As a registered nurse, I should contribute to my patients' well-being by restoring excellent health and providing both physical and psychosocial support. I am a firm believer in treating my patients with the utmost professionalism, dignity, and integrity. It is also in my feelings that the patients' health should always come first, before any other consideration. All of my energy should be guided by my compassion in order to see a fruitful nursing profession that is guided by all ethics and legal requirements in regard to giving competent nursing care. As a healthcare professional, I have comes across several exposures which have helped in shaping my nursing career. These exposures have also shaped and acted as a source of information in my nursing career (Clarke, et al. 212). Despite being a career, it has also been a source of useful information. My experience as a day to day learner has beaten sharpened and diversified by my healthcare learning. There has been no better school than learning from my own line of specialization.
For example, I have come across several nursing artifacts which have sophisticated my understanding on being a proficient and professional nurse. For example, I have had an opportunity to take care of the elderly in hospices (Clarke, et al. 212). This has helped me in that, through my interactions with the elderly, I have become versant with how to handle individuals with extreme psychosocial needs. The fact that I had not specialized in psychotherapy has not limited my exposure to psychotherapy tests.
Additionally, I have learned that psychosocial treatment is always the first remedy to curbing any other disease situation. It is usually the first effective therapy before inducing the use of drugs. Additionally, going to work on a daily basis has been a source of learning that despite any professional qualification, one is always susceptible to learn newer things as he/she gets more and more exposed to your line of specialization (Clarke, et al. 212). This has instilled a sense of passion and commitment to my line of duty.
Lastly, my ability to solve and efficiently provide nursing care to extreme conditions like dealing with mental disorders situations efficiently best represents me as a professionally qualified nurse (Clarke, et al. 212). more so, I have been able too adequately handle ethical and legal issues like observing patient information protection and confidentiality cases which have also proven that I am a professionally capable nurse (Clarke, et al. 212).
Professional Strengths.
Several artifacts have refined my professional qualification. For example, I have constantly used the heritage assessment technique which has been useful nourishment for my career journey. This tool has been handy in helping g me to freely interact with my patients. It has fostered confidence from the patient (Richardson, 73). It has also helped in fostering good rapport between me and my patients which have generally increased compassion for the patients and passion for nursing as a career. Winning the confidence of the patient is usually an important source of inspiration for the nurse. This has inspired me on my career journey since it has proved to me that indeed nursing is my line of calling. This has therefore been a good tailwind for forthcoming career successes to come (Millenson, 197).
Secondly, I have been able to carry out professional collaborations. This has been through fostering teamwork in all health centers that I have worked for. Teamwork has been a good source of professional development (Millenson, 172). It has smoothened my interaction with other healthcare practitioners. It has also been a source of inspiration because, by relating with other healthcare workers, I have gained self-confidence in my nursing skills (Millenson, 117).
Thirdly my performance curve and data especially from other employers and overseers shows [positive feedback in my professional performance. Most have noted my ability to perfectly utilize outreach programs in developing my career (Millenson, 137). This shows that I have professionally matured; which is a green light for career strengths and success. What is more is that I have not been on the verge of being negatively criticized by any of my former employers or workmates.
Lastly, my problem-solving skills have been effective. I have promoted an open communication with my seniors and juniors. This has further improved my relationship with my affiliates. This has all been beneficial to my career development since I have always received an accolade of a tranquil working environment which has helped me in directing my strength towards taking care of the patients. The benefit of peace of mind is that it has helped me to focus more on my goals and more importantly working within my mission statement (Millenson, 197).
Nursing Program Challenges.
During the whole time, I undertook the nursing program, there were a number of challenges that were inevitable. Some of these challenges include:
Long working hours during attachments and internships.
Increased workloads especially during the nightshifts especially during attachments.
Limited personal time.
High fees charged for nursing programs.
These challenges did not hamper me from pursuing my goals. In situations of long working hours especially during attachments and internship programs, I could collaborate with a fellow attaché to help me off with other duties. He would do the same for me. This helped in fostering team work to kill loads of work (Millenson, 197). I could also create own time or ask one work mate to cover a shift for me to have spare time to run personal errands. In cases where high fees were a challenge, I could apply for learning bursaries or use some of my attachment payment to cover the fees and that’s how I managed to complete the nursing programs.
Nursing Program Outcome.
From the learning curriculum, I was able to meet the nursing outcomes. It developed my communication skills. I can effectively communicate my ideas to my fellow workmates and seniors. I can be able to develop healthcare reports to my seniors about the whole working experience (Norrish, and Rundall 112). Additionally, it crafted my ability to make sound decisions. I can be able to give rational thinking. This skill has also been handy in ensuring that I am able to make my own professional decisions.
