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Current Career Assessment
The nursing staff performs a variety of roles in hospitals. Nurses through their collaboration with other healthcare providers such as doctors are able to restore patient’s life and alleviate pain and suffering. Nurses act like instructors to their patients by ensuring good-exercise, healthy lifestyles and self-care. Nurses act as patient advocates and are always there with patients throughout their ailment (Huston, 2017).
Working as a professional nurse requires that one to have knowledge and certain core skills in the nursing practice. Being a professional nurse one is expected to have good communication and professional behavior, good patient assessment skills, good patient care skills, infection control and good understanding of the whole nursing process. Am also expected to prioritize care, be aware and able to practice health and safety standards and medical administration (Huston, 2017). [“Write my essay for me?” Get help here.]
Self-Assessment
I have had the opportunity to work in the nursing home for quite some time. This has enabled me acquire patient care skills like helping patients maintain oral hygiene and when showering. Am also capable of employing appropriate strategies to ensure that patients are able to understand the need for medications and other forms of interventions prescribed. This promotes collaboration and adherence to medication.[Click Essay Writer to order your essay]
All this time I have been with patients, I have come to develop empathy and sympathy towards all patients. Am also a fast learner and always eager to learn. All this put together I stand in a better position to work on a course of actions that may help improve my nursing practice and address my weaknesses. I am also capable of enduring all demands of professional nursing given the emotional strength I have developed.
Apart from my strengths, I also have certain areas I need to improve on. To start with I need to improve on the current skills I have. I also need to learn other new skills like professional patient observation and care, oral and communication skills, presentation and negotiation skills. I also get difficulties in identification of commonly used drugs including their side-effects, contraindications and their preferred use.
Action Steps
I have been working as a resident nurse at the hospital for more than two years within which I have developed some skills and at the same time faced some challenges. At the same time I will be completing my studies in the next two years. I therefore find it being the right moment to understand skills and competency required of professional nurses and at the same time come up with a plan to improve on my strengths and weaknesses. Below are some of the short term and long term goals.[Need an essay writing service? Find help here.]
For the short term goals, I plan to use the remaining time of my studies to close the current skill gap I have. Am going also to use this particular period to polish the current skills I have. I have the plan of getting involved with group discussions and presentations to improve on my oral communication and presentation skills. Attending workshops and lectures will help with improving my knowledge about the commonly used medications. Participation in projects, role plays and placements will help in learning from the senior and more experienced nurses.
As part of my long-term goals, I plan to specialize in midwifery. I plan to join and work with organizations involved with supplying temporary healthcare providers to the National Health Service. This would help in gaining experience and acquaintance. From there is when I will go for specialization in midwifery.
Professional Development Plan
For the remaining two years of my study, I plan to focus on my studies and gaining more skills. I plan to improve those areas I have weaknesses in like communication, mastery of drugs and professional patient observation and care. Attending lectures, focus group discussion and involvement in projects and role play will help me achieve this. For instance presentations during group discussions will offer a better opportunity to gain confidence while talking in front of a group of people. This as a result improves my presentation and communication skills.
Experience gained from patient interactions while doing my studies will be sufficient enough when working in the Nation Health Service. This then means I will only spend some time there gaining experience I need before going back to specialize in midwifery.
Conclusion
Professional nurses have fundamental roles in the patient wellbeing at hospitals. There is therefore need for constant improvement and gain of new skills to better their practice (Masters, 2005). This can be achieved through constant self-assessment to identify strengths and weakness. With known strengths and weakness one can therefore come up with plans on how to address these issues. It is therefore important for professional nurses to perform self-assessments and develop career plans.
References
Huston, C. J. (2017). Professional issues in nursing: Challenges and opportunities. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
Masters, K. (2005). Role development in professional nursing practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
