Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal Essay

Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal Essay

Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal Essay

I am quite thrilled to be able to get this far in my personal and professional growth. The program had been quite challenging given that I had to balance between my studies and a full-time nursing job. My preceptor has however been very helpful from the time I constructed my personal success plan, to this point, with adequate communication and leadership style. I have been able to appreciate the need for conducting comprehensive background studies and always staying updated on the most recent clinical guidelines and care plans before deciding on what treatment plan to implement. Through my capstone development, I would like to focus on evidence-based practice and nursing protocols crucial in promoting the quality and safety of care provided.

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New Practice Approaches

Nursing is a very dynamic field with an ever-changing service delivery process aimed at promoting the safety and quality of care. New practice approaches are thus formulated as new solutions to the current issues undermining optimal care delivery services. Just like the emphasis made by my preceptor during the introductory sessions, different hospitals utilize different therapeutic interventions in the process of care delivery, based on the evidence available supporting the safety and effectiveness of the approach utilized. For instance, new approaches such as the use of medication appropriateness index (MAI) by clinicians to decrease inappropriate polypharmacy among the elderly have been proven to be very effective (Golightly et al., 2017). I must introduce this approach to my facility.

Interprofessional Collaboration

Collaborative work among different staff members with distinct professional backgrounds is crucial in promoting brainstorming, for the provision of safety and the most effective care plan for patients (Ahn, & Choi, 2019). My preceptor was impressed by the way I interacted freely with physicians, nutritionists, and pharmacists as part of the multidisciplinary team in taking care of my patients. I  am quite confident with appropriate communication skills which are key in promoting interprofessional collaboration.

Health Care Delivery and Clinical Systems

The second week of my practicum experience was mainly focused on the different features of the healthcare delivery and clinical system, and their significance in promoting the safety and quality of care provided. My preceptor emphasized factors such as disease anticipation, health advancement, diagnosis, prognosis, management, prevention, and health promotion services (Golightly et al., 2017). For instance, I was able to learn that when taking care of vulnerable populations such as the elderly, it is very crucial to practice as per the outline nurse-driven practice protocols, such as fall prevention protocols.

Ethical Considerations in Health Care

In the provision of care services, nurses encounter four main ethical principles such as justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and autonomy(Ahn, & Choi, 2019). From my observation, the most common dilemma normally exist between upholding the patient’s autonomy (right to make medical decisions by themselves based on their own values and belief)and exhibiting appropriate clinical judgment based on beneficence (duty of nurses to minimize patient harm and promote health), justice (treating each patient equally and fairly) and non-maleficence (patient right to no harm).

Practices of Culturally Sensitive Care

Provision of holistic care requires nurses to provide safe and quality care services equally to the diverse population while respecting the patient’s cultural beliefs and values to promote their satisfaction. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, cultural, language, and social barriers can negatively impact the accessibility of care services (Golightly et al., 2017). I have thus learned the importance of appreciating cultural differences among patients from different ethnic backgrounds, and the need to respect their decisions based on their cultural values and beliefs.

Ensuring the Integrity of Human Dignity in the Care of all Patients

            The nursing code of ethics emphasizes the importance of respecting the life of the patient and observing their dignity, irrespective of their age, culture, gender, nationality, sex, creed, color, health status, or social status (Kaihlanen et al., 2020). I was able to appreciate the importance of maintaining the integrity of human dignity when providing care in several ways such as, respecting every patient, promoting their privacy and confidentiality, and respecting their autonomy. This helps in developing a healthy relationship with the patient, crucial in exhibiting desirable care outcomes.

Population Health Concerns

Within our community, the major population health concerns that we identified with my preceptor are mainly diabetes and hypertension and increased fall incidences among the elderly(Slemon et al., 2020). My preceptor emphasized that I should acquire adequate knowledge and skills to assess the social determinants of health within the community to be able to identify the health concerns of the population. This helps in conducting background research and the use of up-to-date clinical guidelines and evidence-based intervention in mitigating such concerns.

The Role of Technology in Improving Health Care Outcomes

From the clinical rotations, I was able to appreciate the significance of electronic health records (EHR) in improving efficiency and streamlining the workflow, making it easier for nurses and physicians to record and interpret patient outcome measures(Kaihlanen et al., 2020). All patient information was stored in one interface, with a distinct patient identification number, restricting access by unauthorized personnel promoting patient privacy. Physicians could also retrieve patient information quite easily reducing incidences of medical errors hence promoting the quality and safety of care provided.

Health Policy

Health policies are the plans, decisions, and actions undertaken by healthcare providers to achieve specific healthcare goals (Slemon et al., 2020). Such policies guarantees that every patient’s voice is heard, their health protected from harm, and their well-being improved. We went through HIPPA policies, financial insurance policies, emergency policies CODE BLUE, procedure policies, and honesty policy with my preceptor among others.

Leadership and Economic Models

In healthcare, leadership is considered an economic model which has been regarded as crucial in the development and success of different healthcare systems (Kaihlanen et al., 2020). From an economic model perspective, organizations must utilize leadership styles that also promote evaluation of market variables like demand, competition, and costs, rather than just assigning and supervising nurses in their line of duty. My preceptor emphasizes the acquisition of strong skills such as teamwork, collaboration, interdisciplinary, and advocacy to become a good and efficient leader.

Health Disparities

            Several communities suffer the burden of health disparities such as substance abuse, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity as a result of low community sensitization on preventive measures and health promotion practices (Slemon et al., 2020). My preceptor blames this occurrence on healthcare professionals who fail to explain to patients and family members of the available community resources which are disease-specific with adequate knowledge on preventive measures and health promotion practices.

Conclusion

The nursing profession is a dynamic field that requires continuing education for purposes of career advancement and the acquisition of updated knowledge on new evidence-based guidelines to promote safe and quality care services. From this practicum experience, I have been able to acquire substantial knowledge and skills required in promoting positive clinical outcomes.

References

Ahn, Y. H., & Choi, J. (2019). Incivility experiences in clinical practicum education among nursing students. Nurse education today, 73, 48-53.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.11.015

Golightly, M., Kennett, N., & Stout, J. A. (2017). Innovative approach to senior practicum students. Journal of Nursing Education, 56(12), 745-747.https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20171120-08

Kaihlanen, A. M., Elovainio, M., Haavisto, E., Salminen, L., &Sinervo, T. (2020). Final clinical practicum, transition experience and turnover intentions among newly graduated nurses: A cross-sectional study. Nurse education today, 84, 104245.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.104245

Slemon, A., Jenkins, E., Bungay, V., & Brown, H. (2020). Undergraduate students’ perspectives on pursuing a career in mental health nursing following practicum experience. Journal of clinical nursing, 29(1-2), 163-171.https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15074

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Students are required to submit weekly reflective narratives throughout the course that will culminate in a final, course-long reflective journal due in Topic 10. The narratives help students integrate leadership and inquiry into current practice.

This reflection journal also allows students to outline what they have discovered about their professional practice, personal strengths and weaknesses, and additional resources that could be introduced in a given situation to influence optimal outcomes. Each week students should also explain how they met a course competency or course objective(s).

In each week\’s entry, students should reflect on the personal knowledge and skills gained throughout the course. Journal entries should address one or more of the areas stated below. In the Topic 10 graded submission, each of the areas below should be addressed as part of the summary submission.

New practice approaches
Interprofessional collaboration
Health care delivery and clinical systems
Ethical considerations in health care
Practices of culturally sensitive care
Ensuring the integrity of human dignity in the care of all patients
Population health concerns
The role of technology in improving health care outcomes
Health policy
Leadership and economic models
Health disparities
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.