Moreover, I have been able to remain vigilant and competent with professional, ethical and legal issues in my nursing practices. This has been evident in the way I have been abreast with all working principles both at my learning institution to my workplace (Berger, 239). Additionally, I have been able to understand the basic essence of teamwork in all working environments. The program has taught me that one can be able to learn from one another especially if teamwork is encouraged. Lastly, I have become passionate with the whole nursing discipline. The program has taught me to ensure that I love what I do to make it effective and enjoyable (Norrish, and Rundall 111).
Fulfilling the program Demands.
As a scientist, I have utilized the knowledge of genetics to providing good nursing care practice to patients with genetic diseases like diabetic or leukemic patients. I have also managed to understand the genetic disease patterns which have proven to be effective in my nurse practice to victims of these diseases (Berger, 239).
As a detective, I have applied the knowledge of problem-solving to understand the root emanation of certain nursing problems. This has been helpful in investigating on the possible way to mitigate some of the working problems. For example, researching on how to solve problems and misunderstanding within a working environment has been effective in promoting work interactions in healthcare centers (Berger, 239).
Lastly, as a manager of a manager of the healing environment, I have been to establish a disciplined integral, compassionate and assuring nursing care to patients. This has helped in winning the confidence of the patients. Winning the patient's confidence is important in ensuring that the health center develops a positive reputation due to positive patients’ feedback. Additionally, I have established good interactions and interdisciplinary rapport with all associates. This has helped in boosting communication in the health centers that I have worked with.
With these fulfillments of the program demands, I have been able to grow professionally. I have developed my self-esteem, ability to interact freely and ability to voice my recommendations as pertains to the betterment of the quality of services in health facilities. I have also been able to understand that ethical practices should not be treated as an option but as a priority. I can efficiently deliver meet care to patients without the fear of being judged as less qualified individuals (Norrish, and Rundall 111).
Quality and Safety.
Quality and safe are defined as the kind of care which is standard, cost-effective and effective care and which does not harm the society, the patient, families or the care provider. The program was helpful to me in developing the professional definition of quality and safety in that, it made me understand that nursing care practice should one which is defined by its quality standard. The quality will be marked by the effectiveness of the care services to patients. Additionally, the program made me understand that the quality of nurse care services can further be improved through observing ethics and involving the patient so as to win his/she trust in your actions as a nurse. On the other hand, the program helped me to understand that safety in care practice is paramount. The caregiver should ensure that he/she is safe from getting infected by a patient, does not harm the patient or his family and is keen to see that the effect of the quality nursing acre is seen.
Some of the artifacts shown in the aspect of quality and safe are seen in the patients’ growth number in the health facility and positive feedback from the patients about the good quality of services offered by the health facility.
The Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Certificate is important in that, it shows that the certificate holder is versant with the new nursing care models. It also shows that the holder understands the principles governing quality care practices. Having this certificate is important for future professional development since it paves way for winning the confidence of potential employers. It shows that the employee holding the certificate completed successfully the whole nursing training and is abreast with new test models (Kohn, Corrigan, et al., 20).
Evidence-Based Practice.
The professional definition of this term is that with the clinical knowledge, the nurse should be able to prove facts as to why the certain practice has been used in providing the care to the patient. The program helped me in developing this definition for the evidence-based practice in that, it made understand that any action or measure taken in nursing care practice should be evident. It should have supporting facts and figures as to why the practice is effective and relevant for the case in question (Norrish, and Rundall 111). Evidence-based practice usually utilizes the most current information answering the main questions pertaining to nursing care. It is used as a tool for solving problems.
It is shown by the artifact of patients’ number growth. Being a problem-solving tool, it has an impact on the quality of services. Therefore it is a subject to patient’s criticism or appraisal. When patients’ problems are solved professionally and the patient is contented with the solution, he or she gains more confidence in the nurse and the health facility (Kohn, Corrigan, et al., 20). This translates to high quality of services offered at the health facility which utilizes evidence-based approach. High quality builds on the reputation of the health facility and also receives an accolade of positive feedback. In the long-run, patients’ turnover increases with positive information about the health facility. It is a reliable method of assessment since it accommodates number of research, the creation of rationale which is supported by clinical guidelines and facts which help in solving any patient-related problem.
As a nurse who uses evidence-based approach in solving clinical problems, one should be able to evaluate current research especially on the data obtained. This is necessary to avoid cases where the data obtained does not match the theoretical assertions. This calls upon for the nurse to able to measure the relevancy and data believability. As a nurse, I will be able to test for the trustworthiness of the data. This involves checking the credibility of the sources where the data comes from. If the sources are trusted, I will check the reasonability of the data. The data obtained should show rationalism and practicability. Further, I will check the consistency and possibilities of the data. If they are practicable, consistent, reasonable and more importantly, trustworthy, the data is rendered believable (Kline, 177).
Improvement of quality is a vital requirement for any health facility. Quality improvement is different from research in clinical contexts. Quality improvement involves systematic ways which are guided by a set of data, these data are usually collected regarding the quality of certain product or services (Kline, 177). The systematic approach usually targets at improving the standards of healthcare service delivery. On the other hand, research involve a series of investigations which make use of evaluation and testing techniques to compile data necessary to provide a generalized finding of certain issues in health care delivery. In this context, a research is usually conducted before improvement of quality (Kohn, Corrigan, et al., 2000).
