DNP-trained FNPs are more than just primary care providers. We are expected to be organizational and systems leaders in the healthcare setting, and the courses we received in leadership and economics helped prepare me for this role. Leadership and Advanced Practice Nursing was a course introduced early in the curriculum, and my assignment on Strategic Organizational Change was my first challenge in understanding healthcare management. The assignment was to review a business/leadership book that was not directly related to healthcare, and then create a paper and presentation revealing how this information might be used by a DNP working as a clinic manager. This assignment showed me that though I am in the business of healthcare, healthcare must still be run as a business, and that means knowing as a DNP how to lead as both a provider and a manager.

The Business Case with Operational Budget assignment tested me on a topic I have always been uncomfortable with: economics. Though I am well versed in financial-planning for running a household, creating a business case and budget to meet the goal of providing top-notched patient care while simultaneously maximizing profits was quite a challenge. I was required to step out of my comfort zone and spend some time in a realm I had always hoped to avoid. But, the assignment gave me a new perspective into the challenges clinic managers face, and the Health Economics and Advanced Practice course prepared me to be able to understand the financial basics I will need to know in my new role as a DNP-FNP.