Personal Portfolio of a Registered Nurse - Essay Example

Title Author Institution Personal Portfolio This essay presents my personal portfolio as a person who is preparing for a career as a Registered Nurse. I am in the process of preparing to transition from being a student to a Registered Nurse. The portfolio will demonstrate what I have accomplished and done and what I am doing in preparation for the transition. In this portfolio, I will give details of my skills and knowledge, my attitudes and values, my preferences and interest, action plans and goals that show how ready I am to start practising as a Registered Nurse (Elder, Katie, Nizette, 2012). The portfolio will be presented to my future employers, university authorities for admission into a higher degree programme and to any other person that may be in a position to provide me with an opportunity to put my knowledge and expertise into practise. Professional values In the process of clinical placement I gained professional skills in communication and building therapeutic relationships with colleagues, healthcare staff, my clients and the families of those customers. Through clinical placement I also gained leadership skills which have constructively used in the past to provide guidance to other students in case they go wrong in their learning and practise. I have learnt how to endure difficult moments and how to work under pressure in situations where the staff members are inadequate and the workload is heavy. I can also work professionally in places where there is no elaborate work management plan (Chang, & Daly, 2007). Strengths One of my major strengths is in nursing assessment. I am very good at gathering data and information about the physiological, spiritual, sociological and psychological status of a patient. I am very good at using systematic and very dynamic ways of collecting and analysing the information of different clients. This is my foundation of nursing care delivery (Koutoukidis, Stainton, & Hughson, 2012). I am competent in gathering other types of data as well such as life style factors, socio cultural and economic data. For example if I have a patient who has been hospitalized for some time and is in pain I would examine the physical causes and signs of pain and the way the patient is responding such as his inability to come off the bed, lack of appetite, refusal to spend time with members of the family, fear, demand for more mediation for pain and angry reactions and healthcare providers (Nursing Careers Australia 2013). My other strength is in maintaining confidentiality while administering medication to patients. I am always very careful in such situations because the healthcare profession requires that I stick to the ethics of the practise. I also need to be sensitive to the needs of the patients I am attending to. Some patients are embarrassed about their conditions and the nurse must therefore consider their fears and concerns (Sellman, 2011). Another strength that I am very proud of as a student nurse is my ability to build therapeutic relationships. As a Registered Nurse I will be required to spend a lot of time with patients and maintain contact with them for a most of the time (Peate, 2012). I will be involved in linking the patient to the doctors and complementing the consultations of the same doctors. As a nurse I am able to facilitate patients by escorting them into the doctor’s room, I can identify with the challenges of patients in getting used to the changes in lifestyle by reporting the experiences of these patients. I have the capacity to allow patients share concerns that they cannot share with the doctor, I can be chatty, I love sharing jokes and I have the capacity to provide the doctor with further explanations when communication fails (Kersey-Matusiak, 2012). Limitations My greatest limitation or weakness is in obeying communication and cultural boundaries. I am doing my best to understand how to treat people from different cultural background. I am also making efforts learn how to obey boundaries to communication (Dayer-Berenson, 2010). Personal interests My personal interests lie in challenging situations because they give me a lot of motivation. I know that challenges help me to sharpen my skills and to become more experienced in my practise. Challenges always exist in any work environment. Therefore I have different sets of attitudes and perspectives that help me to overcome challenges (Buckis, 2006). I am a very hardworking person and my joy lies in conquering obstacles in my way. My other interest in my nursing practise is to attend to people with mental illnesses and paediatric cases. I understand that these are patients that have special and unique issues and they need a tender and understanding person who has a lot of patience to handle them. My interest in these categories of patients is based on my ability to exercise extreme patience and endurance in trying times. I also enjoy working with these groups of people because I tend to understand them more than the average nurse. Goals i) Education One of my educational goals in the future is to get an opportunity to study at least one major to help be fit in different hospital settings and departments. This is very important to me because I need to be in a position to operate in different circumstances and with different people without unnecessary friction or failure (Tollefson, 2004). I also intend to continue with my studies until I attain a postgraduate degree in nursing. My Postgraduate degree will definitely be in critical care areas. I am also looking forward to being very competent in the NMC