Graduating and Becoming a Nurse
The field of nursing is both a science and an art. New nurses graduate with, at least, acceptable basic competence. They are expected to have the ability to effectively communicate and make decisions in a complex environment with multiple demands on their practical comprehension. However, they usually lack the experience to apply this learned theory. This limited knowledge results in anxiety and difficulty in transitioning from the role of student to leader. How these students can best learn these skills is a topic that has come under considerable debate. We know that most become overwhelmed with multiple tasks and not able to prioritize with critical thinking in a fast pace acute hospital. This begs the questions: How do we make that transition phase easier for them and the staff around them? How do we get the doing and thinking to intertwine together? The article, Coaching for competence, gives one example of how to foster critical thinking skills in novice nurses as well as establish a culture that would help its entire staff to grow and excel together.
Model concept and implementation
The nursing leadership of a 37-bed acute medical unit at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN faced a challenge when they had significant numbers of new nurses hired during the year for a busy acute care general medical unit. The original policy for new nurses involved a six to eight week orientation with a preceptor who assisted new hires to assume complete care for an increasing number of patients. Once the new hire was handling a full patient case load independently, a “resource nurse” with her own full patient assignment remained available for direction and guidance for the next four weeks. While this orientation process was considered extensive, an extended learning period was needed due to the number of new hires. For this reason, the leadership team began to devise a plan to blend the acts of thinking with doing. This plan needed to encourage and stimulate the new nurses to develop “self-directed, self-correcting, and innovative strategies in dealing with challenges”. They were to develop competency and critical thinking in the novice nurses to a higher level of professional thinking. Thus, a coaching concept model was developed by the nurse manager, clinical nurse specialist, and nursing education specialist
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...ng job satisfaction are significantly enhanced where critical thinking skills are fostered and promoted. In today’s environment of nursing staff shortages, budget constraints and a higher patient acuity, this is no small task to accomplish. However, it is still our primary responsibility in our profession to take the actions necessary to enhance our practice. Rather than being discouraged over the reality of our situation, we should become more creative in our solutions. This creativity was expressed in development of the coaching model. Finally; we found that nursing units that promote critical thinking, professionalism and cohesion will result in higher staff retention rate
References
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Nelson, J., Apenhorst, D., Carter, L., Mahlum, E., & Schneider, J., (2004) Coaching for Competence. Medsurg Nursing, 13(1), 32-35.
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I presume the role transition from academic nursing student to Graduate Nurse will be challenging and rewarding. In their findings, the researchers Doody, Tuohy & Deasy (2012) stated that for a successful transition NGNs need to be competent in a range of domains: interpersonal skills, managing workloads, providing health information, communication, and prioritising care delivery. Although I believe I am competent in the above specified areas, I am still not confident that I would get sufficient support in the hospital environment in terms of knowledge sharing, moral support and being given constructive feedback. Constructive criticism increases confidence in the work role and reduces stress in an individual (Doody, Tuohy & Deasy, 2012). In my previous professional placements I have been able to demonstrate my competency to work in the healthcare environment. I have received positive feedback from placement educators, buddy nurses and patients. Despite being competent in a range of the above areas NGNs may still face transition shock.
Critical thinking and knowledge are the foundation of nursing practice, and the most essential elements in providing quality nursing care. Nu...
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, K. B. (2015). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies (3rd ed.). [VitalSource Bookshelf Version]. http://dx.doi.org/9781284059571
It is important that students have the ability of being competent in a clinical setting. To be deemed competent in skills according to nursing regulations and requirements. This is a challenging factor for many students, as they enter transition period. This is due to students feel they do not have the desired clinical competency that promotes the skills and authorities of a registered nurse (Harsin, Soroor & Soodabeh, 2012). Clinical research studies have found that students do have the required expected levels of knowledge, attitude and behaviour’s. However, the range of practical skills aren’t sufficient for the range of practice settings (Evans, 2008). This research has also found that other evidenced based studies found that competency in nursing skills is still lacking (Evans, 2008). These skills are lacked by students and newly graduated nursing how are in the first or second year of
Murphy J, Quillinan B, Carolan M. "Role of clinical nurse leadership in improving patient care." Nurs Manage 16, no. 8 (2012): 26-28.
