Roles and Responsibilities of a Newly Qualified Nurse - Essay Example

? Roles and Responsibilities of a Newly Qualified Nurse (Professional Role Development) Introduction It is often claimed that these are challenging times for newly trained and qualified nurses. The assertion stems from the multiple roles and responsibilities that the new professionals are supposed to adopt notwithstanding the transition to professional practice. Interestingly, statistics indicate that less than 50% of practising nurses would recommend the career as a career option to another person (Duchscher 2008, p.1). Similarly, more than most of new recruits seriously consider shifting their initial working place or deserting the career within the initial year of professional practice. This statistic demonstrates the importance of professional role adaptation, growth and development, as well as the significance of knowledge in the roles and responsibilities of a newly trained and qualified nurse. The school-bred values should reconcile with the ‘real world’ values of nursing practice. This is crucial in mitigating discrepancies that may occur when the new graduates take up their roles in healthcare service delivery (Duchscher 2008, p.3). Knowledge on roles and responsibilities is crucial in the pre-empting of role ambiguity and resultant job dissatisfaction and career disillusionment that may arise. The consolidation of the attained knowledge and skills is essential in availing a smooth transition from student to a professional practitioner. For a newly qualified nurse, the core concerns lie in care delivery and management as well as personal and professional development (Burton and Ormrod 2007, p.2). Critical Discussion The fields of practice that newly qualified nurses can specialize in are diverse and may incorporate acute care of the elderly, coronary and palliative care, mental health nursing, or substance abuse. The roles of a nurse span from being caregivers to counsellors. They also advocate for the client and are change agents in the sense of modifying the client’s lifestyle in a healthier pattern. The primary role of a nurse is provision of proper care and protection to the patients to safeguard their health and wellbeing (Duchscher 2008, p. 5). Nurses’ roles include providing proper health and social care in a safe and valuable manner to patients (Burton and Ormrod 2007, p. 3). In addition, nurses should also respond to patient’s needs and deliver care within their context such as drug administration and infection control. Nurses also provide knowledge and support to patients and monitor vital signs of patients. Newly qualified nurses have a responsibility of maintaining the set standards of care as well as conform to the set ethical and legal decisions. The transition into the nursing profession, especially the initial adjustment is usually marred by feelings of anxiety, insecurity, inadequacy, and instability. This revolves around the newly trained and qualified nurse’s roles, responsibilities, relationships, and knowledge (Burton and Ormrod 2007, p.4). Transition shock is occasioned by the fact that new graduates are confronted by a wide range and scope of physical, intellectual, emotional, developmental, and sociocultural changes as they take up their fresh roles. The newly trained and qualified nurses must, therefore, institute mechanisms that shape readiness for the new roles. Preparedness and reinforcement in role transition is essential in order to reconcile the associated intensity and duration of the transition experience. Newly trained and qualified nurses should be ready for the escalating workplace expectations. A newly trained nurse should be competent in handling the new roles. The essence of having prior knowledge of the profession and workplace expectations is outstanding as it bridges the transition shock. Knowledge on role transition is crucial in constructing successful integration of nursing professionals into the potentially stressful and highly dynamic context of professional practice. This calls for a better understanding on role transition and response by healthcare institutions, policy formulators, and schools of higher learning. The newly qualified nurses should seek the support and guidance of preceptors to ensure that they take on their responsibilities appropriately, especially during the sensitive period of role transition. Rationale for Role Choices Nurses are primarily caregivers. This role forms an essential part of nursing care. Caring is deemed to be one of the chief components within the paradigm of nursing knowledge and practice. Caring begins from the person offering the care as it embodies compassion, mercy, gentleness, and loving-kindness. The major focus of nursing care pertains to client’s response to illness rather on the illness itself, which translates to empathy (Lois 2005, p.41). Even though traditional nursing role centred on physical care, nurses are also expected to develop close emotional relationships with their patients. This aids the nurses to avail holistic care to patients. Patient Group Direction (PDG) permits specified healthcare professionals such as nurses to supply and administer medicine directly to a patient who has an identified clinical condition devoid of necessarily consulting a prescriber. The nurse in this case is responsible for assessing that the patient has met the criteria set out in the PGD. The advantages of PDGs include enhancing skill mix and provision of medicines at times when doctors are unavailable; this reduces waiting time for treatment (Lloyd, Hancock & Campbell 2007, p.165). This enhances patient care by availing patients with a quick access to medicines. Similarly, it enhances patient choice on the person, time, as well as where services can be accessed. The two roles are critical and relevant in nursing practice since they contribute in the provision of an effective patient care. The Nurse as a Caregiver The role of nurses as caregivers is most traditional and fundamental and centres on meeting the patient’s needs as well as continuing of care. Caregiving