Page 445 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

412 n POSTPARTUM DePReSSION

pay). From a purely economic perspective, a analysis, microsystem, mesosystem, and
population perspective is essential. However, macrosystem. The importance of a pop-
P there is a more important reason for nurses ulation perspective for those who wish to
and other professionals to adopt a popula- assume leadership roles in nursing and
tion perspective and become proficient in health care led the faculty at the University
it. A population perspective is essential for of Kentucky to emphasize a population
research utilization, and it is important in perspective in their doctor of nursing prac-
the pathway to improving health care and tice (DNP) program and make it one of the
patient/client outcomes. four foundational concepts of the DNP
Today there is much attention to curriculum. The other three were research
evidence-based decision making in care utilization/ evidence-based decision mak-
delivery and in the preparation of health ing, processes of change in organiza-
professionals. Taking an evidence-based tional settings, and leadership (Williams,
approach to decision making in nursing Stanhope, & Sebastian, 2001; Chism, 2010).
entails being able to integrate information As the national dialogue about a prac-
from the literature (body of knowledge) and tice doctoral degree for nursing unfolded
apply it to problems in practice. Researchers in 2004 and the essential content for DNP
study samples of populations with specific programs was identified, it is clear that
characteristics. The extent to which a find- the nursing community saw the benefit of
ing in a sample from a particular population a population perspective and embedded
can be predicted in another can be assessed it in the essentials of Doctoral education
primarily by determining the comparability for Advanced Nursing Practice (American
between the populations. If the individuals Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006), a
in a clinical or community-based program document guiding the development of cur-
were identified as a population or subpopu- ricula for DNP programs nationwide and
lation, with key characteristics in common, the accreditation of DNP program by the
rather than unique individuals, the program Council of Collegiate Nursing education.
population could be compared with another
studied population. For example, nurses Carolyn A. Williams
working with older adults hospitalized with
heart failure can obtain data on their popu-
lation and compare their population to the
sample which Naylor et al. (2004) studied in PostPartum DePression
their randomized controlled trial of transi-
tional care for heart failure patients. If they
determine that the two populations are sim- Postpartum depression (PPD) is an impor-
ilar in important ways, they are in a good tant public health problem because of its
position to infer that the intervention used by prevalence worldwide and substantial
Naylor et al. might work for their population. associated risks. PPD is believed to affect
However, if the intervention is implemented, more than 14% of women following deliv-
it would be important to monitor what hap- ery according to the U.S. Agency of Health
pens in their population. Care Research and Quality (Gaynes et al.,
Although a population-focused app- 2005). However, when self-report depres-
roach has traditionally been central to sion measures are used to identify women
public health practice, it is not recognized with milder symptom levels, including
by many that a population perspective is women from countries other than the
essential to decision making in all areas of United States, higher percentages have
health care practice and at various levels of been reported. According to the Diagnostic