Knowledge, Competence, and Professional Practice - Essay Example

? Introduction Kozier (2002) suggest that nurses must do a proper assessment of patient in post-operative pain in order to deliver quality of care and also nurses must maintain the patient dignity when caring for their patients. However, in order to deliver these goals in a clinical set up, there is need for practicing midwifery professionals especially in the area of post operative recovery to possess relevant knowledge and skills in order to make informed decisions in this particular area of practice. Against this background, it is imperative to begin by defining the concepts of knowledge, competence as well as professional practice in order to gain a full understanding of measures that can be implemented by health care practitioners in the post operative recovery area in order to operate effectively. The essay will also discuss issues related to accountability as a nurse as well as factors that affect the decision making process and how this translates into professional practice. Analysis of the theories of knowledge, competence and professional practice The concept of knowledge is closely related to the theory of knowledge creation. Knowledge creation is not only concerned with dealing with objective information but it also takes into consideration insights that are highly subjective from members of the organisation and these are tested in order to be used by the other employees (Robbins, 1993). Basically, “knowledge creation is defined as the process of making available and amplifying knowledge created by individuals as well attempting to connect it with the organization’s knowledge system,”( Nonaka, Krogh & Voelpel 2006). New ideas are generated and these are helpful in the operations of the organisation as a whole. Having generated the required knowledge, it becomes imperative to formalise a continuous improvement of the knowledge through different management systems for the benefit of the organisation as a whole. Experiential knowledge is important in dealing with post operative pain as this would enable me to give proper treatment to the patient. Thus, research has shown that knowledge creation and management are essential tools for promoting growth and development in an organisation which is a viable strategy for the viability of the organisation. It can also be noted that knowledge creation is not a preserve for influential people in an organisation alone but it ought to include input from all members within that particular organisation. In case of a clinical setup, through knowledge creation, the nurses are given the autonomy to make informed decisions in their operations especially with regards to post operative recovery. Practice theory is applicable in this particular case where I will use my knowledge to offer appropriate treatment to alleviate pain. This also entails transformation of knowledge into practical skills. Decision making that is enhanced through knowledge creation is essential to the operations of every organisation (Schultz, 2003). This concept is also applicable in the area of practice of health care professionals as they are likely to develop a sense of belonging to the hospital which is a basic tenet for practice development. I strongly believe that my duties can be enhanced through making decisions with regards to administering treatment to the patients. According to Nonaka, Krogh & Voelpel (2006) the success of other conventional organisations is mainly influenced by their ability to keep pace with changes that may be obtaining in the business environment at that particular period and it can be seen that knowledge creation plays a pivotal role. This concept can also be applied to a clinical setup where the operations of different hospitals are moulded on the same business principles with other conventional businesses. Performance is also enhanced through knowledge creation and sharing given that the health care professionals are in a better position to make informed decisions that may affect their operations. Decisions made by an individual often shape his approach towards the task he or she is expected to perform in an organisation. The skills I will require for decision making include the introduction as well as managing change in order to cope with any challenging situation. On the other hand, the concept of competence mainly derives from an individual’s or organisation’s ability to achieve set goals (Robbins, 1993). For instance, a hospital is effective when it successfully meets the needs of its clientele. This entails that it is competent in its operations given that it is better positioned to achieve the desired goals. This also can be applicable to the individuals within an organisation. Their efforts are mainly directed towards the attainment of the set goals. In the case of a clinical situation involving post operative recovery, I will apply this concept through diagnosing the problems being experienced by the patients as well as giving them correct treatment. Proper assessment of the patients in post-operative pain in order to deliver quality of care can only be delivered if the nurses involved are committed to show a high degree of competence. The need for goal attainment plays a pivotal role in influencing my efforts in order to be competent in my operations. The concept of professional practice also plays a pivotal role in determining the extent to which quality health care is delivered to patients in post-operative pain. This can be achieved through promoting dignity of the patients which is driven by the need to uphold ethical considerations in the area of practice by the nurses. Basically, the term ethics is mainly concerned with making a distinction between something that is good from bad. Issues of morality as well as professional conduct such as upholding the principle of respecting the dignity of the patients in terms of health care are given priority. Honesty and integrity based on the need to uphold confidentiality of patients are seen as guiding principles in the operations of the health care professionals. In order to gain the trust of the patients, I have to uphold the ethical principles in the dispensation of my duties. The Center for Ethics in Health Care (N.D) posits to the effect that it is the duty of health professionals to ensure that they uphold to the principles of honesty and fairness in their operations in order to gain the trust of the clients. Professionals in the health care profession are legally bound by a code of ethics which compels them to uphold aspects such as confidentiality as well as privacy for information related to the patients. There is also need for the nurses to create mutual understanding with the patients in order to gain their loyalty which can positively contribute to the achievement of the set goals. Showing dignity for the patients is also seen as a very important element that can positively contribute towards the improvement of the operations of the health care practitioners. It is also imperative for the healthcare practitioners to be accountable for their actions in order to safeguard the health concerns of the patients under their customers. This