refers to the provision of support to patients, the disabled, or those who in need of medical help, since most patients cannot perform the health related activities independently. Care providers focus on the physiological, social, mental, and psychological needs of their patients in order to reinstate or uphold functional independence. Nursing care incorporates independent and collaborative care to individuals, families, or communities (Timby 2009, p.93). The nurses’ main roles and responsibilities incorporate protection, promotion, and optimization of health; nurses’ primary roles revolve around caregiving. Nurses assist individuals, families, or communities to achieve, sustain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. In caregiving, nurses are required to work towards promoting health, preventing diseases as well as helping the patients to cope with the illnesses. The newly qualified and registered nurse plays the role of being a nurturer, comforter, and provider. Nurses provide direct care while enhancing the comfort of the patient. Nurses are expected to demonstrate concern for patient’s wellbeing (Lois 2005, p. 42). This calls for knowledge and skills in matters concerning the provision of direct care. Nursing pursues promotion of health by helping the patients to attain a high level of wellness. Therefore, the newly qualified nurse should be ready to take up the role of caregiving to patients including the terminally ill patients. It is evident that most practitioners in healthcare heed to a personal calling into their respective professions. Nursing is no exception, as the newly qualified nurses must be committed to the delivery of enhanced care to patients (Timby 2009, p. 93). To be competent caregivers, nurses should sensitize their patient’s on prescriptions, medical conditions, forms of treatments, and lifestyle changes, which may be critical to restoration of the patient’s health. This will be vital when advising patients and their families in proper care. In the course of care provision, nurses are expected to instruct the patients or their families on steps geared at enhancing or maintaining the patient’s health. Relevant Legal, Professional, and Ethical and Moral Considerations The newly qualified nurse should adhere to the set ethical code and place patient care as the primary focus. Ethical code of conduct has a deep impact on the nature and scope of the nursing profession. In addition, they should act within the set legal parameters of state as well as statutory instruments established by the professional body (Burton & Ormrod 2011, p. 4). The nurses should also be aware that the ethical decisions that they make bear legal ramifications. Being in professional practice requires the newly graduated and registered nurse to work diligently and observe the set standards of the profession. Caregiving demands dedication; the nurses should be caring and compassionate in the delivery of care to the patient. Similarly, they should be ready to admit responsibility and delegate and supervise roles undertaken by other caregivers. When undertaking their role of caregiving, the nurses must respond to the comfort and dignity of their patients (Lois 2005, p.44). The nurse should provide care that preserves and protects client autonomy, dignity, rights, and respect. The nurse should also ensure client confidentiality while demonstrating self-care within appropriate boundaries of client-nurse relationship (Antai-Otong 2007, p.37). The nurse should also collaborate with other health care professionals, manage risk, and work effectively as a team. The nurse should also exploit professional judgment and work within their professional competencies. This should be grounded in accountability in the sense that the nurses are capable of justifying their actions. In summary, the nurse should adhere to professional regulations, obtain the client’s consent, observe equality and diversity, and nurse the patient with dignity and respect. The nurses should at no time abandon this role due to its demand for massive documentation. Patient Group Direction Patient Group Direction (PGD) refers to written instruction for the supply and/or administration of a named licensed drug for a recognized clinical condition devoid of an individual prescription (Harris, Baker, and Gray 2009, p.88). Patient Group Direction is a legal mechanism engineered to avail prompt high quality care to patients whereby safety is a chief consideration. PGD is engineered towards extending prescribing responsibilities to a wide range of health care professionals such as nurses, midwives, and pharmacists as well as other allied health professionals. Professional Group Directions is a reasonable and practical mode of using medicine to the benefit of the patients (Merrills & Fisher 2006, p. 198). Patient Group Directions is fashioned to enhance patient care by enabling qualified and registered health professionals other than doctors to supply and/or administer drugs to patients (Merrills and Fisher 2006, p.198). Patient Group Directions is efficient in various scenarios especially where assessment and treatment of the patient follows unmistakable and conventional pattern. These scenarios include cases of immunization to children as part of the national programme, as well as immunization for foreign travel. They also involve giving medicine to those in need of medication for common chronic illnesses and those in need of analgesia before a minor surgery or treatment of an injury. In a hospital setting, qualified and registered nurses administer prescription to a group of patients who match the criteria set in the PGD such as in cases of vaccinations. Patient Group Directions were initiated to permit non-prescribing healthcare professionals to administer medicine to patients with specified clinical conditions. Much of the PGDs is individualized and is patient specific. The utilization of Patient Group Direction is mainly reserved to situations in which it offers an edge to patient care without endangering the patient. It should also be consistent with the