Practice
Improvement of care at the workgroup level is impossible without demonstrating leadership skills. At the same time, following ethical principles is essential in addressing the needs of patients and cooperating with coworkers because it ensures that all actions correspond to the norms of professional behavior. As a nurse, I implement the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics within my nursing practice and work with health promotion and disease prevention. Moreover, I follow the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Core Values I CARE in all interactions with patients and coworkers. These rules allow me to communicate according to the nursing profession’s ethical standards and achieve optimal leadership goals (American Nurses Association, 2021). Practice shows that it is impossible to make ethically and practically right actions without utilizing the resources optimally and allocating them based on the actual needs. For instance, the nurse completes comprehensive documentation according to standards, which allows them to find a sufficient approach to patient care.
Professional development
It is impossible to develop a career in nursing without education and improving skills in the area of expertise. In addition, the nurse must objectively evaluate their own practical performance, using the relevant standards to strengthen the weak sides of professional activity. For example, the nurse diagnoses telemetry strips and provides treatments for patients as necessary, which requires qualification. The nurse performs head-to-toe physical examination of patients and documents the results, allowing them to evaluate their work results objectively. Moreover, other nurses can check the results of this examination, which will enable them to avoid mistakes in diagnosis and treatment to provide patients with high-quality care.
Collaboration
Group work and collegiality are essential components of improving the professional level of the nurse because it allows them to interact with a community of people who specialize in similar tasks. Such responsibilities as assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating coordination of the patient’s care with all interdisciplinary teams allow me to ensure that I have relevant competencies. Collaborating with the multidisciplinary team for patients’ admissions, transfers, and discharges throughout their hospitalization or care episode allows me to learn whether my decisions are professional and optimal for the patient. In other words, collaboration is vital in achieving the best results in patient care.
Scientific inquiry
Research allows nurses to improve patient care and see potential work flaws. As a nurse, I participate in quality improvement activities, including educating patients about their general care, side effects, and recovery process. I respond to patient and family self-care patient education needs, provide home-care instructions, and promote family and patient involvement. Working as a mentor and healthcare provider simultaneously is an example of the scientific inquiry that is integral to the nurse’s professional activity.
Goals and objectives
The main goal of the nurse is to assist patients physically and emotionally. It is possible to divide this general goal into more specific objectives the nurse should achieve in daily work. A professional nurse applies the nursing process in patient care and at the organizational level to improve outcomes for inpatient veterans. They float to several units within the hospital and provide optimal nursing care to inpatients and residents of the long-term care community center and those of the Medical, Telemetry, Surgical, Spinal cord, and Poly trauma units. These actions require professional competence and commitment from the nurse, which means that all skills mentioned above are essential in this specialization. Scientific inquiry, collaboration, practice, and professional development are vital components of the prolific work of professional nurses who provide high-quality patient care.
Reference
American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. American Nurses Association.