Week 8: Reflection Assignment Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
Week 8: Reflection Assignment Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
Reflect back over the past eight weeks and describe how the achievement of the course outcomes in this course have prepared you to meet the MSN program outcome #4, the MSN Essential IV, and the Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies # 7.
| Program Outcome #4: Integrate professional values through scholarship and service in health care. (Professional identity) |
MSN Essential IV: Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice Recognize that the master’s-prepared nurse applies research outcomes within the practice setting, resolves practice problems, works as a change agent, and disseminates results.
Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies # 7
Health Delivery System Competencies
1. Applies knowledge of organizational practices and complex systems to improve health care delivery.
2. Effects health care change using broad based skills including negotiating, consensus-building, and
partnering.
3. Minimizes risk to patients and providers at the individual and systems level.
4. Facilitates the development of health care systems that address the needs of culturally diverse
populations, providers, and other stakeholders.
5. Evaluates the impact of health care delivery on patients, providers, other stakeholders, and the
environment.
6. Analyzes organizational structure, functions and resources to improve the delivery of care.
7. Collaborates in planning for transitions across the continuum of care.
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In the past seven weeks, this course has taught me important concepts that enhance my understanding in the health promotion of numerous conditions affecting the primary care setting. We learned to optimize one’s health through disease prevention and treatment implementation for neurological issues, pulmonary conditions, cardiovascular and hematological problems, mental health, and inflammatory disorders. This course has helped me achieve the master’s program outcome number four, the Master’s Essential IV, and the Nurse Practitioner Core Competency number seven competency.
Master’s Program Outcome #4: Integrating professional values via scholarship and the provision of service in healthcare
In this course, we achieved the program’s outcome of professional identity by analyzing how primary care practice is organized and influenced by ethical, legal, economic, and political factors (Chamberlain University, 2019). Through evaluation of clinical cases and research, I was able to integrate professional values and thus, develop professional identity as a family nurse practitioner (FNP). The professional core values of a nurse practitioner was not only learned in theory, but implemented in practice as well. Integrating the professional core values of compassion, trustworthiness, and accountability in clinical practice helped further my development of professionalism and my identity as a FNP. One instance in which I had exposure to this outcome was during my clinical rotation when I addressed a young female with bulimia nervosa disorder. It was evident that she was extremely anxious and expressed concern about her body image and eating habits. It was important to allow her to openly communicate about her emotions. While it was difficult to address all of her concerns in a time-constraint environment, I did the best I could to provide compassion and give her ample time to talk and ask questions about her treatment plan. Developing the trust and respect between myself and the patient was critical in optimizing her health outcome. Another instance that helped achieve this particular outcome was in the implementation of treatment plans for patients who struggled to obtain proper services in healthcare. During my clinical rotations, I had a patient who had multiple comorbidities and came in with a chief complaint of constipation. Through imaging, she was found to have bile duct cancer and had issues getting an initial evaluation appointment with an oncologist. Instead of placing another referral that would take a significant amount of time to address the patient’s issue, we placed a call to an oncologist colleague to expedite the care and accommodate for the patient. Furthermore, she was also counseled and supported with financial resources.
Master’s Essential IV: Transforming and incorporating scholarship into practice
Week 8: Reflection Assignment Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies
The Master’s Essential IV of transforming and incorporating scholarship into practice was also met during this course through interdisciplinary team participation, application of research outcomes within the primary care setting, dissemination of research results, and utilization of practice guidelines to improve health outcomes (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2011). This particular master’s essential was heavily emphasized throughout this course by using reliable sources of information, applying national guidelines, and integrating clinical judgment and perspectives of other professionals for treatment plans of various illnesses (AACN, 2011). For example, we applied different evidence-based clinical guidelines to help formulate treatment plans for patients in the weekly discussion posts. Case studies of different illnesses, such as pulmonary, cardiovascular, and mental health disorders, during week 2 and 3 were heavily discussed and supported with the latest recommendations of scholarly research, as well as national treatment guidelines from healthcare associations and governmental agencies, including the American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Psychological Association. Applying these practice guidelines to improve practice fulfilled incorporating scholarship into the primary care practice. This master’s essential was also fulfilled in a second example during week 6 where we were assigned mental health disorder case studies to present. Various mental health disorders were discussed and supported by reliable sources and each peer took on a leadership position to facilitate the discussion throughout the week. As leader of an assigned topic, I responded to peers and demonstrated my knowledge of the mental health disorder through discussion of hallmark symptoms, diagnostic tools, and treatment plans while acknowledging results and conclusions of others. This example fulfilled knowledge and research dissemination to enhance health outcomes for each case study patient and incorporate scholarship into clinical practice.
Nurse Practitioner Core Competency #7: Health Delivery System Competencies
Lastly, the nurse practitioner core competency #7, which was established by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), focuses on the competencies related to health delivery systems. This competency involves the application of knowledge generated from organizational practices, the support of healthcare needs of culturally diverse populations, the impact of healthcare change, the organizational structure of the healthcare system, and the collaboration in the continuity of care (NONPF, 2017). This competency was achieved in the clinical rotation by supporting continuity of care and incorporating cultural competence in the primary care office. For example, I saw an elderly male patient in the clinical rotation with complaints of hematuria intermittently for the past three weeks. The patient had not established care with a primary care provider in many years. We obtained a urine sample, which showed frank blood. The patient required a higher level of care and was subsequently referred to the nearest ER. We were able to call the facility and give report to the receiving physician. The patient was then evaluated emergently. This example demonstrated the process of collaborating and planning for transitions across the healthcare continuum. The second example of achieving this competency deals with cultural competence in healthcare. In the clinical rotation, I saw a young Hispanic female patient who had depression and an eating disorder. Her mother had brought her into the office, but they both primarily spoke Spanish. The office generally does not have a high Hispanic population, but we had interpreter services to help facilitate the visitation. We were able to utilize the interpreter services to help formulate a treatment plan for the patient, as well as discuss her emotions with her mother. The goal of culturally competent healthcare care services is to provide the highest quality of care to every patient, regardless of race, ethnicity, cultural background, and English proficiency. Both the patient and her mother were very appreciative for taking the time to address their concerns. This example demonstrated support of healthcare needs of culturally diverse populations. Therefore, the accomplishment of outcomes in this course helped me prepare to meet the program’s outcome number four, the master’s Essential IV, and the NONPF competency number seven.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2011). The essentials of master’s education in nursing. Retrieved from http://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/MastersEssentials11.pdf
Chamberlain University. (2019). Academic catalog 2019-2020. Retrieved from https://www.chamberlain.edu/docs/default-source/academics-admissions/catalog.pdf
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. (2017). Nurse practitioner core competencies content. Retrieved from https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nonpf.org/resource/resmgr/competencies/