...n every step because one mistake can cause someone to lose their life and there are no second chances or third attempts once someone is gone. Sufficient knowledge, skills and critical thinking capabilities are developed through experience and practice. Registered nurses become leaders through professional development. Nurses holding Bachelor Degrees will eventually become placed in leadership roles. We must evaluate the program outcomes now in order to be successful when it is time for us to fulfill these roles. I often refer to the quote that Doctor Tanner provided that states, “Nurses have the power to make decisions to determine how patients are born, live, suffer and die”. Some components of holistic nursing are knowledge of growth and adaptation (Murphy, 1990, p.1). Nursing is holistic in nature and nurses may not realize how much power they truly possess.
Kerfoot, K. (2008). Bossing or serving?: how leaders execute effectively. MEDSURG nursing, 17(2), 133-134. Retrieved from EBSCO host
Nursing educators and researchers developed theoretical frameworks for the nursing practice that are used to validate application of nursing knowledge and skills, and the theory gives a professional identity for nursing practice. Watson’s caring theory provides guidelines in transformational nursing practice, and stimulates nursing when profession experiencing shortages, decline, crisis in care, safety and healthcare reform. Nurse staffing issue creates potential challenge for nursing profession; therefore, nursing leadership should be involved, and actively participate to resolve it (Peterson, S, J. & Bredow, T. S., 2013).
They are influenced by their family of origin, their education, their work experience, and the people they interact with. For Ms. Eckert this has all brought her to her current career position and approach to leadership. She holds leadership not only as the challenge and difficult task that many people today see it as. She also views it as an amazing opportunity to influence others. Ms. Eckert also noted the importance of coaching others, both in their nursing development, and in their leadership potential. This is particularly important as we are facing rapid change within the nursing field. There should be a certain amount of mentorship to learn from those who have experience and to develop one’s own skill. For Ms. Eckert some of the main elements she discussed as contributing to a strong leader are the willingness to coach others, emotional intelligence, a sense of spirituality, valuing diversity, and openness to change and innovation. It should then be the hope of future nurses to emulate this idea of leadership and personal growth as members of the healthcare
Sorensen, H. J., & Yankech, L. (2008). Precepting in the Fast Lane: Improving Critical Thinking in New Graduate Nurses. Journal Of Continuing Education In Nursing, 39(5), 208.
According to Bandman & Bandman (1995), critical thinking is defined as the rational examination of ideas, inferences, assumptions, principles, arguments, conclusions, issues, statements, beliefs and actions. In this subject ‘Critical Thinking in Nursing’ has emphasized critical thinking as an essential nursing skill and its definition of critical thinking have evolved over the years. In short, the general definition of critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored and self-corrective thinking. Every nurses must cultivate rigorous standards for critical thinking, however they cannot avoid completely the situatedness and structures of the clinical traditions and practices. They must make decisions and act quickly according to
When talking about leadership, one cannot help but wonder how it relates to nursing. If the focus of nursing should be caring for patients who are either well or ill, then why is there a need to tackle leadership? Unlike before, today’s health care environment is complex, rapid and continuously changing. This development prompts an upcoming danger to the nurse’s skills, identity and ability to coordinate with other health care professionals. On the other hand, this also makes nurses challenge their own into taking the lead, developing goals, consolidating a purpose and moving towards an attainable vision. A nurse leader then needs to combine clinical, administrative, financial and operational skills to effectively solve various clinical challenges. These challenges are the rationale behind tackling the need for leadership in nursing.
Around the 1960s, nursing educational leaders wanted to formulate a nursing theory that contained knowledge and basic principles to guide future nurses’ in their practice (Thorne, 2010, p.64). Thus, Jacqueline Fawcett introduced the metaparadigm of nursing. Metaparadigm “identifies the concepts central to the discipline without relating them to the assumptions of a particular world view” (MacIntyre & Mcdonald, 2014). Fawcett’s metaparadigm of nursing included concepts of person, environment, health, and nursing that were interrelated. The metaparadigm ultimately contributed to conceptual framework to guide nurses to perform critical thinking and the nursing process in everyday experiences in clinical settings.
Coaching and mentoring are vital tools in developing the workforce, most especially in enhancing quality practices at the point of care, and also innovating these practices. According to Abiddin (2006), mentoring and coaching are factors which are vital in developing people in their professions. As such, these two are related with career and self development and professional growth (Abiddin, 2006). In line with this assertion, this paper will discuss about the current relevance of mentoring and coaching in nursing in today's healthcare; how it influences both healthcare and nursing; how it is integrated into clinical practice; and how it is used in the clinical setting.