The Development and Monitoring of Professional Learning Goals/Needs for the Nurse as Graduate - Essay Example

Aspects of my role as a NGN Identification and explanation of a gap in learning Planned actions and strategies to meet learning goals Possible evidence of accomplishment The nurse as graduate After considering my transition, I felt a bit of tension about it, but since it means a lot to the success of my profession, I had a feeling it will be sound and I will get support from experienced professionals. Although I felt that I will handle it successfully, literature tells me that it will be more than I expected. Generally, I have realized that the process is wide and I have minimal information in regard to it. Given that it is one of the imperative processes in my profession, I feel that I may not fit in these two clinical placements. Based on the literature, transition from student to professional nurse practicing can be explained as a turning point for the new graduate. During the first few months, the student is experiences a change of status while transforming into a professional nurse where this change produces a role stress. According to Chang, & Hancock (2003), the first 3 to 6 months has the potential to challenges and stresses as the graduate nurses try to adjust. One experiences a psychological stress such as anxiety as the nurse try to cope with the challenges associated with the new role. The role ambiguity which involves lacking clear and consistent information in regard to the behaviour expected in a role may also be experienced due to the new graduate’s lack of clear responsibilities. In addition, lack of confidence, unrealistic expectations in regard to other nurses, self-expectations, adjustments to shift work, gradual acquisition of experience and skills are major reasons for development of stress for new graduate nurses (Pigott, 2001). Binti, & Ysanne (2011) stressed on importance of fitting as it helps the new graduate to easily cope with challenges through sharing of the existing knowledge and experience with experienced professionals. The literature suggests that the new graduates with real understanding of the transition process have a very easy time of fitting into the two clinical placements especially in the first 3 to 6 months. Based on the reflection, I have a little information in regard to the transition process and I don’t have clear information on the NGN program offered in my chose health care facility. In order to be well prepared in handling the transition program, I feel that the following learning goals will help me to close the gap: Doing thorough study on transition. Do a detailed research on the NGN program offered by the health care facility of my choice Develop a plan to follow and identify in order to identify the gaps Seek advice from my colleagues and experience professionals on my next practice The nurse as leader In consideration of my transition, I felt that this is the most important time to grow my profession and succeed in my career in nursing as a leader. But I felt that this process is not easy as professionals may feel that due to lack of experience, I may not be in a better condition to carryout various responsibilities. Given that I may be having little information in regard to this profession, I feel that I have very little authority in order to perform the responsibilities that will be assigned to me. Based on literature, the managerial responsibilities are among the main cause of considerable anxiety as the new graduates conflict between their own values and ideals and the new environment. Due to lack of experience in practice, lack of organisational skills, interactions with physicians as well as new procedures and situation are factors that cause a barrier to the new graduate in development of a future leader in nursing profession. As a result, they find is stressing to accept responsibility, working as team members, accepting their levels of knowledge as well as maintaining the professional standards (Greenwood, 2000). However, Binti, & Ysanne (2011), development of future leaders in nursing requires great mentorship from experienced nurses. New graduate nurses struggle a lot in order to be guaranteed their confirmation in service. At these stages, they realise that they really need the support from their mentors in order to be successful in their nursing career. In addition, the mentors realise that the new graduate nurses are the future leaders in nursing profession and they need to share existing experience and profession in order to grow and succeed in their career in nursing. It is suggested that new graduates utilise the existing experience and profession to gain potential of future leadership in nursing profession. Based on the reflection, I have little information in regard to the authority for carrying various responsibilities and I don’t have clear information on my authority to do various tasks in the next healthcare facility. In order to be better prepared to carryout various responsibilities as a future leader in nursing profession, I will develop the following goals: I will familiarise myself with the policies, protocols and procedures of the next hospital by knowing what is required and who and how to contact. I will seek advice from my mentor in the next practice I will clarify my responsibilities in addressing the problems in order to be well prepared in future leadership The nurse as educator When I thought of transition, I felt that is will be a smooth process, but is still felt anxious due to its importance in my future. According to the literature, I realise that there is more than my expectations. My concern is to know just what others in the nursing profession expect from me. Based on literature, there are usually problems in regard to the theory obtained during