can also help to shape their approach towards the work ethic given that they will be aware of standard expectations in their operations. The operations of the health care workers are also shaped by their desire to positively contribute to the improvement of the health of the targeted clients where they can account for their actions. Application of theory in the area of post operative recovery practice In as far as decision making is concerned with regards to issues related to post operative recovery, it is my belief that I should be supported by my competence and knowledge as well as professional practice. According to Robbins (1993), decision making is primarily concerned with making a choice from among two or more alternatives and it is not the sole responsibility of the managers in a given organisation. More often than not decision making often affects the operations of various individuals as well as the organisation as a whole. Thus, decision making occurs as a reaction to a problem and there is a discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state requiring consideration of alternative courses of action (Robbins, 1993). I will therefore use clinical protocols and guidelines to make decisions when dealing with different situations I may encounter. Thus, in dealing with a case involving post operative recovery, it is important to utilise the knowledge available in case of problems related to patients who have been operated to deliver their babies. By virtue of operating in the midwifery department, I am expected to have knowledge about the pain that is experienced by a patient who has just delivered a baby using the caesarean method. Most patients often experience pains of varying degrees after undergoing an operation to give birth. This is a result of various factors and a competent nurse should be better positioned to know this particular type of pain that is experienced by people who have just been operated to give birth. Thus, an alternative has to be found in order to relive the pain experienced by the patient and this is when the knowledge possessed by the nurse comes in handy. In as far as decision making that is related to the above scenario, my competence in decision making can be portrayed through giving correct treatment to the patient. It is against the notion that a health care professional’s level of competence is determined by various factors of which the most notable one is related to finding solutions to problems experienced by patients who have been operated. A competent nurse has to diagnose the problem as well as establish the magnitude of pain that is being felt by the patient. Having done that, an amicable solution that is meant to resolve the identified problem has to be implemented in the form of giving the patient correct treatment. This treatment has to be administered in a correct way so as to be able to help the patient cope with post operative pain. A competent nurse should closely monitor the situation in order to check if there is any improvement from the treatment being administered to the patient. Suggestions for practice development Health practitioners are expected to uphold expected standards of professional practice when dealing with cases related to post operative recovery by patients who have just undergone an operation to deliver their babies. As a nurse, I am expected to uphold the principle of confidentiality as well as privacy with regards to information about the patients. Ethically, a nurse in this particular case is not expected to divulge any information about the patient to any third party. I am also supposed to listen to the issues raised by the patients and should respond to them in a cordial manner in order to maintain the standards of professional practice. As a nurse practicing in the midwifery department, I should also be accountable for my action as this has a bearing on my overall performance at work. Health issues are often complicated hence there is need for the nurse to be accountable for every action in order to comply with professional standards as outlined in the health care code of conduct. Failure to comply with the expected standard operations may result in negative image being created about the healthcare professional involved. In order to enhance practice development, it is imperative for the concerned health care professionals to continue generating new knowledge in their operations through learning. Learning is mainly concerned with creating, acquiring and transformation of knowledge to develop new insights which can be helpful in the operations of the organisation (Andriopoulos & Dawson, 2009). Nurses in this case are in a position to generate new ideas which can be developed into feasible practices which can in turn promote their practice development. Training and development initiatives should also be supported so as to enable the employees to gain important work related skills which can lead to the development of their practice. Decision making should also be promoted in order to influence the nurses to generate bright ideas that can positively contribute to the improvement of their operations. In my opinion, I believe that we should make joint decisions as a nursing team in order to come up with amicable solutions to problems we may encounter in our operations. Conclusion Over and above, it can be noted that in order to fulfil the assertion that nurses have to do a proper assessment of patient in post-operative pain in order to deliver quality of care, there are certain measure that have to be taken into consideration in order to achieve this feat. The concepts of knowledge, competence and professional practice ought to be given priority since they are capable of transforming the operations of healthcare practitioners in their duties related to post operative recovery. Knowledge creation fosters growth and development of the workers’ skills since these are constantly developed through acquisition of new ideas in their day to day operations. On the other hand, the concept of competence is primarily concerned with establishing the effectiveness of the individuals in the execution of their duties. Goal achievement is the measure of the level of competitiveness of the organisation. It has also been observed that in order for the nurses to deliver quality health care to the patients in the post operative recovery segment, there is need for them to uphold the principles of ethical consideration in their operations. Showing dignity for the patients is regarded as the basic tenet for success in this area since the nurses are expected to treat all patients’ information with the confidentiality it deserves. References Andriopoulos, C & Dawson, P 2009, Managing change, creativity and innovation [ebook] Viewed 26 March, 2012 Center for Ethics in Health Care, ND, Viewed 27 March, 2012 . Nonaka, Krogh & Voelpel, 2006, Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory: Evolutionary Paths and Future advances. Sage Publications, London. Robbins, SP 1993, Organisational behaviour: Concepts, controversies and Applications .6th Edition, Prentice Hall: NJ. Schultz, et al 2003, Organisational behaviour, Van Schaik Publishers, CT . Read More