Professional Progress Summary
NURS 481 - Role Transition
Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to address the student’s attainment of all eight behaviors and/or competencies that are specific outcomes of the program including: critical thinking, nursing practice, communication, teaching, research, leadership, professionalism, and culture.
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Student Approach to Assignment
In order to do prepare for this assignment, I looked back at my various clinical logs and the notes made by my faculty instructors. Reflecting on the development of the quality and depth of each log from the first to the very last log allowed me to better appreciate how far I have come. Utilizing examples from both my first and last clinical semesters, I illustrate and reflect on my growth throughout the program.
Reason for Inclusion of Assignment in this Portfoli​
Teaching
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Provides relevant and sensitive health education information and counseling to patients, and families, in a variety of situations and settings
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Example: Throughout nursing school, there have been several areas to provide patient teaching as described in the teaching section of the paper. Examples include inpatient teaching such as safe ambulation practices and incentive spirometry use, group teaching of obesity prevention in a community health setting, and reviewing discharge instructions and available resources to individuals and appropriate caregivers to transition to the outpatient setting.
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Research
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Differentiates between descriptive nursing literature and published nursing research
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Example: ​In the research portion of the paper, it is stated that I was unaware of the difference between descriptive nursing literature versus published nursing research during the early part of my junior year. As I continued into my senior year and immersed myself in nursing research, I noted the differences in descriptive nursing literature such as case studies and trial experiments versus published nursing research like meta-analyses.
Leadership
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Delegates and supervises the nursing care given by others while retaining accountability for the quality of care provided
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Example: In the leadership section, I describe my increasing confidence in delegating and supervising care. A specific example is seen when delegating tasks to a certified nurse aid (CNA) during Role Transition in senior year. I enlisted help from the CNA to provide care for the patient and we worked in tandem to improve the health and wellbeing of the patient and maintaining a safe environment. Supervision of the CNA included direct observation and checking after the CNA to ensure proper care was provided.
Professionalism
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Demonstrates accountability for one's own professional practice
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Example: As described in the professionalism section, my senior year I was afforded an increased scope of practice during Role Transition. I assumed responsibility of patient care through interventions such as passing medication and documenting assessments. I took full responsibility of any near miss errors I had caused and found avenues to reconcile my actions. I ensured I worked within my scope of practice such as observation only learning on PCA pump maintenance.
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Advocates for professional standards of practice using organizational and political processes
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Example: A listed example in the professionalism section discusses a one-page health policy brief regarding increasing naloxone prescription to aid in combatting the opioid crisis. Advocating for the proposed bill, HB 2158 Naloxone: Expand the List of Individuals Who May Dispense, utilizes the political process to significantly campaign for a decrease fatalities related to opioid-overdose and to liberate resources to be utilized elsewhere.This bill was eventually passed.
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Applies an ethical decision-making framework and legal guidelines to clinical situations that incorporate moral concepts, professional ethics, and advocacy for patient well-being and preferences
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Example:​ In the paper, it describes application of professional ethics, legalities, specific moral concepts, and advocacy efforts in the clinical setting. Utilizing ANA ethics, institutional protocols, and the Hippocratic oath as a basis throughout nursing school, it guided my clinical experience to work within my scope of practice.