NR 351 Discussion Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies(c)

The Future of Nursing Core Competencies were designed to outline the role of the professional nurse. (Hood, 2018) Looking upon this list It is apparent that the competencies are designed to elevate the nurse from the task-oriented employee to a leader in his/her organization. Taking on a mindset of system-based practice enables the nurse to become more invested in his/her organization allowing nursing to be seen and acknowledged as a vital professional along side those who have, traditionally been seen as the professionals in healthcare. These competencies provide a backbone on which to grow our expanding nursing practice safely across many healthcare settings. (AACN, 2008) The Massachusetts Nursing of the Future Competency Committee gives us a clear message when it states that “the nurse of the future will be proficient in a core set of competencies.” (Fitzpatrick, 2007, vol.28)

I personally feel that patient centered care and safety goals have been my focus thus far in my career and will continue to be the basis of my practice. I enjoy bedside nursing and the direct contact with patients and though I believe there will come a time when I will take on another role perhaps in research or wound care I feel the ultimate goal in any setting is continuously improving patient care. Without the patient we aren’t nurses.

Hood, L.J. (2018) Leddy & Pepper’s professional nursing (9^th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Fitzpatrick, Joyce J. Nursing Education Perspectives (National League for Nursing). July/Aug2007 Vol 28

Issue4, p. 177-177. 1p

AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education: pp.3-4, 10-13

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We will be discussing both of these competencies in the coming weeks. I am not sure what type of unit you work in (be sure to post your introduction) but I look forward to hearing how you accomplish patient-centered care in your facility. Good use of your APA. In your citations, the period belongs after the citation and not after the last word of the sentence. This lets the reader know which sentence the citation belongs to. In your Fitzpatrick citation, you said that Massachusetts states… then cited Fitzpatrick. If the Massachusetts article has a citation from Fitzpatrick, you may not cite it unless you look up the Fitzpatrick article and read it. Then you may cite Fitzpatrick. Otherwise, this is known as a secondary citation and is not recommended. I hope this makes sense. If not, call me. 🙂 Good effort.

Lucy hood explains that The Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies evolved from the initial six core standards of professional nursing with additional core competencies that were deemed necessary as the population and healthcare environment continue to evolve (Hood,2017). I believe that these competencies were selected because they are detrimental to grow and advance in our careers and education. This is best supported by the mission statement of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nursing Initiative, “establish a formal coalition to create a seamless progression through all levels of nursing that is based on consensus competencies which include transitioning nurses into their practice settings” (Massachusetts Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies, p. 2). When I first started nursing school the standards of professional nursing were very important in helping me lay down a foundation especially with my skills and patient care. As I continue my education and as I advance in my career the competencies such as leadership and professionalism will help me assimilate to theses larger roles.

A nursing competency that will be most important to my future nursing practice is going to be leadership and evidence-based practice. I have been a registered nurse for a little over one year. As I progress in my career, I feel that my leadership role and responsibilities will constantly evolve especially as my role changes and I accept a path in either nurse management or Nurse Practitioner. At the hospital I currently work at, I am being pushed to precept new hire’s. One of the competencies that is vital in taking this new role would be leadership. Although, I have experience in leadership in some extent with patient care, delegation with nurse assistants and patients, I still feel like a novice. According to The Joint Commission, nurse leadership is lifelong endeavor, that evolves through regulated education, time and experience (Mennella, 2018). Over time as my education and confidence grows, I feel like my leadership skills will also improve.

Evidence-based practice is another core competency that I believe will be most important to my future nursing practice. Environments and technology are continuously changing and adapting. Evidence-based practice is a result of a large amount of research and root cause analysis to resolve ongoing problems. In my hospital we are now using disinfecting port protects due to best evidence-based practice to help lower catheter-related blood stream infections. There is always room for improvement, and I hope to integrate that belief with my practice as I move forward.

References

Hood, Lucy. (2017) Leddy & Pepper’s Professional Nursing, 9^th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781496351388Links to an external site.

Massachusetts Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies: Registered Nurse. (Revised March 2016). Retrieved from http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/NOFRNCompetencies_updated_March2016.pdfLinks to an external site.

