Clinical Practicum

This class was very challenging, interesting, and informative. First, students must push themselves to expand their knowledge and help themselves become more inquisitive, critical, reflective, and problem solve. As future professional nurse practitioner, we are striving for integrating clinical judgment skills. The knowledge gained in the textbook must be applied in the clinical settings without discrimination.

This article researched the competency of new graduate nurses. “Nursing competence is not only a professional standard

Elisha (2008) discussed evidence suggested, programs that focused on clinical educators had a positive effect not only with the teachers but also improved the learning environment for students. The school providing opportunities for professional development in curriculum design allows for novice learners to advance their skills (Iwasiw and Goldenberg, 2015). Changes require faculty to expand their views, taking into consideration the future of nursing practice, goals, and how students can be successful in achieving these goals (Iwasiw and Goldenberg, 2015). National League of Nursing (2016) notes that educators have to commit to maintain competency in their educator role with the competency of pursuing continuous quality improvement in the nurse educator role. Educators have to be willing to push themselves to develop the skills for curriculum design and evaluation to continue to provide effective education to nursing students. Success of curriculum development is dependent upon knowledgeable faculty willingness to participate and professional development planned with and for the faculty (Iwasiw and Goldenberg, 2015). Educators will also need to develop skills for evaluation of student learning and part of the curriculum development. Evaluation of student learning is key to determine if the current curriculum allows for students to achieve set goals for the course and evaluation methods used match course objectives (Iwasiw and Goldenberg, 2015). Evaluation helps to understand what works and what areas need improvement to ensure student

The second category of provisions relates to the nurse’s responsibility to maintain their own proficiency and health environments, delegate appropriately, preserve integrity, and keep their practice and competence current. It is crucial that nurses are proficient and maintain competency in order to deliver high quality care to patients. "The virtue of professional competence calls for continual professional growth and a commitment to lifelong learning. You must practice nursing that’s evidence-based, be knowledgeable about the scope and standards of nursing practice, and have the necessary skills to perform nursing tasks effectively” [ (Lachman, 2008, p. 44) ].

Bedside competencies need to be measured not only by educational degree, but also by level of experience and the particular environment in which the nurse practices. For example, in a large university level teaching hospital, both the ADN and the BSN prepared nurses have access to clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurse educators, on site social workers, case managers and chaplaincy services. Nurses in this environment also have access to Journal Clubs, in-services taught by multi-disciplinary teams and participate in research studies concerning their patient populations.

The knowledge of and experience of and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) can be of value when examining core competencies. This paper will discuss the nine core competencies stated by The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF). To gain a more complete understanding of how the core competencies integrate into practice an interview of an APRN was conducted. Additionally, an analysis of selected NONPF core competencies will be discussed and how they apply to the roles of the APRN. The paper will end with a conclusion of key points and benefits from interviewing an APRN.

The competencies are essential behaviors of all NPs. “These competencies are demonstrated upon graduation regardless of the population focus of the program and are necessary for NPs to meet the complex challenges of translating rapidly expanding knowledge into practice and function in a challenging health care environment” (NONPF, 2014, para. 7). Nurse practitioner graduates have the knowledge, skills and abilities that are essential to independent clinical practice. The NP core competencies are acquired through mentored patient care experiences with emphasis on independent and inter professional practice; analytical skills for evaluating and providing evidence-based, patient centered care across settings; and advanced knowledge of the health care delivery system. The nine core competencies include scientific foundation competencies, leadership competencies, quality competencies, practice inquiry competencies, technology and information literacy competencies, policy competencies, health delivery system competencies, ethics competencies and independent practice competencies (NONPF,

The clinical nurse practitioner has numerous areas of core competencies that vary greatly from the five categories listed for the nursing administrator. Nurse practitioner competencies are: scientific foundation, leadership, quality, practice inquiry, technology and information, policy, health delivery system, ethics, and independent practice (NONPF, 2012). The nurse practitioner needs to have a solid foundation in the nursing science field (NONPF, 2012). Quality competencies are another area in which clinical nurse practitioners need to hold as they are dealing directly with patients and their needs (NONPF, 2012). Relationships between access, cost, quality, and safety and how they influence health care are what are needed for nurse practitioners (NONPF, 2012). Also, interpreting knowledge into practice interacts with the quality of the practice. Generating knowledge about the practice and constantly improving the practice through evidence based best practices furthers the area of nursing (NONPF,

