Assume Responsibility and Accountability for Professional Practice
EVIDENCE
N220 Clinical Paper
This paper describes my first clinical experience and how I was able to develop professionalism in myself. I also discuss some of the professional behaviors that I have observed in other members of the health care team at Orchard Park. This paper lays the groundwork for future experiences of professional practice.
Throughout my time at PLU, I have become more involved and aware of things going on in the world of nursing. One way for me to have a larger voice in nursing and build myself as a professional nurse is to be involved in nursing organizations. At this time, I am a member of the National Student Nurse's Association (NSNA), Nursing Students of Washington State (NSWS), and Sigma Theta Tau. I am also currently serving as the Chair of the Mentoring Committee for the the Nursing Students of Washington State. In this role I have created a system for matching potential mentors with students who would like to connect with a mentor.
This paper was written for an assignment in my Biomedical Ethics class during my Sophomore Year. It explores the ethical dilemmas behind a case that occurred in Washington at Children's Hospital in which a developmentally disabled child was given medications to stop her growth and had a hysterectomy so that her parents would be able to better care for her. This case was frequently reported on by the media and raises many questions about ethical issues when it comes to health and medicine.
This evaluation was conducted half way through my senior preceptorship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and shows my progress towards becoming a professional registered nurse. It is broken down into sections, with comments on my performance in a variety of areas, ranging from Accountability and Responsibility for Ethical Practice to Communication.
Professionalism is a topic that is raised from the very beginning of the nursing program. It is evaluated in every clinical setting and in the classroom as well. From dress to attitude to conversations, it is something that can be demonstrated in so many different ways. I feel that I have laid a solid foundation for my professional development and will only continue to grow as a professional after leaving PLU.
During my first clinical experience, I had the opportunity to lay the groundwork for assuming responsibility and accountability for professional practice.Through my observations of the health care staff at the long term care facility where I did my clinical, I was able to see the differences between those who displayed professional behaviors and those who did not. From this experience, I was able to modify my own behaviors and examine which areas I needed to work on in order to demonstrate the behavior and attitude of a true professional. Since this clinical rotation, I have had many opportunities to display responsibility and accountability for my own actions and exhibit the behaviors of a professional, both in and out of the hospital setting.
I believe that part of being a professional also means being involved in professional organizations that offer opportunities for continued growth and allow for the development of connections with other nursing professionals. At the start of my junior year, I became a member of both the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) and the Nursing Students of Washington State (NSWS). In my senior year, I became a member of Sigma Theta Tau and I was also elected to be Chair of the Mentoring Committee for NSWS. Being elected to chair a committee has provided me with an opportunity to challenge myself to be a leader and build relationships with other nursing students and nursing professionals in this state. As Chair of the Mentoring Committee, I worked on a program to match current nurses desiring to become a mentor with nursing students or new graduates who are seeking a mentor relationship. Not only has this been an opportunity for me to grow as a professional, but it has also allowed me to influence others to grow professionally by matching mentors with those seeking mentors.
Another aspect of professionalism in nursing is being able to examine and handle complex cases and issues in an appropriate manner. In my Biomedical Ethics, one of my liberal arts classes at PLU, I was challenged to examine a wide variety of ethical issues related to the health care field and discuss how they could and should be handled. In one assignment, I wrote on the ethical issues surround the case of a girl name Ashley, who was a patient at Children's Hospital in Seattle. In this case, Ashley's parents chose to have their developmentally disabled daughter's growth stunted and her reproductive organs removed so that they could better care for her. In my paper, I examine some of the ethical issues surrounding this case and discuss how future ethical questions brought up in this case should be approached. As nurses, we will face ethical dilemmas with many of the clients that we encounter, and it is our job as professionals to do what is best for our clients, while protecting their autonomy and decisions. Recognizing when something may be ethically wrong and handling the situation with critical thinking and tact is one of the marks of a true professional in nursing. This paper demonstrates my ability to think critically in complex patient scenarios and my belief that nurses assume responsibility and accountability for every aspect of the care that they provide.
In my senior preceptorship this semester, I have experienced a greater responsibility for patients than ever before. I am truly doing total patient care and working up to the status of an entry level nurse. My midterm evaluation from this clinical experience reflects how I display my professionalism and the progress that I am making towards becoming a novice nurse. It shows that I am accountable for my actions and can deal with an increased level of responsibility. I believe that this evaluation is an accurate representation of the nurse that I will become when I enter my practice.
I feel that assuming responsibility and accountability for professional practice is one of my strongest outcomes. It is something I have demonstrated throughout all of my classes and clinical rotations at PLU and something that I will hold on to after graduation.I plan to maintain my membership with Sigma Theta Tau and join another professional nursing organization once I find out where I will be working. I also believe that to advance the nursing profession as a whole, further education is encouraged and needed. After working in the hospital for a few years, I plan to pursue a higher degree of education in the field of nursing to continue my growth and professional development.