Mennella, H. D. A.-B., & Engelke, Z. R. M. (2018). Nursing Leadership Development. CINAHL Nursing Guide. Retrieved from https://chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nup&AN=T707821&site=eds-live&scope=siteLinks to an external site.

I think all ten competencies are important. They correlate and to go hand in hand with one another and lay a foundation of nursing. Every nurse needs to be confident in all ten areas to be successful in their nursing career. Being confident helps put patients and their family at ease. As our textbook states“ To provide safe effective patient care nurses must have competence with clinical skill and decision making.” (Hood, 2018) “In professional nursing, core competencies are fundamental knowledge, abilities, and skills that enable nurses to provide safe, effective care to other persons in health care settings.” (Hood, 2018) The two most important competencies and most important to me are safety and patient centered care.

Safety should be the main goal of all health care professionals, to do our best and cause no harm. Keeping a patient safe and free of harm while in my care is always my number one priority. In certain situations, to certain patients, I will tell the patient “No getting hurt on my watch!” I assure them they are in great hands. Keeping my patient safe such as: free of falls and harm, correct orders, medication administration, and advocacy are just a few examples. I also, want to keep myself safe. Free from injury such as accidental bodily fluid exposure, bad body mechanics, prevention of spread of infection and correct documentation. Safety should always be an important nursing practice no matter the circumstance.

Patient center care is also extremely important because the patient should always be the focus of all health care. Without a patient there would be no health care. It is important to look at all aspects when taking care of our patients. Every patient is different and unique in their own way so building a relationship with trust, respect, and understanding will help encourage the patient in participation in their care or treatment plan.” It is important for patients to always be in complete control when it comes to making decisions about their own care and treatment.” (Solutions, 2019) Nurses should be nonjudgmental, respectful and compassionate towards patients’ values and beliefs. Providing care for a person also means including families and significant others. “Respect and encourage the patient’s participation in decisions about health care and services.” (Massachusetts Department Of Higher Education Nursing Core Competencies, Revised 2016) “Even though the patient care is constantly evolving, along with technology and information delivery, patient expectations are not. Patients always expect a high-quality experience, so a culture of patient-centered care isn’t a “nice to have,” it’s a “need to have.” (Solutions, 2019)

References

Hood, L. J. (2018). Leddy & Pepper’s professional nursing ninth edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

Massachusetts Department Of Higher Education Nursing Core Competencies. (Revised 2016, March). Retrieved from http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/NOFRNCompetencies_updated_March2016.pdf

Solutions, L. (2019, May 08). Why Patient-Centered Care Is So Important. Retrieved from http://lippincottsolutions.lww.com/blog.entry.html/2019/05/08/why_patient-centered-OoZT.html

You have made some excellent points. I agree that all ten competencies are all important and come hand in hand. It’s hard to think about evidence-based practice without patient safety or care. You also make a great point about confidence being a key factor. I believe that our attitude has a great effect on how patient perceive their care and overall experience, good and bad. Safety is a great priority that we should all have and even through your writing I can see that you have great confidence in this field as well and shows your dedication. Patient centered care is also a very important core. Its sometimes hard to put yourself in the patients place and feeling like everything is out of there control. Keeping them involved and making sure that thy are active participants gives a little control back to them. You also through your writing showed great example of how caring and compassion are important and go hand in hand in with the core competencies. I enjoyed reading your discussion.

Brittany I agree with you that safety should be the main goal of professionals in health care setting. All 10 competencies core competencies set the basis and the fundamental knowledge, abilities, and skills that enable us as nurses to provide safe, effective care to patients. In order to have a safe working environment you need effective communication between all staff and strength in team work.

Living on an island there is a very diverse cultural aspect that also needs to be addressed as you pointed out. There are a lot of different beliefs especial when it comes to end of life. It was a quick hard lesson to learn how to be non judgmental in the medical decisions of some family members, but now know that it is the best practice for my patients.

Massachusetts Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies: Registered Nurse. (Revised March 2016). Retrieved from http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/NOFRNCompetencies_updated_March2016.pdf

I agree with you on safety being a priority to keep everyone safe from harm. With the increased number of sick patients and higher acuity rates these days we need to continue to make sure safety is our number one priority. Keeping our patients safe as well as ourselves is why I support the bill to decrease the nurse to patient ratio. I am thankful for the team we have at the hospital I work for. We work together as a team to make sure our patients remain safe before, during and after surgery.

