Today’s complex, multi-tiered health care environment depends on the contributions of

highly skilled and knowledgeable individuals from multiple professions. In order to

accomplish the IOM mandate for safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patientcentered

care in a complex environment, healthcare professionals must function as highly

collaborative teams (AACN, 2004; IOM, 2003; O’Neil, 1998). DNP members of these

teams have advanced preparation in the interprofessional dimension of health care that

enable them to facilitate collaborative team functioning and overcome impediments to

interprofessional practice. Because effective interprofessional teams function in a highly

collaborative fashion and are fluid depending upon the patients’ needs, leadership of high

performance teams changes. Therefore, DNP graduates have preparation in methods of

effective team leadership and are prepared to play a central role in establishing

interprofessional teams, participating in the work of the team, and assuming leadership of

the team when appropriate.

The use of the term “collaboration” is not meant to imply any legal or regulatory requirements or implications.

The DNP program prepares the graduate to:

1. Employ effective communication and collaborative skills in the development and

implementation of practice models, peer review, practice guidelines, health

policy, standards of care, and/or other scholarly products.

2. Lead interprofessional teams in the analysis of complex practice and

organizational issues.

3. Employ consultative and leadership skills with intraprofessional and

interprofessional teams to create change in health care and complex healthcare

delivery systems.