In the context of research, it can be conducted either primarily or secondarily. Primary research is usually conducted to gather first-hand data. The findings made in primary research are usually based on raw data. On the contrary, secondary research us usually one that is conducted to verify the certainty of the primary data. The raw data obtained in primary research is researched on to create more credible information about healthcare delivery (Kline, 177). Usual, the primary research makes use of primary resources while secondary research makes use of the secondary resources to further evaluate the raw data. In clinical practice, evidence-based practice does not rely on primary data. Nursing care requires use of much more researched information to efficiently solve any pressing clinical concern (Kline, 177). Therefore, the data obtained in secondary research is rendered more relevant and believable; which is used in in evidence-based approach (Kohn, Corrigan, et al., 20).
The experience obtained during the program helped me in performing excellently in evidence-based practice. I have utilized my clinical expertise in solving problems that I experience in my day to day relaying of nursing care services (Kline, 177). I can confidently offer clinical guidelines with evidence to add more weight to the guidelines. It has broadened my spectrum of understanding various clinical issues. The evidence presented has been a useful source of information which has beneficial in understanding different clinical concerns (Kohn, Corrigan, et al., 2000).
Applied Leadership.
Applied leadership is defined as the application of overseer-ship over a group of individuals. This involves the application of different leadership skills to ensure that a health facility is adequately managed. This is supported by the artifact like staff evaluation, patients’ turnover and feedback from the surveys. Through staff evaluation, one is capable to understand his/her leadership standpoint (Richardson, 73). When the staff evaluates the leaders as proficient and professional, it shows that the leaders in question have adequately applied their leadership skills in managing the health center. The negative evaluation shows poor performance in terms of applied leadership approach (Richardson, 73).
As a professional nurse., professional collaboration is of essences, especially when using the applied leadership approach. Professional collaboration is important in that, it fosters easy communication among the health practitioners. They are also able to work collaboratively. Collaborative work translates to fostered teamwork. Teamwork is necessary from especially when seeking to improve the productivity of each health practitioner. Furthermore, collaboration helps in creating a pool of skills which favor creativity. Lastly, professional collaboration fosters interpersonal relations (Richardson, 73). There are an open communication and enhanced rapport between the seniors and the juniors of the health facility.
Community Health.
Nursing practice to the community health involves the provision of care service to the society, that is acceptable by the members of the community. This includes providing care that is favorable to the diverse cultural backgrounds available in the society. This is shown by such artifacts like, patients’ turnover and willingness to participate in cultural assessment (Berger, 239). A high turnover of the patients shows that the members of the society are comfortable with the quality of healthcare delivery services offered by the health center. low turnover shows that the nursing care and other healthcare services are not favored by the cultural heritage of the community.
The course program helped me in understanding that cultural consideration is paramount when offering nursing services. A professional nurse is therefore obliged to be versant with the norms and tenets of the people who are around a health facility. Furthermore, I learned that before offering nursing care, it is necessary to carry out heritage assessment
This is conducted through the use of the heritage assessment tool which consists a number a number of questions to ask the patient. From the information obtained from the patient’s answers, the nurse understands the kind of nursing care services to offer the patient (Berger, 239).
2. Community Health Nursing task.
During the community health nursing task, I learned that a nurse has a number of responsibilities in relation to ensuring the health safety of his/her community. First, a nurse should evaluate the community healthcare systems. He/she should then suggest the measures which should be taken to ensure that the heal care system in the community is appropriate and up to the required standards (Kohn, Corrigan, et al., 20). The nurses should champion for respect and dignity of the community patients. This is also an important aspect of fulfilling my mission statement. More so, the nurse should ensure that the patient’s information is not relayed to the community members to avoid cases like stigmatization and prejudice. This translates to the observance of the ethical requirements. I also learned that as a professional health worker, a nurse should advocate for community hygiene to boost the health standards of the community in question (Berger, 239).
The community had not embraced the act of observing hygiene. This would have caused seal health-related cases including outbreaks of diseases which are related to unhygienic conditions (Berger, 239). Additionally, the community did not have a more modern health care system. This would have led to the quality of healthcare services in the community in question. After working with this population I focused more on matters regarding the quality of healthcare services (Berger, 239). Quality health care services would have led to obtaining a solution to the predicament the community was in.
3. Importance of American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Certificate.
The AMNH certificate is important in that, through the program I learned much more about genetics and genomics. Genethics has taught me on the ways to ethically care for a patient suffering from a genetic illness. Genomics and genetics have been handy by explaining how to provide effective nursing therapy to families and members suffering from genetic diseases. This certificate will be a proof that I am well versant with matters regarding genetics and inheritance it will also provide a proof that I have skills to ethically care for the elderly patients.
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