Preparing Your Reflection

The BSN Essentials (AACN, 2008) outline a number of healthcare policy and advocacy competencies for the BSN-prepared nurse. Reflect on the NUR3805 course readings, discussion threads, and applications you have completed across this course and write a reflective essay regarding the extent to which you feel you are now prepared to:

1. “Demonstrate skills in using patient care technologies, information systems, and communication devices that support safe nursing practice.
2. Use telecommunication technologies to assist in effective communication in a variety of healthcare settings.
3. Apply safeguards and decision-making support tools embedded in patient care technologies and information systems to support a safe practice environment for both patients and healthcare workers.
4. Understand the use of CIS systems to document interventions related to achieving nurse sensitive outcomes.
5. Use standardized terminology in a care environment that reflects nursing’s unique contribution to patient outcomes.
6. Evaluate data from all relevant sources, including technology, to inform the delivery of care.
7. Recognize the role of information technology in improving patient care outcomes and creating a safe care environment.
8. Uphold ethical standards related to data security, regulatory requirements, confidentiality, and clients’ right to privacy.
9. Apply patient­care technologies as appropriate to address the needs of a diverse patient population.
10. Advocate for the use of new patient care technologies for safe, quality care.
11. Recognize that redesign of workflow and care processes should precede implementation of care technology to facilitate nursing practice.
12. Participate in evaluation of information systems in practice settings through policy and procedure development.
13. Conduct comprehensive and focused physical, behavioral, psychological, spiritual, socioeconomic, and environmental assessments of health and illness parameters in patients, using developmentally and culturally appropriate approaches.
14. Recognize the relationship of genetics and genomics to health, prevention, screening, diagnostics, prognostics, selection of treatment, and monitoring of treatment effectiveness, using a constructed pedigree from collected family history information as well as standardized symbols and terminology.
15. Implement holistic, patient­ centered care that reflects an understanding of human growth and development, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical management, and nursing management across the health­ illness continuum, across the lifespan, and in all healthcare settings.
16. Communicate effectively with all members of the healthcare team, including the patient and the patient’s support network.
17. Deliver compassionate, patient­ centered, evidence-based care that respects patient and family preferences.
18. Implement patient and family care around resolution of end ­of ­life and palliative care issues, such as symptom management, support of rituals, and respect for patient and family preferences.
19. Provide appropriate patient teaching that reflects developmental stage, age, culture, spirituality, patient preferences, and health literacy considerations to foster patient engagement in their care.
20. Implement evidence-based nursing interventions as appropriate for managing the acute and chronic care of patients and promoting health across the lifespan.
21. Monitor client outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of psychobiological interventions.
22. Facilitate patient­ centered transitions of care, including discharge planning and ensuring the caregiver’s knowledge of care requirements to promote safe care.
23. Provide nursing care based on evidence that contributes to safe and high-quality patient outcomes within healthcare microsystems.
24. Create a safe care environment that results in high quality patient outcomes.
25. Revise the plan of care based on an ongoing evaluation of patient outcomes.
26. Demonstrate clinical judgment and accountability for patient outcomes when delegating to and supervising other members of the healthcare team.
27. Manage care to maximize health, independence, and quality of life for a group of individuals that approximates a beginning practitioner’s workload 
28. Demonstrate the application of psychomotor skills for the efficient, safe, and compassionate delivery of patient care.
29. Develop a beginning understanding of complementary and alternative modalities and their role in health care. 
30. Develop an awareness of patients as well as healthcare professionals’ spiritual beliefs and values and how those beliefs and values impact health care.
31. Manage the interaction of multiple functional problems affecting patients across the lifespan, including common geriatric syndromes.
32. Understand one’s role and participation in emergency preparedness and disaster response with an awareness of environmental factors and the risks they pose to self and patients
33. Engage in caring and healing techniques that promote a therapeutic nurse patient relationship.
34. Demonstrate tolerance for the ambiguity and unpredictability of the world and its effect on the healthcare system as related to nursing practice.” (pp. 18-19, 31-32).

The purpose of this assignment is to provide the student an opportunity to reflect on selected RN-BSN competencies acquired through the NUR3805 course.  

Course Outcomes

This assignment provides documentation of student ability to meet the following course outcomes:

• The students will be able to identify the evolution and history of the nursing profession (ACCN Essential I, II, V, VII; QSEN: safety, evidence-based practice, teamwork and collaboration, and patient centered care).
• The student will identify the scope of the nursing practice (ACCN Essential I, II, V, VII; QSEN: safety, evidence-based practice, teamwork and collaboration, and patient centered care).
• The student will identify the importance of the evidence-based practice in the nursing profession and its impact on the healthcare guidelines (ACCN Essential I, II, V, VII; QSEN: safety, evidence-based practice, teamwork and collaboration, and patient centered care).
• The student will be able to identify the different roles in the nursing profession (ACCN Essential I, II, V, VII; QSEN: safety, evidence-based practice, teamwork and collaboration, and patient centered care).

Points

This assignment is worth a total of 100 points (10%).

Due Date

Submit your completed assignment under the Assignment tab by Sunday 11:59 p.m. EST of Week 15 as directed.

Requirements

1. The Course Reflection is worth 100 points (10%) and will be graded on quality of self-assessment, use of citations, use of Standard English grammar, sentence structure, and overall organization based on the required components as summarized in the directions and grading criteria/rubric.
2. Follow the directions and grading criteria closely. Any questions about your essay may be posted under the Q & A forum under the Discussions tab.
3. The length of the reflection is to be within three to six pages excluding title page and reference pages.
4. APA format is required with both a title page and reference page. Use the required components of the review as Level 1 headers (upper and lower case, centered):

Note: Introduction – Write an introduction but do not use “Introduction” as a heading in accordance with the rules put forth in the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (2010, p. 63).

1. Course Reflection
2. Conclusion