training and the practice and new graduate nurses have a mismatch between the classroom work and the actual clinical practice. As a result, new nurses may be desensitised to poor nursing practice habits and the needs of the patient (Greenwood, 2000). There are differences in opinions in regard to nurses in services and the ones in education. Nurses in service see the new graduates as inadequately prepared for service provision studies with complains in relation to insufficient skills in patient and clinical management. Based on nurses in education, the new graduate are well prepared as beginning rather than competent nurses or practitioners (Tillett, 2007). It is suggested that in order to have a clear understanding of what is expected from the new graduate nurse, it is important to develop confidence by engaging the new graduate nurses in the real practice through different ways such as mentoring. Due to such different views as a result of the gap between theory and practice, it is also suggested that there is more collaboration through programs to enable expeditious acquisition of clinical and management skills (Hinton, & Chirgwin, 2008). Based on my reflection, it is evident that I have little information in regard to what others will expect from me in my chosen hospital. In order to feel confident in others expectations from me, the following goals will assist: To ensure that I consult a profession in any practice that is not clear to me in order to understand what the mentor expects from me Research on documentations in my next hospital in regard to previous practices. This will help to understand what is has been practically possible. The nurse as manager As I focused on my transition, I had a feeling that being a weighty process in my life; I will be in a condition to influence the decisions and actions of my immediate superiors which affect me. But literature tells me that there is more that what I had anticipated. My concern is about being capable to influence actions and decisions of the immediate supervisor which affect me. Based on the literature, there is more assumption that due to the new graduates nurses’ supposedly lack of clinical knowledge and being inexperienced, they make more preventable harmful errors that experienced nurses. Internationally, it is recognised that due to complexity of health care system, the reduction of the incidence as well as the impact of preventable adverse events and improvement of the safety of patients requires a multi-faceted approach. Such an approach involves accepting and implementing programs such as clinical risk management programs (CRM) in the routine functioning of the hospital (Megan-Jane, & Olga, K 2006). New graduate nurses require capabilities in management of clinical risks to get pertinent information for effective organisational systems and processes for the safety of the patient. Implementation of such system is a useful resource for new graduate nurses in order to provide them with management skills and to facilitate as well as translate information in their daily practice (Johnstone, 2007). As the new graduate nurse adopts the CRM as a quality manager, he or she will be in a condition to practice the quality of care for all. In addition, it is also important to establish how such quality can be measured which include various types of metrics such as structural measures, process measures and outcome measures (Gage W et al 2012). It is suggested that in order to influence your superiors’ actions and decisions that affect you, you need skills as well as information in order to respond to clinical risks in an appropriate manner. Based on the reflection, it is clear that I have a little information and skills that can help me influence the decisions and actions of my superiors that affect me. In order to be prepared to be influential, the following goals will guide me: I will need corporate knowledge of my chosen hospital in regard to policies, procedures and protocols of the hospital The corporate knowledge of in the people that I will be working with. A thorough research on programs on effective management of the safety of the patients References Binti, NE, & Ysanne, C 2011, ‘The Lived Experiences of Mentoring Nurses in Malaysia’, Nurse Media Journal of Nursing, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 87 – 104 Chang, E, & Hancock, K 2003, ‘Role stress and role ambiguity in new nursing graduates in Australia’, Nursing and Health Sciences, vol. 5, p. 155–163 Gage W et al 2012, ‘Measuring quality in nursing and midwifery practice’, Nursing Standard, Vol. 26, no. 45, p. 35-40. Greenwood, J 2000, ‘Critique of the graduate nurse: an international perspective’, Nurse Education Today, Vol. 20, no. 1, p. 17-23 Hinton, A, & Chirgwin, S 2008, ‘Nursing education: reducing reality shock for graduate Indigenous nurses – it’s all about time’, Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 28 No. 1, p. 60-66 Johnstone MJ, Kanitsaki O, Currie T, Smith E, McGennisken C 2007, ‘Designing and delivering clinical risk management education for graduate nurses: an Australian study’, Nurse Education Practice, vol. 7, no. 4, p. 247-57. Levett-Jones, T 2005, ‘A Review of Graduate Nurse Transition Programs in Australia’, Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 23 No. 2, p. 40-44 Megan-Jane, J, & Olga, K 2006, ‘Processes Influencing the Development of Graduate Nurse Capabilities in Clinical Risk Management: An Australian Study’, Q Manage Health Care, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 268–278 Pigott, H. 2001, ‘Facing reality: The transition from student to graduate nurse’, Australian Nursing Journal, vol. 8, no. 7, p. 24-26 Tillett, J 2007, ‘Nurses as interdisciplinary educators’, The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, vol. 21, no. 4, p. 278-279 Read More