dr. Carla Fry was instrumental in assisting me with refining my DNP practicum form. She remained confident in my ability to meet the expectations and encouraged me to remain optimistic in my efforts.   

          The role of the mentor is essential for facilitating the learning processes necessary for integrating theories and practice (de Oliveira et al., 2019). Mentors play an essential role in helping others develop critical thinking skills and ambitious attitudes toward constant changes and evaluations often experienced in the healthcare field (de Oliveira et al., 2019). The DNP mentor possesses good communication skills, experience, knowledge, and accessibility (de Oliveira et al., 2019). Also, a mentor motivates others to develop autonomy and encourages moral, emotional, and technical competence (de Oliveira et al., 2019). These attributes reveal that mentors are the nexus between the health care systems and educational institutions (de Oliveira et al., 2019). 

-Isabel

Reference

de Oliveira, M., Enns, S., Girotto, L., Mayer, F., Perotta, B., Santos, I., & Tempski, P. (2019). Preceptors' perception of their role as educators and professionals in a health system. BioMed Central Medical Education, 19(203). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1642-7