This reflection’s purpose is to gain an understanding of my preparedness to perform nursing activities through competencies. They can be found in BSN Essentials, which prescribe a bachelor’s capabilities across various fields (Essentials), including patient safety, evidence-based practice, information management, professionalism, and clinical prevention (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2008). The final selection is particularly important, as it is the basis of modern-day healthcare. A nurse is to evaluate evidence’s credibility, appraise information, and collaborate with others to integrate it into their activity to achieve improved patient outcomes (AACN, 2008). However, such competencies as communicating with colleagues and patients and using current technologies are also necessary for evidence gathering. The paper will focus on whether I meet those Essentials and select sub-competencies.
Course Reflection
The first sub-competency to discuss is the data evaluation from relevant sources, which includes technology. The course demanded that we apply our IT skills and critical thinking while working with the materials, which provided a sound foundation for their usage in professional practice. I realized that I was capable of identifying appropriate scholarly sources and extract the necessary information from them. I also discovered that various tools existed to assist in data evaluation, such as the JBI Model (Jordan, Lockwood, Munn, & Aromataris, 2018). While it still appears complicated, I can see myself using it frequently in the future. I am aware that sources can become outdated, so I will ensure that the ones to consult are recent. Overall, I believe I meet the competency by having sufficient knowledge and skills for data evaluation to ensure improved health delivery.
Another sub-competency of interest is using telecommunication technologies in various settings for effective communication. I would consider the course itself a demonstration of how one can share information with others, and it also highlighted specific means of doing so in healthcare. Although I believe myself skillful as far as modern telecommunication devices are concerned, an important point I realized is that one should learn how to manage communication channels because they can be overwhelming. For instance, if a patient has a preference for interacting through a mobile or a landline phone, I will probably have a separate number for such purposes. While communicating with colleagues, I will be able to coordinate care and share evidence-based outcomes when possible. I also acknowledge that those means can be subject to security breaches, so I will have to ensure that nobody’s confidentiality is threatened through encrypting and other protection measures. Altogether, I have confidence in using telecommunication technologies while interacting with patients, colleagues, and other stakeholders in a secure way.
In line with the previous point, I would also highlight my relationship with the sub-competency of creating a safe care environment guaranteeing improved patient outcomes. The course made me understand that ensuring safety is a complicated process, considering the scope. Such elements as hospital and ward layout, equipment, medicine administration, and individual allergies and intolerance are all related to patient safety, so nurses should be aware of how they impact health outcomes. It is also essential not to simply adhere to the existing safety guidelines but constantly update them through evidence-based practice. For instance, falls are a major safety hazard, and while many preventive measures already exist, it is useful to discover new ones and those better applicable to a specific patient (Godlock, Christiansen, & Feider, 2016). I also believe I possess sufficient analytical skills to identify potential issues and manage them either using the available means or consulting another stakeholder equipped to do it. In conclusion, while I recognize that establishing a safe care environment is a daunting task, I will do everything within my abilities to ensure it, which will also require meeting the previous competencies.
Aside from researching evidence-based sources, a nurse should also generate new evidence through monitoring client outcomes and evaluating the effectiveness of psychobiological interventions, which is another significant sub-competency. That seems to be a difficult feat because the result might not meet the expectation, affecting the patient in the worst-case scenario. However, I admit that even unsuccessful attempts are worth documenting to dissuade other specialists from applying a specific intervention to a certain patient group. The monitoring process may be long, and the originally designed intervention can undergo changes, so it is important to remain collected and reflect everything in medical records. While obtaining new evidence is beneficial for science, that should be at the expense of the patient’s well-being, so I will be willing to sacrifice some knowledge for their sake. Bearing everything in mind, I think I am prepared to monitor patient outcomes and evaluate their treatment while ensuring safety and accuracy.
Conclusion
Being aware of BSN Essentials and sub-competencies allows one to understand whether they are prepared to work as a nurse and guarantee safety and improved results for patients. They also help understand whether a nurse can function within the current evidence-based paradigm. I analyzed only select sub-competencies, but they are closely connected with evidence-based practice and partially reflect my readiness as far as other competencies are concerned. Those are data-evaluation from relevant sources, using telecommunication technologies for communication in healthcare settings, creating a safe care environment, and monitoring patient outcomes while evaluating intervention efficiency. I believe I possess enough knowledge and skills owning to the course to meet the provided sub-competencies and recognize the significance of evidence-based practice in achieving them, and I suppose I can claim the same for other competencies due to the overlapping points.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Washington, DC: Author.
Godlock, G., Christiansen, M., & Feider, L. (2016). Implementation of an evidence-based patient safety team to prevent falls in inpatient medical units. MedSurg Nursing, 25(1), 17-23. Web.
Jordan, Z., Lockwood, C., Munn, Z., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Redeveloping the JBI Model of evidence based healthcare. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 16(4), 227-241.