Many schools have integrated the competencies but do not know how to adequately assess if they were met by students (Connor, n.d.). The QSEN website has multiple courses and teaching strategies to help with the integration of competencies into early nursing and clinical education. There are also a multitude of research available for diploma through doctoral nursing curriculum. QSEN recommends that each competency is best taught or reinforced through multiple types of learning such as in the classroom, in skills/simulation lab, and in clinical sites. It is also recommended that instructors use multiple methods of learning such as case studies, online modules, readings, role-playing, and other assignments. A variety of curricular strategies will yield greater gains in the nursing profession long-term (Zierler,

Mary considers “Competencies for registered nurses” is affecting her career the most. It helps her to maintain the high standards as a nurse. This document has been implemented by Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) to ensure the on-going education and compliance with standards for nursing care. It consists of four main parts. They are competences in professional responsibility, management of nursing care, interpersonal relationships and interprofessional care and quality improvement. It requires ability to show knowledge and judgment, and being responsible for own actions and decisions, while assuring safety of the patients, their independence and quality of life and health. Also it requires competences in client assessment and managing the care. The clients care should be sensitive to his/her needs. It is supported by nursing knowledge and evidence based research. Besides to comply with “Competences for registered nurses” the patient care should be cultural sensitive (Nursing Council of New Zealand, 2007). Every 3

There are studies based on evidence based practice that proved competencies have a positive impact on educating Frontline leaders. Connelly et al., (2003) claimed that competencies are needed for the charge nurse to be effective in portraying the role while Platt and Foster (2008) evaluated the effectiveness of educating nurses through the use of competencies. The goal of competency is to expand and update healthcare professionals in their knowledge and skills at their own pace.

The QSEN faculty members adapted the Institute of Medicine competencies for nursing by proposing definitions that could describe essential features of what it means to be a competent and respected nurse. These competencies include patient-centered care, teamwork and

Teaching and learning in the clinical setting is not a new concept and the teaching of clinical skill to nursing student ranks high on the current agenda of nurse education (Pfeil, 2003). Therefore, has be the duty of teachers to continue to provide ongoing guidance during teaching and learning taking place. According to While (2004), the mentor is required to feel personally and professionally confident when assessing the student’s performance. This allows the development of the students will become better and more effective.

Furthermore, licensing and accreditation standards must be heightened to insure the quality of the nurses that enter the workforce. Certifying organizations must therefore mandate the proper demonstration of core competencies and skills prior to endowing students with the nursing title. The nursing profession, according to the IOM report, must undergo fundamental changes within the overall education of nurses. In many respects the basic

With the continuous changes in healthcare, evaluation of students’ clinical knowledge and skills relies on the need for continuous evaluation. Evaluation is the process of using data to make judgements about students’ individual performance. Evaluation of clinical performance provides data from which educators use to judge the extent to which students have acquired specific learning outcomes (Billings & Halstead, 2016). With the use of best practice evaluation methods, clinical performance can be evaluated to ensure quality patient care. Educators face a challenging task when providing evaluation that is fair and reasonable. Tasked with evaluating students in the clinical setting, educators can evaluate how students integrate theory and apply it to real-life situations. Observations of performance in the clinical setting should focus on the outcomes to be met and competencies to be developed (Oermann & Gaberson, 2014). Developing a clinical evaluation tool to determine whether students can think critically, prioritize problems, and complete patient care procedures correctly is essential. There are a variety of evaluation methods to use in nursing education. Depending on the learning outcomes to be measured will determine which tool best evaluates the students’ performance. Clinical practice is an essential and highly significant component of nursing education. Education programs are obligated to respond to government requests for well-educated healthcare professionals.