Communication & Collaboration Skills

 

          Communication and collaboration are extremely important parts of delivering quality patient care. Nurses must be able to communicate efficiently with healthcare team members as well as patients. I learned the importance of communication firsthand during my clinicals at the Emergency Department when caring for a patient who was critically ill. Many healthcare team members were in the room caring for the patient, which made the atmosphere crowded and hectic. The patient's family was worried about their loved one and had many questions about the machinery in the room and what all of the different values on the monitor meant. By using common terms that the family could understand, I was able to educate them about the monitor and make them familiar with the equipment, which eased their anxiety. Although this was a simple task, it went a long way in making the family feel cared for. This experience showed me that patient care isn't just about caring for the patient, but also about communicating with the family and helping them to be informed and involved in the care of their loved one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Critical Thinking & Clinical Judgment in Clinical Practice

 

          In the changing healthcare system, nursing is shifting from fee-for-service to a value-based industry. Because of this, it is beneficial to look at the quality of nursing as it relates to patient outcomes as well as cost-effectiveness. During my fourth semester of nursing school, a partner and I wrote a paper on the care delivery system (CDS) of the intensive care unit (ICU). The main goal of the paper was to evaluate the costs and quality of care in the ICU on both a small and large scale basis. We conducted a focused case study on a patient who we had cared for during clinical and analyzed the care given and cost of that care. We also researched the cost-effectiveness of critical care as a whole, as well as the insurance reimbursements for ICUs around the country. This paper challenged me to consider the cost-effectiveness of care during clinicals, and as a future nurse I am much more aware of how my actions can influence the costs and reimbursements of healthcare. I believe that quality-based payment is moving our healthcare system in the right direction towards acheiving better outcomes and relieving patients of the many financial burdens they face.

 

Click to view CDS Paper

 

 

Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice Skills

 

          Evidence-based practice is the foundation for nursing practice and influences

the many changes in healthcare. In my second semester of nursing school,

I participated in an Evidence-Based Practice Project that researched the

non-pharmacological techniques for hypertension management. We used

systematic reviews, randomized control trials, and other peer-reviewed articles

to develop guidelines and recommendations for treatment. The data we collected

helped us determine what the best practice is for hypertension management and

influenced our choices when considering patient care plans and education. After

compiling our research in a poster, we presented the data to our peers and

instructors. This project gave me a better understanding of evidence-based

practice and the huge role it plays in patient intervention and health management.

 

                                          Click to view EBP Paper Part 1

                                          Click to view EBP Paper Part 2

                                          Click to view EBP Paper Part 3

 

                                                                 Click image to view full poster

 

Clinical Prevention & Population Health Skills

 

                                                                                           Professional Nursing Concepts Across Populations is a class that emphasized community

                                                                                 health and health promotion on a local level. The largest portion of the class was focused on                                                                                      the Community Assessment Project. My peers and I visited our assigned community,

                                                                                 Smiths Station, AL, and evaluated its medical resources and areas for improvement in relation

                                                                                 to breast cancer. We found that the rural community was lacking a variety of medical                                                                                                    resources and up-to-date technology. However, the main medical center of Smiths Station        

                                                                                 was dedicated to improving health and offering more services in the future. After researching

                                                                                 the community and its needs, we determined that the best choice for outreach would be                                                                                              providing pamphlets and education to the members from a public store. The focus of our

                                                                                 teaching was to provide information about risk factors for breast cancer, self-screening,

                                                                                 and where they could go get mammograms. We spoke with women and men of many ages and

                                                                                 educated them about breast cancer. Many of the community members we spoke to

                                                                                 learned new information about breast cancer and decided to get screened because of what they

                                                                                 learned. This experience helped me understand the importance of healthcare outside of the                                                                                        clinical setting and how nurses can promote wellness in all settings. 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

                 Click to view CAP Paper

 

Diversity Skills

 

           All cultures have beliefs on what causes illness and how it should be treated. While Western medicine relies on technology and scientific evidence, many other cultures focus on other aspects of health, such as nature, alternative medicine, and spiritual renewal. It is imperative for nurses to recognize that cultural beliefs may have significant impact on patient compliance and outcomes. Nurses will all, at some point, care for patients with cultures different from their own, and diversity skills enable nurses to handle these situations. These skills include cultural sensitivity, open-mindedness, and cultural awareness. I have gained these diversity skills throughout my time at Auburn School of Nursing, but one experience in particular helped me in making the connection between culture and healthcare. In my obstetric rotation, I helped care for a laboring woman whose culture did not approve of pain management during labor. She was in a lot of pain, but stood by her decision not to take any pain medication. Several members of the healthcare team urged her to change her mind, which only made her feel disrespected. I approached the situation in a nonjudgmental manner and assisted with pain-relieving interventions that did not use medication, such as breathing exercises, distraction, and guided imagery. She was able to make it through labor and delivery safely without violating her cultural beliefs. Although her beliefs were different from my own, I respected her decision and changed the plan of care to best fit her situation. Through this cultural experience, I learned that respect, cultural awareness, and cooperation go a long way in providing holistic care. These diversity skills will enable me to care for patients on an individual basis, focusing on the body, mind, and spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leadership Skills

       

Leadership comes in all shapes and forms, but I believe the most important part of leadership is leading by example. My leadership experience outside of nursing school includes being a camp counselor, a vice president in my social sorority, and a mentor to pre-nursing students. The skills I learned in those positions helped me to develop my own leadership style and use it in the clinical setting. One leadership skill I have developed in nursing school is trustworthiness. The nurse is a crucial part of the healthcare system who is responsible for assessing patients, recognizing and solving problems, providing patient care, and developing patient trust. Patients, healthcare team members, and hospital administrators trust in nurses to take on those responsibilities and perform efficiently. During my leadership clinicals, I had the opportunity to take care of patients on my own for the first time. On the last day of leadership rotations, I was assigned to four patients. My responsibility was to be knowledgeable about my patients' conditions, anticipate their needs, and deliver care in a timely and efficient manner. My instructor trusted me to care for the patients because I exemplified confidence, critical thinking skills, and caring throughout my shift. I organized tasks and researched patient conditions at the beginning of my shift in order to stay on top of priorities throughout the day, which helped me to keep up with all of my patients. By keeping a routine and paying attention to detail, I was able to catch a potential problem with one patient. The patient was scheduled to be discharged, but when I came in to assess the patient, I found that the patient's condition had worsened and immediately notified my instructor. This action may have prevented the patient going home and possibly suffering further injury. My instructor contacted the surgeon to further investgate the problem before discharging the patient. The responsibility I took on as a leader in that situation helped me to gain confidence in my abilities to be a great nurse and employee in the future.