competencies. In this area, I intend to improve on my professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, decision making and nursing practise in general. I intend to increase my knowledge in the nursing career by attending conferences, lectures, workshops, online conferences among other education forums. I hope to enrol as a member of organizations that can add value to my career. Such organizations include the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA). I am looking forward to achieving my goals within a set timeframe of five years. I also hope to get American boards such as the American Board of Medical Specialties and the American Board of Paediatrics because they will add value to my training as a Registered Nurse (Willis, Reynolds, Keleher 2012). In my first 12 months I intend to engage in clinical rotation which will allow me to acquire more work experience. This would be a very challenging period in my life. In the following two to three years I will be involved in a county study and I intend to provide a lot of help to new students and to help in facilitating them as I work as a staff development educator. Between the fourth and fifth year I want to become a CDN or become a wound management nurse. My desire is to find an opportunity to work in a community mental health hospital or in a mental health facility. Daly, Speedy & Jackson, (2009) argue that it is always wise for one to go into an area where he has the best interest. This would definitely increase the productivity and effectiveness of that individual. ii) Employment My priority number one in employment is to get a chance to work as a Registered Nurse back home. I understand the needs of the healthcare sector back home and the needs of the society when it comes to healthcare provision. I would like to serve the people back home because the society has invested in me and therefore I would wish to give back to it. I would also like to hold the position of an in charge nurse or a RN3. The Australian Healthcare System needs nurses like me who are well qualified to handle various health issues such as those of mental health which I have a passion for (Willis, Reynolds, & Keleher 2012) Experience I have a lot of experience in the nursing profession that I have gathered in the past. In the year 2010, I worked as Registered Nurse in the United Arab Emirates. I was involved in psychiatric nursing. I also have experience in word rotation gained between 2008 and 2009. This experience is in the medical areas of ICU, CCU, surgical and paediatrics. I worked in these areas for a total of 12 months with each of the sections taking a period of 3 months. I have also served in clinical placement at aged care for 20 days, community mental health facility for 20 days and also in a urology ward for another 20 days. I am looking forward to acquiring more experience in mental health and critical care units. According to Chang &Daly, (2007) experience is a very critical thing in nursing practise. Having experience means one is competent to handle difficult cases and that such a person can make the right decisions at the right time whenever required to do so. Action plan In intend to have my plans changed earlier enough before I get the work I want to do. My plans must be altered so that they fit various kinds of situations. The plans should allow for me to operate as a CDN, a student, a facilitator and a preceptor or medical specialist who provides training and practical experience. As a facilitator, my desire is to help build the confidence of students so that they may pursue their careers in nursing without uncertainty. After my I finish my bachelor’s Degree in Nursing I will soon take my NCLEX-RN exam which will allow me to get the license to start practicing as Registered Nurse. Later on I plan to register with the Nurses and Midwives board of Australia. Before I officially start my practice I will go for a criminal record clearance and also go through a screening for working with children. All these are important requirements for my practice (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council 2012). In order to work in Australia as a nurse I will need to be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. I therefore plan to seek to be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2013). Evaluation Some of the internal evaluation factors will involve positive criticism from higher professionals. This criticism will encourage me to do my work effectively and deeply reflect on my practise. In the past I have taken criticism negatively and this never went down well with my practise in nursing. I have learnt from my past mistakes and in future I will never allow other people’s views to weigh me down. External factors will include the comments I get from colleges, feedback from other health care staff members or what clients will be commenting about my performance (Koutoukidis, Stainton, & Hughson, 2012). Having put into consideration all these internal and external factors I hope to develop some good nursing practise and to become a very competent nurse who can work in all the regions of Australia. Professional Qualifications Currently I am pursuing my bachelor’s degree in nursing which I hope to complete very soon. This will make me a fully qualified Registered Nurse. In my training I have gone through classroom instructions besides getting the block experience in clinic and hospitals among other healthcare facilities. These two are very important to the training of a nurse in Australia (Willis, Reynolds, Keleher 2012). Some of the subjects I have knowledge about include