approved professional relationships as well as accountability (Merrills & Fisher 2006, p. 200). In general practice, Patient Group Direction is utilized in circumstances whereby assessments and treatment follows a definite and predictable pattern. PGDs should be provided in deserving situations in which its provision benefits and reinforces patient care. Nurses administering PGDs use their own assessments of patient need while consulting the set criteria as set out in schedules and statutory instruments. The extension of prescribing privileges gives healthcare facilities flexibility in designing their services (Burton & Ormrod 2011, p. 6). Patient Group Directions hand patients an enhanced array of choices and access to prescription whenever and wherever they need it. Patient Group Direction incorporates particulars such as the period in which the Direction takes effect, description of the prescription only medicine, clinical circumstances and criteria shaping eligibility, and frequency of administration among others (Burton & Ormrod 2011, p. 8). The newly qualified nurses should appreciate the scope and limitations of Patient Group Directions as well as their part in designing safe and valuable services to their patients. In a special way, the nurse should take note of the date that Patient Group Direction comes into force and the date when it expires. Legal, Professional and Ethical and Moral Considerations The nurse should comply with the set legal framework such as Medicines Act covering medicine usage. The nurse should also comply with the set statutory provisions set out by Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Similarly, the nurse should be competent in carrying out the practice. For PGD to be valid, it must adhere to certain criteria such as the patient group. Similarly, organizations must ensure that only fully competent and registered nurses use it (Holland & Rees 2010, p.4). The ethical consideration that the nurse should adhere to include making sure that PGD suits the patient and the situation. The professional considerations that the nurse needs to make are diverse. The nurse needs to possess clinical and pharmaceutical knowledge, establish options as well as a relationship with the patient grounded in trust and mutual respect. Similarly, the nurse must work within professional and organizational standards. Nurses using medicine as espoused in PDGs should act within the code of professional conduct as stipulated by Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The newly qualified nurses should also act within the guidelines for Administration of Medicines (NMC, 2010). Conclusion Newly qualified nurses are anticipated to adhere to the provision of primary care within the context of modernized healthcare services. The chief attribute lies in their ability to match their skills in the best way that meets the requirements of individual patient or group needs. The newly qualified nurses should strive to improve their competence overtime. They should also be able to practice independently although adequate supervision from preceptors is needed. This means that the nurses should possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and confidence vital for nursing practice. The newly trained and qualified nurses should develop an understanding of their roles and responsibilities since they underpin the care of patients (Smith & Roberts 2011, p. 137). There is an urgent need to distinguish the salient features of different roles and responsibilities that newly trained and qualified nurses adopt. Similarly, the transition in terms of knowledge, roles, responsibilities, relationships, and performance expectations should be smooth. This can be achieved by narrowing the gap between the student environment and professional practice. The newly trained and qualified nurses have also to work within multidisciplinary teams in their delivery of patient care. Teamwork is a crucial component in their nursing practice. Newly trained nurses should actively participate in the review and development of practice to enhance the patient care. Similarly, they should also pay attention to the social, political, economic, and technological developments that keep on changing the nursing experience. The public is equally knowledgeable in information concerning diagnosis, treatment choices, and care responsibilities. Thus, nurses should be competent in carrying out their roles and responsibilities. Nurses should constantly revise their roles and update their knowledge and skills to enhance continuing professional development. When undertaking their duties, newly qualified nurses should demonstrate professional values, communication skills, decision making capability, and leadership skills. The newly trained and qualified nurses should also strive to attain an enhanced level of both individual and professional development. References List Antai-Otong, D. (2007). Nurse-Client communication: A life span approach, London, Jones and Bartlett Publishers International. pp. 36-37. Burton, R. & Ormrod, G. (2011). Nursing: Transition to professional practice, Oxford, Oxford University Press. pp. 2-10. Duchscher, J. (2008). Transition shock: the initial stage of role adaptation for newly graduated registered Nurses, Journal of Advanced Nursing 64(2), pp.1-11. Harris, N., Baker, J. & Gray, R. (2009). Medicines management in mental healthcare, West Sussex, Blackwell. pp.87-88. Holland, K. & Rees, C. (2010). Nursing: Evidence-based practice skills, Oxford, Oxford University Press. pp. 4-5. Lloyd, H., Hancock, H. & Campbell, S. (2007). Vital notes for nurses: Principles of care, Oxford, Blackwell. pp. 165-171. Lois, W. (2005). Foundations of nursing, New York, Thomson Delmar Learning. pp. 41-44. Merrills, J. & Fisher, J. (2006). Pharmacy law & practice, Amsterdam, Elsevier B. V. pp. 197-202. Nursing & Midwifery Council (2010). Medicines legislation: what it means for midwives, New York, John Wiley & Sons. Timby, B. (2009). Fundamental Nursing Skills and concepts, Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp.92-95. Read More