Abstract
With the increasing diversity of healthcare needs, the roles of professional nurses are increasing tremendously. The professional role of advanced nurses in the healthcare sector seems to be the main solution to the increasing demands and diversity of effective care. As an MSN holder, I hope to apply my skills, knowledge and competence to improve the type of care in my hospital. This paper explains how I will achieve this dream based on the theoretical aspects of nursing, the role of advanced nurses and the process of developing action plans.
The basic knowledge for the advance nursing practice is based on management science that includes theories. In turn, theories include methods, concepts and principles that define knowledge. The principles are related and can be translated into practice while concepts are ideas, notions and thoughts about a given category of objects forming the basis of an action. The principles are fundamental doctrines, laws and truths on which other notions are derived. The purpose of principles is to guide concepts and actions in a given situation.
Theories borrowed from other disciplines
According to Cronenwett, Sherwood, Pohl, Barnsteiner, et al (2009), the use of theories as practice guidelines should be wide to allow a diverse range of practice situations, but they should retain their meaningfulness. The theory of decision-making is important in advanced nursing practice. Advanced nursing practice bases its theory on laws, which requires nurses to validate principles through extensive research. Advanced nursing practice requires nurses to deal with human behavior, especially in administration and management. The critical theory and critical thinking are a theory and concept that are highly applicable in advanced nursing roles, especially in decision making and decision execution in nursing leadership. According to Pulcini, Jelic, Gul and Loke (2010), a strict natural science approach in social science turns out to be naĂŻve because quantitative research also requires subjective and qualitative analysis. Thus, nursing management is based on this concept. In critical theory, decision makers such as nurse administrators translate theories into practice to improve performance. Behavioral technology theories such as organizational development and management of objectives are applied. The objectives of the critical theory is to critique the ideology of scientism, the common form of reasoning that accepts the notion that knowledge is based on a definition of what science can do. In addition, it seeks to develop organizational science able to change the organizational process in order to improve outcomes in a nursing setting.
As an advanced nursing practitioner, I will apply management theories in dealing with complex issues, especially those related to human behaviors and characteristics. I will apply concepts and theories in management to make decisions and direct nursing practice in my institution. Specifically, I will apply these concepts and theories to instill knowledge in medical reconciliation and rotation. I will ensure that nurses apply their basic knowledge and professionalism in dealing with complex patient conditions.
The use of nursing theories in advanced nursing practice
While many nursing theories are highly applicable in advanced nursing practice, the Watson’s theory of caring demonstrates its usefulness in developing an effective framework for the advanced nursing practice. Developed between 1975 and 1976, the theory focuses on the conceptual elements of “carative factors”, transpersonal caring and caring moment. The “carative factors” requires nurses to focus on spiritual, emotional and human care-giving actors in order to mesh them with the clinical care factors. The interpersonal caring relationship mist be developed to ensure that the nurse and the client are able to search for wholeness and meaning (Schober & Affara, 2009).
As an advanced nurse, I will ensure that the institution adopts policies and strategies to increase knowledge for nurses. The aim will be to ensure that nurses are able to direct and develop mutual relationships with their patients and spend adequate time with them to understand their physical, psychological, mental and social problems before making decisions.
Critique of current scientific research for application of findings to initiate change and improve practice
Advanced nursing practice goes beyond the general work providing care to the patients to include leadership in developing and directing nursing practice. The advanced nurses must provide clinical leadership by maintaining a highly level of commitment to develop the practice, using power and authority to influence clinical decision and policies and providing clinical development. A number of values must be recognized, understood and applied in nurse leadership and other advanced nursing roles, including nursing experience, holism, advocacy, application of theory and concepts in practice and added medical functions within a clinical and nursing framework. In particular, integration of the relevant and most applicable theory and concepts is a critical factor in enhancing professionalism in advanced nursing roles.
Comprehensive plans of action to address health promotion and disease prevention needs
As an advanced nurse practitioner, I will involve a number of action plans to prevent disease and promotion health, targeting individual patients, families and the community. First, I will ensure that an effective method of obtaining data and information, analyzing and integrating it in decision making is achieved. In this case, I will ensure that nurses work with families to obtain information about a patient’s background.
Formulation of plan for ongoing contributions to improvement of healthcare delivery and development
In my plan, surveillance will play a critical role in investigating and monitoring the risk factors that predispose patients to diseases, especially cardiovascular, diabetes and mental diseases among the older people. I will encourage a population approach similar to that recommended by CDC and WHO in order to study the community, family and individual needs for health promotion and disease prevention.
Ethical decision-making process in professional practice
As advanced nursing practitioner, I will ensure that ethical codes of conduct reestablished and followed within the practice of dealing with patients. In particular, patient information is a critical aspect of the plan, but a highly personal and confidential matter. For example, since I will work with patients and their families in determining the risk factors associated with social determinants of health, I expect to find confidential information regarding to the patient or family background, financial status, ethnic and cultural practices. This information must be kept confidential at all times.
Professional leadership role to foster healthcare improvement
In my work as a professional advanced nurse, I will emphasize on evidence-based practice to improve nursing and clinical practice and the outcomes. I will ensure that nurses are guided by research-based evidence from recent and valid sources in order to improve patient satisfaction, comfort and outcomes. In addition, I will ensure that nurses work in interdisciplinary teams with clinicians and other professionals in order to bridge between the patient families and the clinical team.
Employing informatics and technology in nurse leadership roles
As an advanced nurse practitioner, I will ensure that evidence-based practice is based on an easy way of deriving information from the recent and valid research. In this way, I will advocate for an information system and database to search, locate, retrieve, organize, analyze, manage and utilize information from various sources and apply it in practice.
Highpoints of work as a student at Kaplan
Some of the important aspects I have enjoyed at the program are the achievements I have achieved, including the ability to deal with complex diseases and condition, different patients from diverse cultural backgrounds and interaction with some of the leading personnel in the healthcare sector.
Future plans
My future plans are to pass the board exam, work in a clinic as a nurse practitioner, and do rotations in hospitals once a month. Then, I hope to come back at Kaplan and doctorate in nursing.
References
Cronenwett, L., Sherwood, G., Pohl, J., Barnsteiner, J., Moore, S., Sullivan, D. T., & Warren, J. (2009). Quality and safety education for advanced nursing practice. Nursing Outlook, 57(6), 338-348.
Pulcini, J., Jelic, M., Gul, R., & Loke, A. Y. (2010). An international survey on advanced practice nursing education, practice, and regulation. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 42(1), 31-39.
Schober, M., & Affara, F. (2009). International Council of Nurses: advanced nursing practice. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.