nursing, chemistry, nutrition, physiology, psychology, anatomy, behavioral sciences and microbiology. In my practical blocks I worked in a hospital department and my lessons allowed me to rotate around different departments such as psychiatry, surgery and pediatrics. Acquired Skills In my years of study and practical work, I have acquired skills in planning, assessing, documenting, implementation, coordination and management of patient care in adherence to hospital and facility standards. I have also gained in-depth knowledge of collaborating and communicating with patients and the members of their families, doctors and other staff in healthcare facilities in trying to achieve quality in caring for patients (Chang, Daly, 2007). I have thorough understanding that can help me to make assessment of patients in order to recognize the appropriate interventions. I have gained comprehensive knowledge which I can use to provide efficient patient care. I am also able to handle very serious situations in opportune and safe ways. I have been able to acquire substantial knowledge needed for administering medicines and treatments as may be prescribed by a doctor (Daniels, 2004). In addition I have the knowledge of helping doctors is surgery and other procedures in medical operations. I have also gained hands on experience in the recognition of intellectual differences among staff and using proper resources that can be accessed throughout the health facility. I also have the ability to respond to the needs of the pediatric, adult patients, adolescents and the elderly people (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council 2012). I can comfortably delegate appropriate assignments to LPNS other workers who are not licensed. I have the ability to exercise leadership skills to direct other staff in the nursing profession in a very efficient manner. I am very proficient in psychomotor interventions in the process of caring for patients (Tollefson, 2004). I also have hands on experience in working with imaging and diagnostic experience and the ability to counsel and give training to other nurses. My leadership skills are evident in my work especially in team communications where I strive to create a productive and consistent environment. I have knowledge in working with health care software such as Electronic Health Records. I am able to enter and retrieve data belonging to patients and make customized reports (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2013). I am proficient in the English language because this is a requirement for anybody who wants to qualify as a Registered Nurse in Australia. I also have the citizenship of Australia because this is also a major requirement for registration (Nursing Careers Australia 2013). Conclusion In this portfolio I have discussed all my knowledge and skills, my values and attitudes, my preferences and interests, my goals and action plans in ways that show my suitability to practice as a Registered Nurse. My interests lie in the area of mental health and pediatrics. As a nursing student who hopes to become a registered nurse in the near future I have the right professional attitude, professional qualifications, skills and knowledge and the right practical knowledge all of which I have gained in class and in my practical lessons in various healthcare facilities where I worked. I am already pursuing my bachelor’s degree in nursing and I hope to further my studies to the Doctoral level. All these qualifications, interests and knowledge put me in a position to become a very efficient and qualified Registered Nurse. Given the foundation I have at the moment and the plans I have for the future as a Registered Nurse, I look forward to a very successful career in nursing. References Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council. (August 2012). Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards. Retrieved from http://www.anmac.org.au/sites/default/files/documents/ANMAC%20RN%20Accreditation%20Standards%2015%20Oct%202012.pdf Buckis, C. 2006.  Nursing: Australia. Career FAQS. Chang, E., Daly, J. 2007. Transitions in Nursing: Preparing for Professional Practice. Elsevier Australia. Daly, J. Speedy, S., Jackson, D. 2009. Contexts of Nursing: An Introduction. Elsevier Australia. Daniels, R. (RN.) 2004. Nursing Fundamental: Caring and Clinical Decision Making. Cengage Learning. Dayer-Berenson, L. 2010. Cultural Competencies for Nurses: Impact on Health and Illness. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Elder, R., Katie E., Nizette, D. 2012. Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 3e. Elsevier Alsevier. Kersey-Matusiak, G., 2012. Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing. Springer Publishing Company. Koutoukidis, G., Stainton, K., & Hughson, J. 2012. Tabbner’s Nursing Care: Theory and Nursing Care. Elsevier Australia. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2013). Registration Standards. Retrieved from http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx Nursing Careers Australia (2013). Australian Registration Requirements.Retrieved from http://www.nursingcareersaustralia.com/nursing-careers/how-do-i-become-a-nurse-in-australia/australian-registration-requirements/ Peate, I. 2012. The Student’s Guide to Becoming a Nurse. John Wiley & Sons. Sellman, D. 2011. What Makes A good Nurse: Why the Virtues are Important for Nurses. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Tollefson, J. 2004. Clinical Psychomotor Skills. Cengage Learning Australia. Willis, E., Reynolds, L., Keleher H. 2012. Understanding the Australian Healthcare System. Elsevier Health Sciences. Read More