I also agree with you on patient-centered care and how patients should be in control of making their own decisions based on their beliefs, culture, and values. As you said, we are all unique and should be treated on individual bases without judgment but with respect. Building relationships and trust with our patients is essential for moving us forward into the future as nurses and as leaders.

I believe that the competencies provide a guide to lead us in our profession. Each one is critical to uphold and maintain a level of care that each of us has a responsibility to provide. Knowledge is power and we have the power to make a difference is many aspects of patient care. Qualities of a professional nurse include “gentleness, willingness to serve, keen observation/judgement, efficiency, skillfulness, responsibility and accountability” (Continuing the Creativity and Connections: The Massachusetts Initiative to Update the Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies).

The two competencies that mean the most to me in my daily activities are Patient Centered Care and Safety. As an operating room nurse these competencies are practiced individually and daily.

Being efficient in the OR helps me to minimize costs. I aim to be prepared for my cases and practice patient-centered care every day. Having the necessary equipment and supplies before my case starts helps me to save time, energy and money for both my patient and my facility. Having a routine is also helpful so that I can be organized in what I do. There are many people involved in any given procedure so communication and delegation are imperative. Education, knowledge and experience all play an important function in being an effective OR nurse. “Development of personal values system that includes the capacity to make and act upon ethical judgements is the hallmark of liberal education” (AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice, October 20, 2008).

Having a safe environment for myself, my co-workers and most importantly, my patient is imperative for any nurse. My use of safety straps, monitoring of room and patient temperature, positioning, padding, inspection of equipment and being diligent in transport are essential to patient safety in the OR.

References

Continuing the Creativity and Connections: The Massachusetts Initiative to Update the Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies. Vol. 38, No. 5, September/October 2017

www.neponline.Links to an external site.net

AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. October 20, 2008 Pages 11 and 13. www.aacn.eduLinks to an external site.

I think these competencies were selected as nursing competencies as they are all factors of our nursing profession this day in age that will continue to grow and has established nursing now and will shape the future of nursing with time.

The first competency I felt will be most important to my future nursing practice is patient-centered care. As The MA Nursing Core Competencies cited, “The AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (2008) describes patient-centered care as all nursing actions that identify and integrate patient preferences, values, expressed needs and address the patient’s pain and suffering.” (pg 10) Patient-centered care should always be at the core of decision making and delivery of treatments and interventions as I feel this approach can continue to give patients the empowerment and authority of their mind, body, and care plan when they have found themselves in an already seemingly loss of power environment. I remember having a patient once who had no idea what the procedure was that was ordered for him and his exact words were, “well, you do whatever it is my doctor ordered,” and he had no understanding of why he was having to have the procedure performed. I think there is a very large percentage of the population that follows a “do as my doctor says” mentality without knowing or being comfortable with what decisions are being made whether it is due to a lack of understanding or lack of knowing they have the right to contribute in the pathway of their care.

The second nursing competency that I felt was important to my practice was evidence-based practice. Evidence-based was already a part of nursing curriculum from the moment I started nursing school. I feel that it is an important competency as it helps us define skills, practices, competencies and knowledge in care provided to patients in a clinical, cultural, and environmental setting. In a pre and post-test study done in to determine the effects of teaching evidence-based practice to undergraduate nursing students in Korea, results shows that there was a significant increase in the knowledge and skillset in students who received education of evidence-based practice in their schooling. (Kim, Gyu and Chang, 2019) This is a competency that has proven to be beneficial to nursing foundation which is why across the nation, nursing students are taught evidence-based practice and continue to follow it throughout decades of their careers. Continuing evidence-based practice can ensure that I am providing the best and most appropriate care for each individual and continue to grow and evolve just as the medical field will continue to do.

The Massachusetts Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies: Registered Nurse (Revised March 2016). Retrieved from: http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/NOFRNCompetencies_updated_March2016.pdfLinks to an external site. on March 4, 2020.

Kim, J., Gyu, M. and Chang, H. (2019). Effect of an evidence-based practice education program using multifaceted interventions: a quasi-experimental study with undergraduate nursing students. BMC Medical Education. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6399807/ on 4 Mar. 2020.

NR 351 Discussion Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies(c)